Wal Williams OAM: Narrabeen war vet activist dies, aged 99
Walter ‘Wal’ Williams, described in parliament as a local northern beaches ‘legend’ for his efforts supporting the rights of war vets and their families, has died.
Manly
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A northern beaches’ man who was one of the last survivors of the infamous World War II Thai-Burma “death railway” and a vigorous campaigner for war vets and their families, has died.
The popular and widely respected Walter ‘Wal’ Williams OAM, who cheated death numerous times as an Australia Army soldier and a prisoner of the Japanese for more than three years, passed away in his sleep at the Narrabeen War Vets home.
He was 99.
Only last year, Mr Williams was awarded an Order of Australia Medal for his relentless efforts to raise awareness of the sacrifice and suffering of prisoners of war, nurses and civilians who were lost at sea on Japanese ships sunk by Allied submarines during the Second World War.
State Liberal MP for Pittwater Rob Stokes, who was close to Mr Williams, described him in the NSW Parliament this week as a “local legend”.
In the days leading up to his death, Mr Stokes was able to confirm to Mr Williams that his efforts over many years to have a permanent memorial recognising the sacrifice of Allied service personnel and civilians who died on Japanese prisoner of war ships, had worked.
With funding from the NSW Government and Northern Beaches Council, the memorial will be placed on Robert Dunn Reserve on the headland at the south end of Mona Vale Beach.
“One of the last things Wal learned about was the decision of the council (to allow the memorial),” Mr Stokes told Parliament on Tuesday.
“One of the very last things that Wal did was to approve the wording for the memorial.”
Mr Williams, whose father Frank fought at Gallipoli during World War I and who pleaded with his son not to fight in World War II, joined the Army and arrived in Singapore in December 1941.
He was wounded fighting the invading Japanese, including being hit by a grenade resulting in a flesh wound. He also survived when a piece of shrapnel from an artillery round that tore a hole in his helmet but didn’t pierce his skull.
The British surrendered Singapore in February 1942 and Mr Williams ended up in Changi Prison.
As a Japanese POW, Mr Williams, was sent to work on the Thai-Burma Railway.
Despite the malnutrition, brutality and disease that claimed 90,000 fellow forced labourers, Mr Williams survived that ordeal before he was sent to work in Japan.
On the way the ship, crammed with 1300 Australians was torpedoed by a US submarine. Just 136 survived.
After 12 hours in the water and surviving depth charges exploding around him, he and two mates — Max Campbell and Bert Harper — were picked up by a Japanese whaling boat and eventually found themselves in a labour camp where they were forced to work in an engineering factory in Kawazaki.
The men worked 10 days on with one day off, with just boiled rice to sustain them through a freezing cold winter. Sadly, both his mates died of pneumonia within 24 hours of each other just before the end of the war.
Mr Williams then managed to survive devastating US air raids that eventually destroyed the labour camp. He also survied the firebombing of Tokyo and Yokohama by Allied planes.
He made it back to Australia on his 23rd birthday before meeting his future wife Helen. They raised their son on the northern beaches, where Mr Williams opened a second‑hand furniture shop at Narrabeen.
Mr Williams was heavily involved in the Pittwater RSL Sub-Branch, where he held a number of positions including President from 1992 to 2002. He was also a Life Member of the RSL.
RSL NSW President Ray James said Mr Williams had been cared for by his fellow members of the Pittwater RSL Sub-Branch until he passed away at the Kokoda Hostel, Narrabeen.
“Wal dedicated over 50 years to helping his mates as a proud Life Member of the League,” Mr James said.
“I know that being able to march at the RSL ANZAC Village ANZAC Day service this year was a huge thrill for Wal and his dedication to remembering his fellow prisoners of war will be his legacy.”
His wife is deceased and he is survived by his son Neil, two grandsons, Robert and Nicholas, as well as a great granddaughter, Sophia.
A funeral service will be held at 10am on Tuesday, June 14, at the War Vets Chapel at Narrabeen RSL LifeCare, followed by a wake at the Gallipoli Centre from 11.30am.
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