Branch of Service

Army

Conflict

World War II (1939-1945)

Date of Enlistment

17/03/1942

Date of Discharge

31/07/1946

Place of Enlistment

Paddington NSW

Gender

Male

Date of Birth

05/02/1923

Place of Birth

Box Hill, Victoria

Address (at enlistment)

Elimatta Street, Reid ACT

Occupation

Public servant

Next of Kin

Albert Boorn (father), Elimatta Street, Reid ACT

Service Number

NX92713

Final Rank

Private

Final Unit

2/31 Australian Infantry Battalion

After enlisting in March 1942, Boorn was sent to Papua with the 2/31st Battalion in November 1942. However, he arrived just after his unit's involvement in the fighting around Gona, on the north coast of Papua, had ended. He returned to Australia in January 1943 to undergo further training in Queensland. He and the 2/31st returned to Port Moresby in July 1943 to take part in the advance on Lae in New Guinea which they joined on 16 September 1943. Lae fell a few days later and 2/31 Battalion spent the rest of the year patrolling the Ramu Valley and the foothills of the Finisterre Range. During this period Boorn was hospitalised with malaria but recovered in time to return to Australia in January 1944. After a long period of training Boorn and the 2/31 Battalion took part in the invasion of Borneo. They landed at Balikpapan on 2 July 1945 but the following day Boorn was wounded in action by fragments of a grenade which struck him on the left hand and the left side of the head. He rejoined his unit a few days later and served in Borneo until February 1946.

Description - height 6 feet, blue eyes, fair complexion, fair hair, acne marks on his face, Presbyterian.

WWII Nominal Roll http://www.ww2roll.gov.au
ACT Electoral Rolls 1916 to 1967 http://canberraheritageportal.org/default.php
The Canberra Times - 23 November 1942, 25 July 1945
NAA RecordSearch