MADSEN, Raymond Cecil MID

MADSEN, Raymond Cecil – A Southern Downs Veteran

CONFLICT : WWII
SERVICE NO : QX12334
RANK : Corporal
UNIT : 2/26th Ballalion
ENLISTMENT DATE : 14/07/1940
AGE : 39
PLACE OF ENLISTMENT : Rockhampton, Queensland
PLACE OF BIRTH : Warwick, Queensland
RELIGION : Church of England
OCCUPATION : Grazier
DATE OF DEATH : 3/09/1943
PLACE OF BURIAL : Kanchanburi, Thailand

MEMORIALS : Warwick State High School Roll of Honour 1939-1945, Warwick The Fallen 1939-1945, Warwick War Memorial, Yangan and Swanfels Honour Roll 1939-1945, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour

View this person’s Service File : MADSEN, Raymond Cecil

NOTES : Raymond was the son of Christian and Mary Ellen Madsen who lived at Yangan and was known as “Cecil”.

He was five years of age when he started his education at the Yangan State School and finished his schooling at Warwick State High School.

For a time, Cecil worked on the family farm before going to New Zealand and Rockhampton to work on sheep properties. He was working in Rockhampton when he enlisted in the AIF in the beginning of 1940. From there he was posted to the 2/26th Battalion and travelled to Bathurst for his training. The Battalion was shipped to Singapore from Melbourne.

These superbly fit young men moved to the Malayan Peninsular and began to engage against the Japanese forces. At the 31 ½ mile peg, Cecil took a prominent part in the action with his group taking out fifteen of the enemy.

Much to the disgust of the Australians, British General Percival finally surrender to the Japanese on February 15, 1942. As a captured prisoner of war, Cecil was sent along with 220 other Australians from D Force to build airstrips before moving on to slave on the building of the Burma-Thailand railway. After six months of bone wearing work, he died in camp of illness.

Read about Southern Downs Military History here.