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Record #5495
Name :
: Frederick Noel MATTHEWS (1922 - 2003)
  aka : Noel
  aka : Jo


Father
:
Mother
:
BMD and other details
Date of Birth
: 23 Dec 1922   Notes : Source: Fairbridge Kids

Marriage (1)
:
Marriage (2)
:

Date of Death
: 3 Dec 2003   Notes : Source: MCB WA
Abode (1) : Place of BirthEngland, Lancashire, Liverpool

Mar qtr 1923, 8b 329, mmn MATTHEWS (FreeBMD)
Abode (2) : Place of Death / BurialAustralia, Western Australia
Sailing Information
Date of Arrival
: May 1931
Country
: Australia

Ship
: Largs Bay

Placement Family
:
Homes / Agencys
Institution (GB)
:

Agency
: Fairbridge Homes
NotesIn 1931, Frederick Matthews, 8, arrived at Fremantle, Australia, in a group of 13 children from the Child Emigration Society, Strand, London, England. He was placed in Nelson Cottage at Fairbridge Farm School, Pinjarra, Australia.

In 2001, Michael Zekulich reported:

"For 60 years, a pair of army boots has earned Claremont great-grandfather Fred Matthews the nickname Cowboy.

They were the first heavy-duty pair of boots he ever had and were issued to him at Northam in 1941 on his way to war.

The former Fairbridge farm school orphan had worked on a dairy farm at Narrogin and was used to waking at 4:30am to milk the cows.

He awoke at the same time on his first night at the Northam army camp and decided to go for a walk in his new boots, waking all and sundry.

'What the hell is that?' a sleepy voice asked.

'It's that bloody cowboy,' another muttered -- and the name stuck.

Mr Matthews, now 79, was born in Liverpool, England. He came to Australia in 1931 to learn about farming and discipline.

'The Fairbridge discipline, which taught you to respect and help everyone, helped me survive 3 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Singapore, on the Thai Burma railway and in Japan,' he said.

'Without that and the mateship I would not have carried through.'

After his capture in Singapore in 1942, the army boots lasted only three months, falling to pieces under the conditions.

Mr Matthews will travel by vehicle in tomorrow's Anzac Day parade, a legacy of badly ulcerated legs from his wartime experiences. With him will be six others from the 2/4th WA Machine Gun Battalion, for it is now also too far for them to walk.

The spirited Mr Matthews still recalls the shock of the Allied surrender to the Japanese. 'We thought we were going to counter-attack,' he said. 'It never happened. Instead, we were told to put down our arms.'"

"Jo's" story was told by his friend T. K. Waldron, on December 4, 2003, at 14248 Legislative Assembly of the Parliment of Australia. Mr. Waldron declared:

I would like to acknowledge a great Western Australian, Australian and old mate who sadly passed away earlier this week. Frederick Noel Matthews, commonly known as ?Jo? or ?Cowboy? to his wartime mates, was born in England and came to Western Australia as a very young Fairbridge farm boy, spending his childhood and early teen years at Fairbridge Farm School, Pinjarra.

When World War II broke out, Jo joined the second fourth machine-gun battalion and went to Singapore. He was captured at the fall of Singapore and spent three and a half years as a prisoner of war in Changi, working on the Burma Railroad including working on the notorious Hellfire Pass, and in Japan until the end of the war. His POW mates have informed me over the years that Jo?s never-say-die attitude, his humour and resourcefulness were an inspiration to all through those dark, POW days.

Jo, a great survivor, returned, worked in the Williams district, took up farming in Kojonup and married his beloved Marion. Jo played a large role in the Kojonup and Changerup communities, particularly in sport, which he always loved. I can personally vouch for the fact that he was a colourful and loud cricket and football supporter.

Jo played a major role in the Fremantle Army Museum and in tracing lost relatives for families from the war years. He was a great man, a character, a leader and above all a terrific family man. Jo leaves behind his wife, Marion, four children, six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. They will miss him dearly, as will the whole community and I. I am proud and fortunate to have known and been a friend of Jo Matthews."

