AHS CENTAUR - 14 May 1943

72 years ago today (14th May 1943)  the AHS Centaur was torpedoed and subsequently sunk off the east coast of Australia.

In the early afternoon of 12 May 1943 Centaur steamed from Sydney for Cairns carrying members of the 2/12th Field Ambulance. Shortly after 4.00 am on 14 May, while most people were asleep, a torpedo struck Centaur‘s port side, hitting the oil fuel tank which ignited in a massive explosion.

The survivors were at sea for a day and half before they were rescued. The ship’s crew and medical staff suffered heavily, as did the 2/12th Field Ambulance -178 men, from a total of 193, died. It was the nurses though, who suffered the worst. Of the 12 nurses on board only one, Sister Nell Savage, survived.

The bridge superstructure collapsed and the funnel crashed onto the deck. Everything was covered with burning oil and a fire quickly began to roar across the ship. Water, meanwhile, rushed in through the gaping hole in her side. Many of those on board not killed in the explosion or fire, were trapped as the ship started to go down bow first, and then broke in two. In just three minutes Centaur was gone.The Japanese sinking of this Australian hospital ship in 1943 was a violation of the most basic humanitarian convention.

An informative post on the history of the torpedoing of the A.H.S. Centaur  including all the names is on the Tweed Heads Historical Society website HERE.

According to the Wikipedia site, the reason for the attack is unknown, and the events surrounding the sinking of Centaur are controversial because it has been attested that she may have been in breach of the international conventions that should have protected her.

The ship had been appropriately lit and marked to indicate that it was a hospital ship and its sinking was regarded as an atrocity. The Australian Government delivered an official protest to Japan over the incident. The Japanese did not acknowledge responsibility for the incident for many years and the War Crimes Tribunal could not identify the responsible submarine.

However, the Japanese official war history makes clear that it was submarine 1-177, under the command of Lt Commander Nakagawa who had sunk the Centaur. Lt Commander Nakagawa was convicted as a war criminal for firing on survivors of the British Chivalry which his ship had sunk in the Indian Ocean.

Claims of discovery were made in 1995, but the wreck was later proven to be another ship. The wreck of Centaur was found on 20 December 2009.

and now, new images of the wreck have emerged.

With thanks to the World War 11 Zone forum:

ONE

TWO

THREE  explore in 3D (takes awhile to load, but worth it)

Charles Richard Le Brun was one of the 268 people that died on board the HMAS Centaur and at the time was aged 43.
Charles was born at Darlimurla in Victoria, Australia on 10th Oct 1899 to Murdoch Le BRUN and his wife, Rebecca Ann MOORE.

At the age of 23, Charles married Dorothy KEMPTON on 15th Feb 1923 at Malvern and they had 6 children.

On 9th July 1940, Charles joined the AIF, his army number being: VX40778 and he was assigned to the 2/12th Field Ambulance unit.

The 2/12th Field Ambulance was an Australian military unit of the Second Australian Imperial Force, serving during World War II. During their six years of service, over 200 soldiers were killed, the highest figure for a non-combatant unit in Australian history.

The 2/12th was founded at Sydney Showground on 22 November 1940. The unit was attached to the 23rd Infantry Brigade, 8th Division until February, 1943, when it was moved to II Corps. Most of the recruits were from rural New South Wales. During their training in the Northern Territory, the members of the 2/12th provided medical support for the 23rd Brigade, participated in the construction of five small medical hospitals, and assisted sappers and pioneer assault units, earning the unit the nickname "2/12th Pioneers".

Following the beginning of the Pacific War, 45 members of the 2/12th were each attached to Gull Force and Sparrow Force, and sent to defend the islands of Ambon and Timor respectively. All of the members of the 2/12th serving with Gull Force were captured or killed by the Japanese on 1 February 1942, with many dying as prisoners of war on Ambon or Hainan. Many of those serving with Sparrow Force were also captured.

The half-strength unit was reinforced, and on 10 May 1943, the 192 members of the 2/12th boarded hospital ship Centaur to be transported to New Guinea.

On 14 May 1943, at 4:00 a.m., Centaur was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-177, and sank in less than three minutes. Of the 332 aboard, there were only 64 survivors, including 14 members of the 2/12th. It was 36 hours before they were resuced by USS Mugford.

