Service Details
- Branch of Service
- Army
- Conflict
- World War II (1939-1945)
- Date of Enlistment
- 01/10/1941
- Date of Discharge
- 13/05/1944
- Place of Enlistment
- Canberra ACT
Personal Details
- Gender
- Male
- Date of Birth
- 14/08/1920
- Place of Birth
- Wickham NSW
- Address (at enlistment)
- Acton Guest House (Lennox House), Canberra ACT
- School(s) Attended
- Charleston Public School, Newcastle Boys High School, Sydney Teachers College
- Occupation
- Public servant
- Next of Kin
- S.B. Laycock (father), Merewether NSW
Unit and Rank Details
- Service Number
- N42951
- Final Rank
- Sergeant
- Final Unit
- 3 Australian Infantry Battalion
Notes
Laycock originally came from Newcastle and after arriving in Canberra to work as a clerk with the Customs department he joined the 3rd Militia Battalion (the Werriwa Regiment) in 1938. He married on New Year's Day in 1942 and arrived in Port Moresby as a Sergeant with the 3rd Battalion in May 1942.
Initially he and the 3rd Battalion were used as labourers on works in and around Port Moresby but in June he fell ill with dysentery and was hospitalised. The 3rd Battalion were sent on to the Kokoda Track in September 1942 but Laycock did not join them until October when they were at Menari. On 16 October Laycock and his company reached Templeton's Crossing. While on patrol near Templeton's Crossing on 19 October, Laycock was wounded at close quarters by machine gun fire to the lower left leg. He finally arrived at a hospital near Port Moresby more than nine weeks after being wounded.
After returning to Australia Laycock was attached to the District Finance Office of the Army in Sydney before being discharged and returning to Canberra. He died in Canberra on 12 January 2006.
Sources
WWII Nominal Roll http://www.ww2roll.gov.au
NAA RecordSearch
Colin Kennedy, 'Port Moresby to Gona Beach. 3rd Australian Infantry Battalion 1942', 1992
Ken Laycock, 'Memories of a Militiaman', 1995 (typescript in ACT Heritage Library)
The Canberra Times - 14 August 2005