Georges Henri Julien DESANDRE

Georges enlisted in the Citizens Military Force (Reserves) with Service Number N109074 on 19 Apr 1941, he was a Dutch Citizen, had served in the Dutch Artillery, occupation was Commercial Traveller and his Next of Kin was the Consul General for the Netherlands, address Kembla House Kembla St, Sydney. He was posted to 16th Garrison Battalion. He transferred to the A.I.F. on 8 Aug 1941 and on his attestation paper is a note referring to Correspondence from the Dutch Consul, his occupation had changed to a Journalist.

He was posted to Special Operations Section, Intelligence Corps on 7 Nov 1941. He was promoted to Acting Sergeant on 14 Nov 1941 and was attached to 2/40th Battalion on 27 Nov 1941. He embarked for Timor with the 2/40th on 8 Dec 1941 and joined the 2/2nd on Timor as a Sergeant from Intelligence Corps, after the fall of Koepang, approx March 1942.

We have an original embarkation roll from “Betano” for Darwin aboard the “KURU” for him on 8 Jul 1942 as a Sergeant Intelligence Corps. His service papers only cover up to embarking from Australia and then some notes on his discharge from the A.I.F. on 9 Mar 1943.

He was entitled to the 1939-45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal and Australian Service Medal 1939-45, pictured below.