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Reid, William Jasper

Gunner William 'Bill' Reid was a member of the 2/4 Infantry Battalion, 16th Brigade, Service No. NX5324, POW No. 5423. His name appears on the 10029/GW Roll Call of Ian Brown's Stalag 18A website. 

From the AWM website: In early April 1941, the 2/4th, with the rest of the 6th Division, deployed to Greece to resist the anticipated German invasion. It fought a fierce battle at Vevi in northern Greece on 11 and 12 April and then withdrew through a series of rearguard positions until evacuated, by sea, from Megara on 26 April. The battalion landed on Crete the next day and eventually joined the force defending Heraklion airfield. When German paratroops landed on 20 May they were rapidly overcome in the area immediately around the airfield. The paratroops were, however, able to gain a foothold outside the defended area. This, combined with German successes elsewhere on Crete, brought about the evacuation of Heraklion by sea on 29 May.

Bill was born in Sydney, NSW on 6 Mar 1912. He was living in Forbes, NSW when he enlisted on 25 Oct 1939.

Post-war Bill was a farmer at "Ironbarks" near Forbes, NSW. Later he was a railway employee at Douglas Park, near Picton, NSW. He died on 22 Jun 1973 and was buried at Forbes. He was 61.





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