2/5 Australian General Hospital

Pte Bill Jones

NX19459

 

 

In 1939, prior to the outbreak of World War 2, Bill was a member of the 4 th Cavalry Field Ambulance, a militia unit, training in first aid and the recovery and treating of wounded troops.

 

Bill joined the A.I.F on 31 May 1940, and because of his earlier training, he was posted to the 2/5 Australian General Hospital.

 

Aboard the Queen Mary, he sailed out of Sydney on 20 October 1940 bound for overseas duty.

 

On the 12 April 1941, the 2/5 AGH had established a 1200 bed hospital at Ekali, Greece.

 

On the 27 April 1941, the area was overrun by the advancing German Army, and 167 personnel became Prisoners of War.  Bill was one of these who had volunteered to stay behind with the wounded.

 

Bill was transported to Torun (Thorn) a prisoner of war camp in Poland, and was repatriated in October 1943.

 

Upon his arrival back in Australia, Bill underwent rehabilitation, and further training, and when the 2/5 AGH was posted to Morotai Island, to set up a base hospital to treat incoming wounded from the Japanese POW camps. Bill was with them.

 

He was finally discharged on 29 August 1945 - and on the 5 February 1999, He and his wife, Doris, celebrated their Golden wedding anniversary.

 

Acknowledgement:

This information and photos were kindly given by Bill Jones, for copy and reproduction on the 2/5AGH Memorabilia DVD and Website.  25-04-2006