Captain LIONEL COLIN MATTHEWS
Australian Corps of Signals
A.I.F. 8 Div. Sigs.
Died 02 March 1944
Age 31 years old
- Country of Service Australian
- Awards Military Cross, George Cross
- Additional Info Son of Edgar Roy Matthews and Anne Elizabeth Matthews; husband of Myrtle Matthews, of Marryatville, South Australia.
- Personal Inscription HIS DUTY FEARLESLY AND NOBLY DONE EVER REMEMBERED
- Additional Citation note
The following particulars are given in the London Gazette of 25th November, 1947: "The King has been graciously pleased, on the advice of His Majesty's Australian Ministers, to approve the posthumous award of the George Cross, in recognition of gallant and distiguished services whilst a prisoner of war in Japanese hands."
Captain Matthews was taken as a prinsoner of the Japanese at Changi and subsequently sent to Borneo with a work party. Soon after arrival he began to organise and equippe the so-called "British North Borneo Armed Constabulary" to be held ready for uprising in the event of an Allied landing. He concerned himself with many "underground" activities and arranged supplies of medicines into prisoner-of-war camps and ran a radio news service. He was in contact with the Philipines guerrilla forces and organised escape parties, with which he himself could well have escaped. He was arrested and subjected to starvation and torture in an attempt to make him betray his contacts but made no implications. He was eventually executed by the Japanese for his brave actions.
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