Alexander McKay a.k.a. Mick, was born in Ireland, and arrived in Australia with his family in 1923.
In 1931, he married Lorna Clarke and together they had four sons; James Ronald (dec); Albert Terrance; Robert Arthur and Eric Joseph prior to his joining the Army on 5 August 1940 at Kelvin Grove in Brisbane. From the 3rd Training Battalion he transferred to the 2/26th Battalion in December 1940.
After training at Grovely, Redbank and Bathurst in New South Wales, the Battalion left for overseas 30 July 1941 arriving in Singapore 15 August 1941. Japan declared war on the United States, the same day they invaded Thailand, and started the push down the Malaya Peninsular towards Singapore. Nearly ten weeks of intensive fighting followed, culminating in the capitulation of the British Forces on 15 February 1942.
After Mick settled into Changi he was assigned to various work parties until he was selected to be part of "F" Force, one of the many working parties the Japanese sent to various part of the world. The members of "F" Force were sent to Thailand over several days from the 18th April 1943. On arrival at Ban Pong in Thailand, the men were forced to march over 200 miles, through jungles at night.
Mick was one of a group of men, who were selected to be attached to Col. Ponds. These men were known as Ponds Party. They worked at different locations along the Thai Burma Railway, mostly back and forth from Kanchanaburi to Neiki, and had further contact with the rest of "F' Force during their time in Thailand.
Worn out from from being starved and working long hours of heavy back-breaking work Mick took severely ill and was admitted to Changkai PoW Hospital. Hospital is a very loose term for these PoW institutions. There were no beds, or bedding (instead the men slept side by side on long, bare bamboo platforms),medical equipment and supplies were virtually non existent, but a small number of doctors and orderlies performed wonders with what they had. Bamboo was used for many things from drinking mugs, to bed pans.
Mick McKay died of dysentery on 14 September 1943 and was buried in Grave 0425 in Chungkai New Cemetery.
After wars end his remains were exhumed and re-interred in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
******If you are interested in reading about the terrible conditions experienced by the men working on the Thai Burma Railway, there are any number of books that have been written on the subject, as well as many illicit diaries which have been transcribed. The punishment for keeping a diary if found by the Japanese was death.
"Heroes of F Force" by Don Wall and more recently "The Men of the Line" by Pattie Wright are only two such well written and recommended books.******
A moving memorial service for Alexander McKay was held at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery on 23rd April 1988, in attendance were his son Eric (Joe); 5 Ex-PoW, four of whom were 2/26 Battalion members; family and friends of other 2/26 Battalion members. (see second photo)
In 1931, he married Lorna Clarke and together they had four sons; James Ronald (dec); Albert Terrance; Robert Arthur and Eric Joseph prior to his joining the Army on 5 August 1940 at Kelvin Grove in Brisbane. From the 3rd Training Battalion he transferred to the 2/26th Battalion in December 1940.
After training at Grovely, Redbank and Bathurst in New South Wales, the Battalion left for overseas 30 July 1941 arriving in Singapore 15 August 1941. Japan declared war on the United States, the same day they invaded Thailand, and started the push down the Malaya Peninsular towards Singapore. Nearly ten weeks of intensive fighting followed, culminating in the capitulation of the British Forces on 15 February 1942.
After Mick settled into Changi he was assigned to various work parties until he was selected to be part of "F" Force, one of the many working parties the Japanese sent to various part of the world. The members of "F" Force were sent to Thailand over several days from the 18th April 1943. On arrival at Ban Pong in Thailand, the men were forced to march over 200 miles, through jungles at night.
Mick was one of a group of men, who were selected to be attached to Col. Ponds. These men were known as Ponds Party. They worked at different locations along the Thai Burma Railway, mostly back and forth from Kanchanaburi to Neiki, and had further contact with the rest of "F' Force during their time in Thailand.
Worn out from from being starved and working long hours of heavy back-breaking work Mick took severely ill and was admitted to Changkai PoW Hospital. Hospital is a very loose term for these PoW institutions. There were no beds, or bedding (instead the men slept side by side on long, bare bamboo platforms),medical equipment and supplies were virtually non existent, but a small number of doctors and orderlies performed wonders with what they had. Bamboo was used for many things from drinking mugs, to bed pans.
Mick McKay died of dysentery on 14 September 1943 and was buried in Grave 0425 in Chungkai New Cemetery.
After wars end his remains were exhumed and re-interred in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
******If you are interested in reading about the terrible conditions experienced by the men working on the Thai Burma Railway, there are any number of books that have been written on the subject, as well as many illicit diaries which have been transcribed. The punishment for keeping a diary if found by the Japanese was death.
"Heroes of F Force" by Don Wall and more recently "The Men of the Line" by Pattie Wright are only two such well written and recommended books.******
A moving memorial service for Alexander McKay was held at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery on 23rd April 1988, in attendance were his son Eric (Joe); 5 Ex-PoW, four of whom were 2/26 Battalion members; family and friends of other 2/26 Battalion members. (see second photo)
Alexander McKay a.k.a. Mick, was born in Ireland, and arrived in Australia with his family in 1923.
