William
Percy
Westcott
Born in Ouyen, Victoria, Australia
Ancestors 
[sibling(s) unknown]
[spouse(s) unknown]
[children unknown]
Died
at age 22
in At Sea
Profile last modified
| Created 2 Feb 2020
This page has been accessed 103 times.
Biography
William Westcott was a Prisoner of War during World War II.
William Westcott died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.
William Percy Westcott was born in 1919 at Ouyen, Victoria, Australia, the son of Albert Victor Westcott and Athelia Grace Mead.
He enlisted in the Australian Army Militia at Royal Park, Melbourne, VIC on 03 March 1941 as a Gunner (V11421) in the Royal Australian Artillery. At the time he was single, a motor driver and mechanic and was living at Albert Park, VIC. He had brown hair and grey eyes.
He was transferred to "L" Force on 21 March 1941and was transferred to 8MD on 17 April 1941. He embarked at Sydney on 18 April 1941 on the "Zealandia" for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 26 April 1941 where he formed part of the Rabaul Heavy Battery.
After the Japanese invaded on 23 January 1942 he was captured at New Massawa 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 July 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.
He was posthumously enrolled in the 2nd AIF as VX129357.
Sources
- Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 22013 / 1919; Family name: WESTCOTT; Given name(s): Wm Percy; Place of event: OUYEN, VIC, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Athelia Grace; Mother's family name at birth: MEAD; Father's Name: Albert Victor
- WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - WESTCOTT WILLIAM PERCY : Service Number - VX129357 : Date of birth - 13 Jul 1919 : Place of birth - OUYEN VIC : Place of enlistment - ROYAL PARK : Next of Kin - WESTCOTT ALBERT - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6082526
- Deaths On Active Service - Family Notices (1945, November 1). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved February 2, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205640085
- Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1694366
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2616468/william-percy-westcott/
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