Thomas Russell STOCKHAM
Year of Birth: 1924
Place of Birth: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Date of Enlistment: 24 April 1943, Warwick, Queensland, Australia
Australian Defence Force: Australian Imperial Force
Rank: Private
Unit(s): 2/4 Pioneer Battalion Australian Infantry
Service Number: QX51657
Died: 19 September 1944
Age: 20 years
Buried: Cairns War Cemetery – Plot A – Row D – Grave 11
Thomas was born in Brisbane, Queensland, on the 21 July 1924 to Clarence Thomas and Isobel Dora (Russell) Stockham. His siblings were, Cherie, Betty and Teddy.
He enlisted on the 24 April 1943 in Warwick and gave his father Clarence as his next of kin.
Private Thomas Stockham’s death is officially recorded as 19 September 1944, but the War Diary of the 2/4 Battalion records that his death was on 18 September, while he was a member of the search party looking for a missing N.E.I. Dakota aircraft at Mt. Williams Tokim Peak area, which is located between Cairns and Kuranda.
The N.E.I. aircraft, carrying mostly Dutch personnel, was on a flight from Merauke to Cairns when it crashed. The aircraft was not located until 1989, north west of Mossman, and the remains of those killed are also interred at the Cairns War Cemetery.
Thomas Russell Stockham’s name is on Brisbane Roll of Honour board and also located at panel 74 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial.
Online Resources
NAA: B883, (STOCKHAM Thomas Russell) National Archives of Australia
Department Veterans’ Affairs Nominal Rolls
National Library of Australia: Trove Digitised Newspapers
Queensland Registrar of Births Deaths & Marriages
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