In 1931, he married Lorna Clarke and together they had four sons; James Ronald (dec); Albert Terrance; Robert Arthur and Eric Joseph prior to his joining the Army on 5 August 1940 at Kelvin Grove in Brisbane. From the 3rd Training Battalion he transferred to the 2/26th Battalion in December 1940.
After training at Grovely, Redbank and Bathurst in New South Wales, the Battalion left for overseas 30 July 1941 arriving in Singapore 15 August 1941. Japan declared war on the United States, the same day they invaded Thailand, and started the push down the Malaya Peninsular towards Singapore. Nearly ten weeks of intensive fighting followed, culminating in the capitulation of the British Forces on 15 February 1942.
After Mick settled into Changi he was assigned to various work parties until he was selected to be part of "F" Force, one of the many working parties the Japanese sent to various part of the world. The members of "F" Force were sent to Thailand over several days from the 18th April 1943. On arrival at Ban Pong in Thailand, the men were forced to march over 200 miles, through jungles at night.
Mick was one of a group of men, who were selected to be attached to Col. Ponds. These men were known as Ponds Party. They worked at different locations along the Thai Burma Railway, mostly back and forth from Kanchanaburi to Neiki, and had further contact with the rest of "F' Force during their time in Thailand.
Worn out from from being starved and working long hours of heavy back-breaking work Mick took severely ill and was admitted to Changkai PoW Hospital. Hospital is a very loose term for these PoW institutions. There were no beds, or bedding (instead the men slept side by side on long, bare bamboo platforms),medical equipment and supplies were virtually non existent, but a small number of doctors and orderlies performed wonders with what they had. Bamboo was used for many things from drinking mugs, to bed pans.
Mick McKay died of dysentery on 14 September 1943 and was buried in Grave 0425 in Chungkai New Cemetery.
After wars end his remains were exhumed and re-interred in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
******If you are interested in reading about the terrible conditions experienced by the men working on the Thai Burma Railway, there are any number of books that have been written on the subject, as well as many illicit diaries which have been transcribed. The punishment for keeping a diary if found by the Japanese was death.
"Heroes of F Force" by Don Wall and more recently "The Men of the Line" by Pattie Wright are only two such well written and recommended books.******
A moving memorial service for Alexander McKay was held at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery on 23rd April 1988, in attendance were his son Eric (Joe); 5 Ex-PoW, four of whom were 2/26 Battalion members; family and friends of other 2/26 Battalion members. (see second photo)
In 1931, he married Lorna Clarke and together they had four sons; James Ronald (dec); Albert Terrance; Robert Arthur and Eric Joseph prior to his joining the Army on 5 August 1940 at Kelvin Grove in Brisbane. From the 3rd Training Battalion he transferred to the 2/26th Battalion in December 1940.
After training at Grovely, Redbank and Bathurst in New South Wales, the Battalion left for overseas 30 July 1941 arriving in Singapore 15 August 1941. Japan declared war on the United States, the same day they invaded Thailand, and started the push down the Malaya Peninsular towards Singapore. Nearly ten weeks of intensive fighting followed, culminating in the capitulation of the British Forces on 15 February 1942.
After Mick settled into Changi he was assigned to various work parties until he was selected to be part of "F" Force, one of the many working parties the Japanese sent to various part of the world. The members of "F" Force were sent to Thailand over several days from the 18th April 1943. On arrival at Ban Pong in Thailand, the men were forced to march over 200 miles, through jungles at night.
Mick was one of a group of men, who were selected to be attached to Col. Ponds. These men were known as Ponds Party. They worked at different locations along the Thai Burma Railway, mostly back and forth from Kanchanaburi to Neiki, and had further contact with the rest of "F' Force during their time in Thailand.
Worn out from from being starved and working long hours of heavy back-breaking work Mick took severely ill and was admitted to Changkai PoW Hospital. Hospital is a very loose term for these PoW institutions. There were no beds, or bedding (instead the men slept side by side on long, bare bamboo platforms),medical equipment and supplies were virtually non existent, but a small number of doctors and orderlies performed wonders with what they had. Bamboo was used for many things from drinking mugs, to bed pans.
Mick McKay died of dysentery on 14 September 1943 and was buried in Grave 0425 in Chungkai New Cemetery.
After wars end his remains were exhumed and re-interred in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery.
******If you are interested in reading about the terrible conditions experienced by the men working on the Thai Burma Railway, there are any number of books that have been written on the subject, as well as many illicit diaries which have been transcribed. The punishment for keeping a diary if found by the Japanese was death.
"Heroes of F Force" by Don Wall and more recently "The Men of the Line" by Pattie Wright are only two such well written and recommended books.******
A moving memorial service for Alexander McKay was held at Kanchanaburi War Cemetery on 23rd April 1988, in attendance were his son Eric (Joe); 5 Ex-PoW, four of whom were 2/26 Battalion members; family and friends of other 2/26 Battalion members. (see second photo)
Inscription
QX17636 Private
A. McKay
2/26 Infantry Battalion
14 September 1943 Age 37
His duty fearlessly and nobly done
Ever Remembered
Sponsored by Ancestry
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