The 14 survivors were reinforced by men from the 4th Light Field Ambulance, and served in Borneo, Morotai, Tarakan, Lutong, and Kuching. The unit stood down in 1946, having served past the war's end, working with the retrieval and care of Allied prisoners of war.

below: copy of the will of Charles Richard Le Brun:

R I P

please note:  none of the above images are mine, all have been located on the internet over many years or passed on to me by family members.

a National Service of 
Thanksgiving & Remembrance
AHS Centaur

is usually held at St Johns Cathedral, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Click HERE for a PDF Document, including name of everyone on board.



Lest We Forget


.
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George William Manning [1890 - 1915]

It was just breaking dawn ....

"The Ribble increased speed and headed for an anchorage further inshore and to the north of the battleships. On board was Lieutenant Ivor Margetts, 12th Battalion, a Hobart schoolteacher......... "

Man the boats....

The landing of the 12th Battalion, 25 April 1915

.....as we neared the peninsular of Gallipoli, the Captain of the Destroyers gave the order for silence and for the men to stop smoking and thus, in darkness and in silence, we were carried towards the land which was to either make or mar the name of Australia.  On either side of us we could dimly see other destroyers bearing the rest of the Third Brigade. I am quite sure that very few of us realized that at last we were actually bound for our first baptism of fire, for it seemed as though we were just out on one of our night maneuvers, but very soon realized that it was neither a surprise party nor a moonlight picnic. ........

above image:

This timber lifeboat from the HMT DEVANHA (troopship A3) is at the Australian War Memorial and was used for the FIRST LANDING at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli.

On board was the 12th Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade, they landed at 4.10am on 25th April 1915 and George William MANNING - who was part of the 12th Bn 3rd Brigade - was killed soon after landing.

First flag of AIF at Gallipoli restored by
Imperial War Museum

Painstakingly restored ... Specialist textile curator Liz Rose at the Imperial War Museum workshop seen here working on the flag of the AIF's 12th Battalion 3rd Brigade who stormed Gallipoli in 1915.

The above picture: Ella Pellegrini.

Specialist textile curator Liz Rose is painstakingly fixing the flag for display, placing see-through conservation net over tears in the fabric that threaten to pull the flag apart. The process takes several days.

But she says she is careful not to restore it to its former glory. Even the dodgy stitching of an unknown repairer from some time in the past century to patch a hole is being left alone.

“We just want to repair it in parts to preserve and display but its condition is evidence of its history and that is important to maintain,” she said.

12th Australian Infantry Battalion

The 12th Battalion was among the first infantry units raised for the AIF during the First World War. Half of the battalion was recruited in Tasmania, a quarter was recruited in South Australia, and a quarter from Western Australia. With the 9th, 10th and 11th Battalions it formed the 3rd Brigade.


The 12th Battalion was raised within three weeks of the declaration of war in August 1914. They were the covering force for the Anzac landings and so were the first onshore at 4.30am on April 25, 1915. Their commander Lt Col L.F Clarke was killed by a sniper in the first few hours of battle but the battalion fought on and would later contribute two companies to the attack on Lone Pine; the only battalion in the brigade to do so. The battalion heroes were also the last to leave Anzac Cove only to go on to take part in the first major action in France in the Somme valley at Pozieres, then Ypres in Flanders all the way through to the battle of Amiens in August 1918.

Of their Gallipoli campaign, a British officer there at the time wrote: “The Australians were fine. ... They pulled in singing a song, ‘Australia will be there!’ and I could see them scaling the cliffs”. 

Within five days of the campaign, over half the men of the 12th battalion would be killed or wounded. 

 They fought with the motto Ducit Amor Patriae (Love of My Country Leads Me).

why did the ANZACS land at Gallipoli?

above image

The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the ANZAC landing on 25 April 1915 and so was the first ashore at around 4:30 am. Lieutenant Colonel L. F. Clarke, commander of the 12th Battalion, was killed by a sniper within hours of the landing. The battalion was heavily involved in establishing and defending the front line of the ANZAC position.

Charles Bean - the first report

The landing ~ HMS RIBBLE towards the top of the above image.

George William MANNING was born to John MANNING and Harriet Ann COBERN in Evandale, Tasmania, Australia on 3rd September 1890.

