Private Sidney Kingston Bignell

2/26th Australian Infantry Battalion

 

 

 

 

 

Service Number:                            QX21930

Place of Enlistment:                      Brisbane

Age of Enlistment:                         21 Years 7 months

Date of Enlistment:                        2^nd  of July 1941

Embarked:                                      Sydney, 7^th of September 1941

Transport Ship:                              HMT ‘JJ’ for Singapore

Medals Awarded:                           1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal, Australian Service Medal

Place of Death:                              Taken Prisoner of War. 15^th of February 1942, Died of illness in Burma 8^th of October 1943

Resting Place:                               Buried Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery Plot A16, Row A, Grave 8 Myanmar

Unit Badge:                                    2/26^th Australian Infantry Battalion

 

Additional Information:

Many members of the local Bignell family served in the Second World War. However, only Sidney (Sid) and his brother Walter (Wally) were killed. Both brothers were local farmers. Sidney was survived by his parents and his pet bull. A pair of trees were later planted at the then Maudsland State School in memory of the fallen brothers.

 

Over 22,000 Australians would become prisoners of the Japanese during the second World War. More than 8,000 Australians died in Japanese captivity, most of these deaths were due to the indifference and brutality of their captors. Conditions were particularly brutal for those prisoners who were forced to build the Thai-Burma Railroad, one of whom was Private Bignell. 2,815 Australians, over 11,000 other Allied prisoners and roughly 75,000 Asian labourers died due to the relentless labour and inadequate rations.