STURTRIDGE, Percy Alfred - WX10794

Original items held by the Army Museum of Western Australia

Sgt Percy Alfred Sturtridge

Conflict	World War 2
Service Arm	Australian Imperial Force
Unit	2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, C Company
Service No.	WX10794
Service Arm	Army
Date of Birth	26 May 1918
Birthplace	Dongarra, WA
Residence	Middle Swan, Perth, WA
Date of Death	11 Jul 1982
Relatives	Father - William Sturtridge Mother - Eliza arian Sturtridge Wife - Olga Joan Mountjoy

Photos

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Record of Service and Pay Books
The 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion reached Singapore in January 1942. One third of the Battalion were wounded, missing or killed by the time of the surrender of Singapore on 15th February 1942 and the remaining men were held in Japanese POW camps for the next three years.

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  A list of the men taken prisoner on 8th Feb 1942

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Olga received a telegram informing her that Percy was a POW.

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Olga was able to send messages to Percy via the Red Cross although it could be up to 12 months before Percy received them.

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Radio Saigon broadcast messages from Prisoners of War. People all over Australia would listen for these messages with their short-wave radios and pass on the messages they heard to the families. The families were relieved to hear news from their soldier but were warned by the Australian Goverment that they may be propaganda.

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Letters to Olga from friends and relatives celebrating the return of the POWs.

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Olga received a telegram with details of Percy's return to Australia.

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