NSW. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of VX66955 Private Richard Craze, Australian Army ...

Accession Number P02468.641
Collection type Photograph
Object type Black & white - Film copy negative
Conflict Second World War, 1939-1945
Copyright

Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain

Public Domain Mark This item is in the Public Domain

Description

NSW. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of VX66955 Private Richard Craze, Australian Army Ordnance Corps, . He was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in north Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of E Force. The 500 Australian and 500 British POW's who made up E Force, left Changi on 28 March 1943, on board the S.S. DeKlerk arriving at Berhala Island (adjacent to Sandakan Harbour) on 15 April 1943. The POW's were held there until 5 June, when they were taken by barge to Sandakan. The next day they were transferred to the 8 Mile Camp, which was about half a mile from the B Force compound. Private Craze, aged 25, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 2 April 1945. He was the son of Albert Edward and Harriet Ann Craze, of Henty, NSW. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 27. (Photograph copied from AWM232, items 4 and 5. Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)