Frederick Noel Matthews is remembered on the Fairbridge Memorial Wall. 
ContributorsCreated : 2009-03-09 12:24:48 / From original database

Additional Contributions from : mollipops1

Last Updated : 2009-03-14 18:50:46 /

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Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries        
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IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
27034 ABBOTT, Franz Arnold1918ENG, DEV Oct 1928 : Beltana AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27033 ABBOTT, Harry Franz1917ENG, MDX, Hendon Oct 1928 : Beltana AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5493 ACOL, John1920ENG, LND, Hampstead Nov 1932 : Balranald AUS Fairbridge Homes  
21189 ADAMS, William1916ENG, WAR, Aston Jan 1927 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27035 ALDER, John Harkis1914ENG, OXF Oct 1928 : Beltana AUS Fairbridge Homes  
20888 ALDERSON, Arthur1912ENG, DUR Jan 1924 : Baradine AUS Fairbridge Homes  
26974 ALEXANDER, Reginald Gordon1917ENG, LAN, West Derby Jan 1928 : Barrabool AUS Fairbridge Homes  
12114 ALLEN, Clifford John1914GBG,     Dec 1928 : Bendigo AUS Fairbridge Homes  
26426 ALLEN, Walter Bevis1901ENG, SRY, Kingston Jul 1913 : Belgic AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5210 ALSOP, Benjamin H.1929ENG, DUR, Darlington Sep 1935 : Duchess of Atholl CAN Fairbridge Homes  
5212 ALSOP, James 1927ENG, DUR, Darlington Sep 1935 : Duchess of Atholl CAN Fairbridge Homes  
5211 ALSOP, Norman Frederick1923ENG, DUR, Dunsdale Sep 1935 : Duchess of Atholl CAN Fairbridge Homes  
25270 AMOTT, James1913ENG, LND, Lambeth Feb 1924 : Euripides AUS Fairbridge Homes  
25136 ANDERSON, Muriel Helen1921ENG, ESS, West Ham Oct 1930 : Barrabool AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5494 ANDERSON, Robert1918ENG, LND, Lambeth Oct 1930 : Barrabool AUS Fairbridge Homes  
25616 ANDREWS, Gwendoline1914 Feb 1924 : Euripides AUS Fairbridge Homes  
25137 ANDREWS, Herbert George1912ENG, SSX Feb 1924 : Euripides AUS Fairbridge Homes  
25138 ANKCORN, Dennis George1925ENG, WAR, Birmingham Jan 1937 : Oronsay AUS Fairbridge Homes  
25139 ANKCORN, Emma Dorothy1922ENG, WAR, Birmingham Feb 1934 : Jervis Bay AUS Fairbridge Homes  
8780 ANNETTS, Raymond Douglas1917ENG, LND, Lambeth Mar 1928 : Benalla AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5413 ANSELL, Maurice George1926ENG, OXF, Banbury Nov 1938 : Themistocles AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5404 ANSELL, Peter Albert John1928ENG, OXF, Banbury Nov 1938 : Themistocles AUS Fairbridge Homes  
23615 APPLEFORD, Harry 1921ENG, BRK, Reading May 1933 : Otranto AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27036 APPLEGATE, Sidney Thomas1916ENG, LND, Hackney Oct 1928 : Beltana AUS Fairbridge Homes  
25954 ARMSTRONG, Benjamin John Emmerson1918ENG, HAM, Hartley Wintney Nov 1929 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes splmum , Pinjarra1929  
21149 ARMSTRONG, John Kenneth1915ENG,     Aug 1921 : Themistocles AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5496 ARNOTT, Anthony Robert1923ENG, DUR, Darlington May 1934 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes  
5497 ARNOTT, Michael1925ENG, DUR, Darlington May 1934 : Ballarat AUS Fairbridge Homes  
25271 ARTHUR, Frederick1913ENG, SRY, Kingston Feb 1924 : Euripides AUS Fairbridge Homes  
27391 ARTHUR, James Lafferty1940ENG,     Jan 1949 : Ormonde AUS Fairbridge Homes  
IDNameDOBPlace of birthArrivals & ShipsDest.AgencyFamily links
Page: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 1291 Entries        
Surnames starting with:   A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z  30 Entries