Little is known of George in his early years in Tasmania, but we can assume he attended school and probably in the district of Launceston.

On 2nd June 1914 at the age of 23 years, he married Annie Josephine THOMPSON. From information received, Annie was born in Launceston in September 1895 and married George when she was 18 years old. 

Four months later - on 24th October 1914 - George enlisted in the AIF at Claremont in Tasmania. He stated on his papers that he was married and his Next of Kin was Mrs G. W. Manning of 66 Margaret St, Launceston, Tasmania.

He was given the Service number of 1226 in the 12th Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Reinforcements.

66 Margaret St, Launceston, Tasmania

From Google - 66 Margaret St, Launceston, Tasmania

The 1st Reinforcements - which included George William Manning - departed Melbourne on board the  Themistocles A32  on 22 December 1914. 

above image:

1st Division reinforcements playing cricket aboard the transport HMAT Themistocles (A32), part of the 2nd Australian convoy that left (Perth) Australia on 31 December 1914.

[would be nice to know that one of those men was George!]

On 1st February 1915 - the 12th Battalion commenced training at Mena in Egypt, ten miles from Cairo and on the 10th February the 1st Reinforcements had arrived, which included George.

above image:

Part of Mena Camp, seen from the road running up the centre of the camp, known as Artillery Road.  At the far end of the road can be seen one of the reservoirs built at the camp; in this one the water burst through the walls.

On the left are the lines of the 1st Australian Divisional Artillery, and on the right the lines of the 3rd Infantry Brigade (in the  foreground), and the Divisional Engineers (in the background). On the horizon is one of the pyramids at neaby Gizeh.

A period of training in the desert followed to prepare the Australian forces for their eventual transfer to Europe, but a short time later, on 1st March 1915 they received orders for embarkation at Alexandria. 4th March they had arrived at Lemnos and anchored off Port Mudros.

On 6th April 1915 - 10.00pm - Orders for embarkation & distribution of Brigade on transports received.  At 8:00am on the following morning they commenced embarking horses & transport details.

By 21st April they were committed to the Gallipoli Campaign when orders came through for their landing at Gallipoli.

The 3rd Brigade was the covering force for the Anzac landing on 25 April 1915, and went ashore at around 4.30 am. During the early fighting on the first, the battalion's commanding officer was killed by a sniper.

George William MANNING was killed soon after arriving at Gallipoli. It is not known where or when. He was reported as 'missing' in the Dardanelles region, but that was soon changed and reported as being Killed in Action.

According to his service records, there was a board of inquiry on 5th June 1916 that confirmed this finding.

He is remembered with honour at the Lone Pine Memorial.

In the meantime - his wife Annie - had given birth to a daughter in Tasmania in 1915 that she named Sheila Patricia Manning. She is listed on the War Pension claim as a daughter of George in 1916. Annie received 13 pounds per annum for Sheila from 9th April 1916 till 17 March 1931 and for herself, received 52 pounds per annum.

No further information has been found on Sheila.

In 1921 there is record of Annie residing in Brunswick, a suburb of Melbourne. According to various census records of that period, she is found in Carlton and or Brunswick up to and including 1930.

But on page one of the service records of George Manning there is a note to the effect that she may have moved to England. Under the 'change of address' it has: Eng 30/3/30

Have not located any information on Annie or Sheila after this time.

In July 1924 - Ellen Charlotte Florence McNiece - sister to George Manning, wrote to the Army requesting information regarding Private G. W. Manning. The question was if this George Manning had returned to Australia in the Air Force.

As per the following letter:

A reply came back stating that there was only one G. W. Manning and that it was evident that the person making the claim regarding the relationship with the deceased was mistaken.

above:  signature of Annie in 1922

above: Dead Man's Penny

The Dead Man’s Penny is a commemorative medallion which was presented to the next-of-kin of the men and women who died during World War One. The bronze medallion features an image of Lady Britannia surrounded by two dolphins (representing Britain’s sea power) and a lion (representing Britain) standing over a defeated eagle (symbolising Germany).

Around the outer edge of the medallion are the words ‘He died for freedom and honour’. Next to Lady Britannia is the deceased soldier’s name, with no rank provided to show equality in their sacrifice.

