Six: 1939/45 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal with Mentioned in despatches oak leaf and Australian Service Medal. Stars un-named as often issued, with remaining three correctly impressed to NX3735 W. H. SCHOFIELD - VF SOLD

ESCAPE & EVASION

Six: 1939/45 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal with Mentioned in despatches oak leaf and Australian Service Medal. Stars un-named as often issued, with remaining three correctly impressed to NX3735 W. H. SCHOFIELD

NX3735 William Henry Schofield  enlisted into the Australian Army as a Signalman on the 23^rd October 1939 at Paddington NSW

His date for embarkation was the 14^th September1940 bound for the Middle East returning on the 19^th March 1942

M.I.D. awarded for “Distinguished Service in the Middle East during the period of February 1941 to July 1941”. London Gazette 35396 dated the 30^th of December 1941 page 7361 at position 68

Embarking again this time to confront the Japanese and bound for New Guinea he left on the 24^th of April 1944. Finally Schofield returned on the 16^th September 1945 for discharge which took place on the 19^th October 1945 due to the conclusion of the war. It is nice to see he went on to live a healthy long life passing away on the 28^th September 2001.

Interestingly Schofield’s name comes up on the Freeman website (dedicated to soldiers who have escaped the enemy) with the following reference “Greece NX3735 SCHOFIELD William Henry 2/2 Bn” then it mentions the ship “Victoria Huon” he used in the final leg of his escape from the island of “Skyros” also mentioned.

“Purple over Green” the unit history on the 2/2^nd Battalion (who Schofield was attached to) gives us an insight into Schofields fascinating escape telling the story of one of Schofield’s companions for part of his escape. We do not know what Schofield endured over the first nine days whilst on the run evading the Germans until the late hours of the 27^th where the book specifically mentions him meeting other escaping soldiers forming a group of no less than 14 in all. Several days were then spent in hiding whilst trying to negotiate with the local Greek villagers for a boat to further their escape. Finally a boat large enough was acquired and the 14 of them were able to sail to the island of Skopelos, then the next day to the island of Skandura, then on to Skyros. The escape was far from over and days past on the island along with another group that had made it. The group waited and hoped until the night of the 13^th of May when they sighted a 30 foot boat and after much negotiation with the skipper it was agreed he would take the whole party of now 30 men. The cost for this was an exorbitant sum that the group was to obtain from the British Consul at Smyrna in Turkey, their projected destination. The book tells of further close calls as the group hides under blankets as the German planes fly over until arriving in Turkey. Once in Turkey arrangements had to be made for the group to travel to Palestine where the Australian troops were located. They finally reached their fellow comrades on the 24^th of May now a group of no less than 48 men made up of both Australian and New Zealand soldiers.

When we compare the dates for which Schofield is awarded his MID, along with the dates the Germans invaded and the dates we now know he escaped, we see they are the same, making this award a seldom seen award for escape and evasion. A truly fascinating story which further research could only make better.

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