The following photograph is from the family album of Tony James. It is a very sad story but one that happened many times. Of one family torn apart by circumstance and illness.
Tony said:- This photograph was taken in 1927 (T F MacKay) in Kalgoorlie just after my grandfather, Charles Frederick Badock died [1888-1927] of a brain tumour. He was a railway employee and pianist in a Goldfields dance band. My grandmother, Ivy Violet [Effie] Baker Badock [1893-1964] commissioned this studio portrait to record her family before they were broken up:
Left to right: my aunt Nellie Badock- Clayton [1910-1940] died 13 years later having her 6th child in 10 years she is buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery near her infant brothers and father.
My uncle Reginald Badock [1914-1966] saw war service, was a chef on the WA Government Railways and was hit and killed at Perth Railway Station reporting for a late work shift. He left 6 young daughters. My mother Effie Badock-James [1923-2017] was a telephonist at Norseman, Kalgoorlie, Boulder, Merredin, Guildford and Perth GPO from 1937-1946. She married and moved to Whyalla in 1946 but always called WA home.
A different view of the same family group.
My uncle Fred Badock [1916-1997] saw war service, built his own Scarborough home where he lived and died. He and his brother Ron had wonderful memories of sport and cycling outings on the Goldfields.
My grandmother, Ivy Violet [Effie] Baker Badock [1893-1964], only 34 at the time of this portrait. and Ron Badock.
Ivy had already buried two infant sons: Charles Badock [1912] and Leslie Badock [1921-1922]. Both infants are to be found in the one grave at Kalgoorlie Cemetery. At the time of this studio portrait the two oldest boys were about to be sent to a Perth Orphanage for two dark years, my mother, Effie, went out to Tarcoola siding to live in a tent with her aunt, and it was not until the 1930’s, after Nan remarried, that her family could be brought back under her care.
Kalgoorlie Miner 14 May 1927
My youngest uncle Ron [1919-2016] was to become the beloved patriarch of the extended family. He was captured at the fall of Singapore and suffered as a POW in Changi and then on the infamous Burma-Thai railway.
Nellie Badock- Clayton [1910-1940
Kalgoorlie Miner 12 Jul 1927
From Cheryl Jean Mellor: Re Badock Family.
Ronald Collett BADOCK, son of Charles Frederick and Ivy Badock, enlisted October 1940, joined 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion. Fought Japanese for about a week in Singapore, then taken POW. You can read about Ron on our website
http://www.2nd4thmgb.com.au
Ron was a wonderful gentlemen. I knew him well in his last years. He died just two years ago but shared detailed knowledge of his old battalion and the lives of POWs in Singapore, Thailand and French Indo-China. His memory of so many Kalgoorlie days, the local families and those who enlisted with AIF was tremendous.
Moya Sharp
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Re Badock Family.
Ronald Collett BADOCK, son of Charles Frederick and Ivy Badock, enlisted October 1940, joined 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion. Fought Japanese for about a week in Singapore, then taken POW. You can read about Ron on our website
http://www.2nd4thmgb.com.au
Ron was a wonderful gentlemen. I knew him well in his last years. He died just two years ago but shared detailed knowledge of his old battalion and the lives of POWs in Singapore, Thailand and French Indo-China. His memory of so many Kalgoorlie days, the local families and those who enlisted with AIF was tremendous.
Hi Cheryl I wonder if I may add this information to the blog post?
Yes you may! Sorry I just found this.
Many thanks Cheryl