The Dead Man’s Penny was accompanied by a letter from King George V, stating ‘I join with my grateful people in sending you this memorial of a brave life given for others in the Great War’.
 

George William Manning's name will be projected onto the exterior of the Hall of Memory on:

• Mon 6 April, 2015 at 7:01 pm
• Fri 22 May, 2015 at 10:58 pm
• Fri 3 July, 2015 at 10:04 pm
• Sun 16 August, 2015 at 8:58 pm
• Tue 6 October, 2015 at 2:24 am
• Sun 6 December, 2015 at 3:50 am
• Wed 3 February, 2016 at 9:37 pm
• Thu 31 March, 2016 at 2:29 am
• Tue 17 May, 2016 at 12:53 am
• Tue 28 June, 2016 at 3:18 am

These dates and times are estimates. Please note that previous advised times on this site have recently been changed to ensure that early evening projections are clearly visible and not affected by twilight.

The actual time of projection could also change as a result of weather and other factors, so it is advisable to check closer to the date. In the rare event of a temporary loss of electrical power, the names scheduled for display in that period will not appear until the next time listed.

There is also a Facebook page for the 12th Battalion.

 
25 April 1915:
The full extent of casualties on that first day are not known.

Birdwood, who did not come ashore until late in the day, estimated between three and four hundred dead on the beaches.

The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage claims one in five of the three thousand New Zealanders involved became a casualty.

The Australian War Memorial has 860 Australian dead between 25–30 April, and the Australian Government estimates 2,000 wounded left Anzac Cove on 25 April, but more wounded were still waiting on the battlefields to be evacuated.

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission documents that 754 Australian and 147 New Zealand soldiers died on 25 April 1915.
 
A higher than normal proportion of the ANZAC casualties were from the officer ranks. One theory was that they kept exposing themselves to fire, trying to find out where they were or to locate their troops. Four men were taken prisoner by the Turks.

may they all rest in peace

LEST WE FORGET

Many thanks to the following for their helpful websites and access to same:


the Australian War Memorial

the National Archives

Gallipoli and the Anzacs

Trove

the Commonwealth War Graves Commission

12th Battalion Facebook page


Biography - Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean (1879 - 1968)


First to Fall - introduction
 
AWM - a difficult landing

*

Henry William BARWISE [1882 - 1948]

Henry William Barwise was born in 1882 at Great Western, a small regional village west of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia.  His parents were Henry Machel Barwise and Harriet Isabella Walkeden.

In 1910 he married Florence Lily Pearce and they had four sons before he enlisted in the AIF. On his return they had a further three children, two daughters and one son.

Henry enlisted at Melbourne on 19 January 1917. He was a driver and given service # 34207 with the 1st D.A.C in the 26th Reinforcements.  A part of the Field Artillery Brigade, March 1917 Reinforcements.

DAC being Division Ammunition Column.

From the In March 1916 Division Artilleries were greatly expanded for service on the Western Front, with three brigades each of four batteries and one of three batteries, and medium and heavy trench mortars were added.

This was changed again in January 1917, with the number of brigades reduced to just two. In February 1918, medium trench mortar batteries were reorganised and the heavy batteries reduced to just one, under Corps control.
On the Western Front the normal practice was for divisions in the line to have support from two or more division artilleries.

on 12th May 1917, Henry William Barwise embarked Melbourne on board the HMAT Ascanius (A11) and disembarked in Devonport in England late July 1917.

above: The troop transport Ascanius (A11)

November 1914. Fremantle, Western Australia. November 1914. The troop transport Ascanius (A11) which was the first ship carrying troops to leave the area. It joined the ANZAC convoy on 3 November 1914 and proceeded in convoy to Colombo.

After leaving Colombo the Ascanius rammed the troop transport Shropshire (A9) on 21 November 1914 but both ships were able to continue in convoy to Aden. (Donor A.W. Bazley to the AWM)

above image: HMAT Ascanius (A11)

27 May 1916. Troops crowded on the decks of the stern of the troopship HMAT Ascanius (A11), being towed out to sea by a tug from Port Melbourne.

Note the soldiers on the decks waving flags and the streamers hanging off the decks of the ship.

above image: HMAT Ascanius in Melbourne

In September of 1917, he was caught AWOL - from 6.00am till 11.45pm on 8th September and forfeited a total of 9 days pay. In November he proceeded to France via Southampton.

