Arthur Varley

Brigadier Arthur Leslie Varley, MC & Bar (13 October 1893 – 13 September 1944) was an Australian soldier who served in the First and the Second World Wars. He was commander of the 22nd Infantry Brigade during the final stages of the Battle of Singapore in the Second World War. Having surrendered to the Japanese, he was responsible for over 9,000 prisoners of war engaged in the construction of the Burma-Thailand Railway. He was killed in September 1944 when the transport ship taking him and several hundred fellow prisoners to Japan was sunk by an American submarine.

Early life Arthur Leslie Varley was born on 13 October 1893 in Rookwood, Sydney, the third child of a telegraph operator, William Varley, and his wife Elizabeth . After completing his schooling, he gained employment as a clerk.

First World War At the age of 21, Varley enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and was shipped to Egypt in October 1915. He was assigned to 45th Battalion, a unit formed largely from men from New South Wales as the AIF expanded following the Gallipoli Campaign. By August 1916, he had been promoted to lieutenant and was serving with the battalion on the Western Front.

In August 1918, now serving on the staff of 12th Brigade with the rank of captain, Varley was awarded a bar to his MC.

Three months later the war came to an end due to the armistice of 11 November 1918. In July 1919, Varley was mentioned in despatches and his service with the AIF ended later that year when he returned to Australia. He was survived by his second wife and his children from his first marriage, a daughter and two sons. His elder son, Jack, was awarded a Military Cross for his exploits during the Malayan campaign and survived the war. Robert, the younger son, also joined the AIF but was killed in action in New Guinea in April 1945.

Prior to the fall of Singapore, Varley began a secret diary which he maintained for much of his captivity. The diary detailed the daily life of the prisoners, construction of the railroad and also provided accounts of various war crimes committed by his captors. Before he was transferred to Singapore with the rest of A Force, he buried the diary which by now amounted to several volumes. The diaries were retrieved after the war and used as evidence in war crime trials of several Japanese officers.