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VX/24597
Captain
Lionel Colin Mathews
1912/08/05 - Born Stepney, South Australia
Son of Edgar and Ann Mathews
Educated at East Adelaide Public and Norwood High Schools
1935/12/26 - Married Myrtle at St Mathews Anglian Church, Kensington
Lionel trained as a signalman in the Citizen Naval Forces
Australian Corps of Signals
8th Divisional Signals
A Company Commander of ‘E’ Battalion
Service
1939, April, Enlisted in the Militia
1940, January - Lionel was commissioned as a lieutenant
1940/06/10 - Transferred to the Australian Imperial Force
1041, February - Deployed to Singapore as part of 8th Division Signals
1941/12/08 - Japan enters the war by Bombing Pearl Harbour and attacking Hong Kong and Malaya. Japanese troops land the Malayan border with Thailand at Kota Bharu (Malaya), Singora and Patani (Thailand).
During the invasion of Malaya, Lionel maintained communications under fire at Gemas
As the Japanese had taken the airfield at Kota Bharu, the Allied troops had very little air cover and by the 31st of January 1942, Allied Troops were pushed back to Singapore. The causeway joining Singapore to Malaya was blown to stop the Japanese advance.
On the 9th February the Japanese attacked the North West coast of Singapore. General Percival had set his main defence on the North East coast line, and the Japanese quickly gained the advantage.
By the 15th February the Japanese were in danger of taking control of the water supply at the reservoirs, which would endanger the Singapore City water supply. General Percival had no alternative but to surrender.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese
Lionel was awarded the Military Cross
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
Interned at Changi
1942/07/08 - Transported oversea in the Ubi Maru to Kuching
Commander Lt-Col. Walsh 2/10 Field Regiment, R.A.A.
1944/03/02 - Shot by Japanese in Borneo Camp
Information
KEW Files:- WO 361/1625, WO 361/2055,
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