28 August 2014

A single WW2 medal

The WW2 record of V9082 Josiah William Neal Thompson shows that he was a member of the Survey Corps. Nothing unusual about this but when I looked up his name in the electoral rolls it showed that he lived his life in Bendigo and even up until 1980 his employment was listed as 'soldier'. Those who have been in uniform for a few years will know that the home of the Royal Australian Survey Corps was in Bendigo at Fortuna. The Royal Australian Survey Corps was integrated in to the Royal Australian Engineers in 1996 and is only in very recent times that Fortuna as sold off by Defence.
While I could follow Josiah quite easily in the electoral rolls, his family was a bit harder to pin down. I now know he had 11 children but it was one reference to Ivor James Thompson in the 1954 roll that gave me a solid clue. Ivor moved to Rochester in Victoria and the electoral roll entries showed him and Eileen at the same address for many years. I looked up the name in the White Pages and to my pleasant surprise I found E Thompson listed at that address. I called the number today and sure enough I had it right and was soon speaking to Eileen.
Thank you to Sandra who sent the medal to me. The returned medal tally is now 1524.

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