Walter Albert Freeman (1912 - 1942)

Born 6 Feb 1912 in Concord, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Ethel May (Gribble) Freeman — married 24 Jun 1939 in Punchbowl, New South Wales, Australia

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 30 in At Sea

Visit: Rabaul Memorial

• Visit : VWMA Virtual Memorial Walter Freeman
  

Biography

Walter Freeman was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Walter Freeman died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Walter Albert Freeman was born at Concord, NSW on 6 February 1912, the son of Alfred Freeman and Lucy Horning.

He married Ethel May Chamberlain (nee Gribble) at Canterbury, NSW in 1939.

With his younger brother Ronald Freeman he enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service on24 Jun 1940 at Punchbowl, NSW as a Private (NX54320). At the time he was a waiter, married and living at Punchbowl, NSW. He had brown hair and brown eyes. The brothers served together throughout the rest of their lives.

Attestation Paper WW2

He was initially allocated to 9th Bn but was transferred to 22 Infantry Brigade Anti Tank Coy, Royal Australian Artillery as a Gunner on 26 Aug 1940. He was appointed A/ Lance Cpl on 24 Oct 1940 and A/Cpl on 18 Nov 1940. He was promoted Cpl on 14 Jul 1941.

On 09 Aug 1941 he transferred to 17 Anti Tank Battery (B Troop). He disembarked from HMAT "Zealandia" at Rabaul on New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea on 30 Sep 1941.

When the Japanese invaded New Britain in Jan 1942 he was captured at Karrot (probably Gavit where his brother was also captured) and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

Pacific Star Attestation Paper WW2 p.12

Sources

• Birth - NSW BDM Birth index - FREEMAN WALTER A; 2559/1912; ALFRED E; LUCY; BURWOOD

• Marriage - NSW BDM Marriage index - 13419/1939; FREEMAN WALTER ALBERT; CHAMBERLAIN ETHEL MAY; CANTERBURY

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - FREEMAN WALTER ALBERT : Service Number - NX54320 : Date of birth - 06 Feb 1912 : Place of birth - CONCORD NSW : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - FREEMAN ETHEL https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=4634050

• Roll of Honour - Family Notices (1945, October 27). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 30. Retrieved December 15, 2019

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615663/freeman,-walter-albert/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/628681

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/freeman-walter-albert/