NX130224 PTE William Edward (Ted) McFadyen – WW2 (AIF)

Ted was born at Clarence Town in 1921.

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At age 21 he was a single man working as a dairy hand and living with his mother at Myles Street, Dungog.

He enlisted in the Militia on 20 May 1941 at Dungog and was allocated service number N155686.

He was taken on the strength of the 2nd Battalion, beginning his infantry training.

Initially this was part-time service and the unit was responsible for garrison duties protecting various installations in the Newcastle and Hunter area.

On 1 October he volunteered for full-time service with the Militia and continued to serve in the 2nd Battalion.

The unit continued with garrison duties but on 26 October 1942, Ted volunteered for service in the AIF.

Ted was allocated a new service number, NX130224.

The NX prefix means he was in the AIF and no longer in the Militia.

In November he was transferred to New Guinea Force as a reinforcement and on 4 December he disembarked at Port Moresby, New Guinea.

Due to poor conditions he contracted jaundice and was evacuated on 22 January 1943 from Port Moresby back to Cairns and admitted to 2/2 Australian General Hospital.

In February he was discharged back for duty and taken on the strength of the 2/1st Battalion, where remained until the war ended.

At this time the 2/1st Battalion was in north Queensland in a rebuilding phase after their operations on Kokoda and the Buna-Gona campaign.

In December 1944, Ted sailed with his unit to Aitape in the Wewak region of New Guinea to fight the Japanese. From January until August 1945, Ted’s unit was engaged in offensive patrolling, clearance operations and attacks against Japanese defensive positions advancing to Dallman Harbour, New Guinea.

It was mostly platoon and company operations where the enemy could be just metres away in the jungle.

In April he was evacuated to 2/11 Australian General Hospital (Aitape) not rejoining his unit until May.

The unit ceased offensive operations against the Japanese on 15 August when Japan announced their surrender.

The unit remained at Dallman Harbour conducting garrison duties.

In December 1945, Ted was transferred to the Lae POW Garrison Company, which was guarding Camp 20 in Lae where up to 1,000 Japanese POWs were being held at any one time.

He remained at this unit until March 1946 when he returned to Sydney.

On 10 April Ted was discharged from the AIF and returned to Dungog where he began civilian life again as labourer living with his family.

Ted later gained employment with the NSW railways where remained until retirement.

In 1950, he married a local girl, Miss Beth Marjorie Jupp.

Ted and Beth had several children and some of his family remained in Dungog.

Ted died on 28 May 2010 and he was buried in the Dungog General Cemetery (Lawn Section).

Ted was issued the following medals: Australian Service Medal 1939-45; War Medal 1939-45; 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star.

Ted’s service is honoured on the Dungog & District Honour Roll 1939-45, which is hung in the Dungog RSL Memorial Club foyer.

By Martin HOLMES CSM