| Accession Number | P02468.684 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Film copy negative |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
WA. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of WX7883 Private William Herbert Beard, 2/4th ...
Description
WA. Paybook photograph, taken on enlistment, of WX7883 Private William Herbert Beard, 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, Australian Infantry. 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 B Force. The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Private Beard, aged 34, died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 10 July 1945. He was the son of Henry William and Florence Beard, of Worsley, WA. He is commemorated on the Labuan Memorial Panel 18. (Photograph copied from AWM232, items 4 and 5. Personal information from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database.)