Service Details
- Branch of Service
- Army
- Conflict
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Date of Enlistment
- 29/05/1941
- Place of Enlistment
- Bemboka NSW
Personal Details
- Gender
- Male
- Date of Birth
- 29/08/1919
- Place of Birth
- Bemboka NSW
- Address (at enlistment)
- Kenya via Bemboka NSW
- School(s) Attended
- Canberra Grammar School
- Next of Kin
- Son of Thomas Andrew and Ethel Blanche Britten, of 'Kenya', Bemboka NSW.
- Burial Place
Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery Papua New Guinea: Grave B5. C. 22. (Soputa War Cemetery grave L.B.14, on AWM Roll of Honour circular)
Unit and Rank Details
- Service Number
- N267570
- Final Rank
- Private
- Final Unit
- 36 Australian Infantry Battalion
Fate
Died 19 September 1943 aged 24 years, of injuries, in New Guinea.
Commemoration
AWM Roll of Honour, Canberra ACT: Panel 67.
Canberra Grammar School. Roll of honour 1939-45; and memorial window in school chapel.
Roll of honour/Memorial Bemboka NSW
Notes
Britten came from the Bega valley but went to school at Canberra Grammar. He enlisted in May 1941 and joined the 3rd Battalion militia in January 1942. He arrived in Port Moresby with the 3rd Battalion in May 1942 and was detached to Maroubra Force on 5 September 1942 when he entered the Kokoda Track. Two weeks later he was hospitalised with dysentery and eventually evacuated to Cairns in January 1943. After recovering he was transferred to the 36th Battalion and returned to Papua. On the night of 18 September 1943 he was part of a search party at Buna on the north coast of Papua when he was shot in the head at 2130 hours. He died from his injury four hours later on 19 September 1943 aged 24 years and is buried in the Bomana War Cemetery near Port Moresby: Grave B5.C.22 .
Sources
Australia. Department of Veterans' Affairs. World War 2 nominal roll. <http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/>
Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Debt of Honour Register. http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/search/
AWM Roll of Honour and Roll of Honour Circulars <http://www.awm.gov.au/database/roh.asp>
Colin Kennedy, 'Port Moresby to Gona Beach. 3rd Australian Infantry Battalion 1942', 1992
The Canberra Times - 30 August 1935
NAA RecordSearch
Bemboka War Memorial plaque