This site is dedicated to all those brave, young Australians who served at any time in the 2/26^th Infantry Battalion, and in memory of my father

QX14871 Pte Eric (Rick) Henry Williams.

 My sincere thanks to the following :-

Peter Barnes for permission to use his song “Can You Hear Australia’s Heroes Marching”.

The Derrington & Vieritz families; Digger History and The Burma Star Association for the use of photos or maps from their web sites.

 Changi Museum Management (Singapore) and Thai Burma Railway Centre (Thailand).

I acknowledge the assistance of Terry Beaton, Rod Beattie and Rod Dorey in compiling the Nominal Roll.  Dates of death, whenever or wherever they occur are very important.

Ron Raaen for his faith in me, and my idea of the establishment of a comprehensive 2/26^th Battalion site.

All 2/26^th Battalion members, families and friends who so kindly supplied photos and profiles.

My wonderful husband Harry for putting up with the disruption to our household while I spent many, many hours compiling the information.

Finally, but not least, an extra special “thank you” to my wonderful webmaster, Daryl Henbery, who took a mass of information and moulded it to form this very informative site, that far exceeded all my expectations, and also his lovely wife Marian, without whose assistance  this site would not have be possible.

Muriel Butler

First Home

So you’re back in Aussie from up Malaya way,

You’ve seen the flying fishes on the road to Mandalay.

You’ve dined with wealthy Chinese, had tiffins by the score,

You’ve spent nights at Raffles, down in Singapore.

And now y0ur trip is over, and you’re back again to stay,

Perhaps you’ll tell us something that the papers didn’t say.

“Yes, I’m back in Aussie from up Malaya way,

I’ve seen the flying fishes, on the road to Mandalay.

I’ve also seen the diggers with their bodies dripping sweat,

Out there in the jungle, a place they’ll never forget.

Mosquitoes, scorpions and leeches, ants etc. by the score,

Creeping over everything, many miles from Singapore.

Pulling guns through thorny scrub, preparing for the fight,

Jungle itch and prickly heat, they scratched away all night.

They sleep through sheer exhaustion, still wet with dripping sweat,

And you all back in Aussie, haven’t heard them grumble yet!

They’re men with guts to do their job and stick it day by day,

And don’t grudge a tiffin to our boys, who were up Malaya way.