Lionel Colin Matthews was born in Stepney, South Australia on 15 August 1912 the third child to Edgar and Ann Matthews.

He was educated at East Adelaide Public and Norwood High Schools and on leaving worked as a salesman in a department store. From 1931 he was an assistant scoutmaster for the 1st Kensington Sea Scouts. Lionel enjoyed boxing and swimming he was also a lifesaver and involved in social work at Pentridge Gaol, Melbourne between 1937-38.

He married Myrtle at the St Matthews Anglican Church, Kensington on 26 December 1935.

Lionel trained as a signalman in the Citizen Naval Forces, enlisting in the Militia in April 1939 and while working in 3rd Division Signals was commissioned as a lieutenant in January 1940. He transferred to the Australian Imperial Force on 10 June 1940 and was deployed to Singapore as part of 8th Division Signals on in February 1941.

He was tall, athletic, liked to dress well and with his moustache he was nicknamed ‘The Duke’ due to a passing resemblance to the Duke of Gloucester.

During the invasion of Malaya and Singapore, Lionel maintained communications under fire at Gemas, Malaya and Singapore, earning the Military Cross. When Singapore fell on the 15 February 1942, he was interned in Changi prison.

He was transferred as one of 1494 Allied POWs to Sandakan POW camp, Borneo as part of B Force on the Ubi Maru tramp ship. On arrival at the camp, he organised an intelligence organisation with the local hospital and Filipino guerillas allowing POWs to escape and prepare the prisoners for an Allied invasion. In January 1943 he became the ‘unofficial’ controller of the armed British North Borneo Constabulary and ordered work to start on a wireless transmitter.

He was arrested by the Japanese in July 1943 when four Chinese members of the organisation were betrayed, interrogated and admitted to supplying radio parts for the transmitter. Lionel was interrogated, starved and tortured, but remained tight-lipped. He was taken to Kutching and sentenced to death. Declining a blindfold, he was executed by firing squad on 2 March 1944, aged 31.

He was buried in the C of E Cemetery, Kutching, but post war, his remains were recovered and reburied in Labuan War Cemetery in plot J.B.15. In 1947,

Lionel was posthumously awarded the George Cross for his actions at the camp. The following particulars are given in the London Gazette of 25th November 1947:

"The King has been graciously pleased, on the advice of His Majesty's Australian Ministers, to approve the posthumous award of the George Cross, in recognition of gallant and distinguished services whilst a prisoner of war in Japanese hands."

"Captain Matthews was taken as a prisoner of the Japanese at Changi and subsequently sent to Borneo with a work party. Soon after arrival he began to organise and equip the so-called "British North Borneo Armed Constabulary" to be held ready for uprising in the event of an Allied landing. He concerned himself with many "underground" activities and arranged supplies of medicines into prisoner-of-war camps and ran a radio news service. He was in contact with the Philippines guerrilla forces and organised escape parties, with which he himself could well have escaped. He was arrested and subjected to starvation and torture in an attempt to make him betray his contacts but made no implications. He was eventually executed by the Japanese for his brave actions."