Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War II (1939-1945)

Date of Enlistment

04/08/1942

Date of Discharge

31/08/1945

Place of Enlistment

Port Moresby, Papua

Gender

Male

Other Name(s)

Known as 'Bill', nicknamed 'Cobber'

Date of Birth

20/03/1916

Place of Birth

London, England

Address (at enlistment)

Strathfield NSW

Occupation

Public servant

Next of Kin

Alexandra Nordsvan (wife), Strathfield NSW

Service Number

NX141440 (N42910)

Final Rank

Captain

Final Unit

2/3 Battalion

Bill Nordsvan was the half brother of Ken Nordsvan and, before the war, they both lived at the Acton Guest House. Nordsvan was living in Goulburn when he was appointed as an audit clerk in the Auditor-Generals Office in 1936. He joined the 3rd Battalion militia in 1938 in which he was appointed a lieutenant. He played cricket for Ainslie from 1936 onwards as well as hockey for the 3 Battalion team. He married Alexandra Curtis on 1 March 1941 in Strathfield.

Nordsvan arrived in Port Moresby with 3 Battalion in May 1942. After recovering from a bout of dengue fever Nordsvan served with 3 Battalion on the Kokoda Track from September 1942. He fought at Ioribaiwa, Imita Ridge, Templetons Crossing and Oivi and he was wounded on 25 November 1942 while leading an attack on Japanese positions at Gona on the north coast of Papua. As he was brought out of the front line, one soldier recalled that "he was covered in blood, minus an ear lobe". After the disbandment of the 3rd Battalion, Nordsvan joined the AIF as a Captain with the 2/3 Battalion. He arrived in Aitape in New Guinea in December 1944 where he served until mid 1946.

After the war he worked for the Department of Immigration before transferring to the Department of Supply and being posted to Woomera in South Australia for three years. He also served in the Northern Territory administration for five years from 1956 to 1960 in various roles including prisons, housing and helping to organise the centenary celebrations. When the family returned to Canberra they lived in O'Connor. His son David served in the Vietnam War during 1968. Like many veterans of the Papuan and New Guinea campapigns Bill Nordsvan suffered recurring bouts of malaria. He died on 10 November 1981.

WWII Nominal Roll http://www.ww2roll.gov.au
ACT Electoral Rolls 1916 to 1967 http://canberraheritageportal.org/default.php
Colin Kennedy, 'Port Moresby to Gona Beach. 3rd Australian Infantry Battalion 1942', 1992
NAA RecordSearch
The Canberra Times - 20 March 1936, 19 December 1938, 20 May 1939, 15 July 1939, 13 March 1941, 10 March 1954
Sydney Morning Herald - 13 November 1981
AWM Collections Record : 090565, P01384.001
Information provided by David Nordsvan