Part 4 - Nominal Roll All AIF POW "Evades" in Switzerland

Chapter 3 - The Seventh Division AIF

The 18th Brigade

The 18th Brigade consisted of the 2/9th Inf. Bn, the 2/10th Inf. Bn and the 2/12th Inf. Bn. As part of the 7th Division, it had been involved in the fierce fighting in Libya and the capture of Giarabub in March 1941. It was then withdrawn from Tobruk to join the rest of the Division in Syria. The 18th Brigade however, retained its Sixth Division rectangular colour patches until the end of the war, despite the re-organisation that saw the formation of the 9th Division from parts of the 6th and 7th divisions. The Brigade was not involved in the fighting in Greece or Crete by the Sixth Division, but as some of its POW captured by the Germans in North Africa had been handed over to the Italians, some of those POW managed to escape to Switzerland.
(See "Lavarack - Rival General", (G18 p294-303) Brett Lodge, Allen and Urwin, 1998, "The Spell is Broken", Peter Brune, RSL Library, Melbourne 940.5426 BRU)

2/9th Inf Bn - Unit History
A short history of the 2/9th was compiled by Keith Hall (2/9th) from articles written by Major Luke printed in early "Fighting Ninth Journals".

None of its POW entered Switzerland, while QX7756 William Edward Bailey remained a "Free Man" underground in Italy.

2/10th Inf. Bn - Unit History
"Purple and Blue", The History of the 2/10th Battalion AIF (The Adelaide Rifles) Lt Col Frank Alichin, MM, John Burridge, Perth, 1993.

SX6310 Ronald Leonard Douglas - entered 03.11.43, left 23.04.44.

2/12th Inf Bn - Unit History
"Of Storms and Rainbows" - the story of the men of the 2/12th Battalion, AIF in two volumes, A.L. Graeme-Evans, 12th Battalion Association Hobart, 1989 & 1991. Vol.1 October '39 - March '42. Vol 2. March '42 - January '46

QX6017 Lt Tom Wootton Elliot - entered 02.10.43, left 23.09.44
TX722 Bernard James Hansen - entered 06.11.43, left 23.09.44
QX3733 Norman Mazlin - entered 25.09.43, left 01.10.44
QX15357 Roy Fairfax Richardson - entered 19.09.43, left 23.09.44
TX75 Joseph Henry Turner - entered 06.10.43, left 23.09.44
TX850 Cpl John Kenneth Stein - entered 28.09.43, left10.10.44
TX2360 Cp Loyal Walter Whyman - entered 18.11.43, left 23.09.44 

Brigade HQ
TX721 Thomas Vernon McOrmond - DOW, Yugoslavia, 18.12.44.