He suffered much illness whilst in France and was admitted to hospital on a number of occasions suffering from Neuritis, Neurasthenia, Rheumatism & influenza.

By July of 1918 he was in the 4th General Hospital in Plymouth with Neuritis which is an inflammation of one or more nerves. The characteristic symptoms of neuritis include pain and tenderness; impaired sensation, strength, and reflexes.

In September he returned to Australia due to "a medical condition" and on his records it has: Neurasthenia.

Henry on far right - whilst recovering in hospital

He died in the farm shed at Marshall on 8th February 1948 from heart failure and is buried at the Geelong Western Public Cemetery.

we shall not forget any family member, regardless of them Returning to Australia or sadly being Killed in Action.


once again, I would like to extend my grateful thanks to the AWM, CWGC and the NAA for allowing us access to their amazing collections!

• Australian War Memorial
• National Archives of Australia
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission

*

Allan Wesley WALKEDEN [1897 - 1916]

The following is a studio portrait of 2062 Private (Pte) Allan Wesley Walkeden, 3rd Reinforcements, 26th Battalion, of Derby, Tasmania, aged 18.

Pte Walkeden enlisted on 22 June 1915 and embarked from Melbourne aboard HMAT Makarini on 10 September 1915. He was killed in action on 5 August 1916 at The Battle of Pozieres, Somme, France.

*note:
The DALITZ Brothers of Horsham and Raymond BARTRAM of Richmond also set sail on board the HMAT MAKARINI in September 1915

Allan - a baker by trade - was born in 1897 at Sale, Victoria, Australia to James Richard Henry WALKEDEN and Harriet Melinda FOGWILL.

At the time of enlistment in 1915 Allan was living in Tasmania with the rest of his family and mentioned that he spent two years in the Army Cadets.

Allan - or WALKIE as he was known in the 26th Battalion - embarked Melbourne on 10th September on board the HMAT Makarini bound for the Greek island of Lemnos, arriving at the port of Mudros on 30th November 1915.  The original division of the 26th Battalion were already at Gallipoli at this time and were calling for more men.

Mudros gained wartime significance with the determination of the Allies - chiefly the British and largely through the enthusiasm of Winston Churchill.

HMAT MARARINI

"Walkie" was taken on strength with the 26th Battalion at Gallipoli on 9th December in the area known as Mule Gully and Russell Top. Three days later he was on a troopship back to Mudros and they were marched to Sarpi Camp. Just two days after Christmas in 1915, he was punished for reasons unknown other than "Conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline" and was awarded 72 hours field punishment. I am not so sure that it was an 'award'!

On 9th January 1916 the 26th Battalion disembarked (ex Mudros) on board HMT Hororata and arrived at Alexandria at 0830 and entrained for their next camp Tel-El-Kebir at 1800.

According to the Battalion diaries,  all of January and February 1916, the 26th Battalion were at Tel-El-Kebir training 'as usual'.  March 1916 they were at the staging camp at Ismailia digging trenches for defences. Two weeks later - on the 15th March - "Walkie" departed for Alexandria at 8.30pm arriving in Marseilles, France by the 21st.

According to the diaries, it was a rough sea trip on board the HMT Northland and many men were sea sick.

On 24th March the 26th Battalion were marched in falling snow to Morbecque, where they took up their first billets on French soil which was a school and three farms. The billets were dirty, and the remainder of the day was spent in cleaning them up and getting settled. It was cold, snowy weather and the change from a warm climate was felt severely.

The icy weather made life during the day miserable – but the drop in temperature at night was even worse.

They stayed here in Morbecque until the 4th April when they moved out towards the famous Armentieres, a march of about eleven miles.  On their way they passed Hazebrouck, Merris and Outlarsteene. Arriving at Hallebean late afternoon on the same day.   They did not reach Armentieres until 7th April where they were housed in billets around Rue Marle.

It is now 9th April 1916 and it has been raining for quite sometime, the Battalion is getting ready to take over the firing line by the 11th.

 
From the 11th April through till the end of May 1916, "Walkie" (Allan Walkeden) and the rest of the Battalion were moved into the front-line trenches near Armentières, in an area dubbed “the nursery”.

Although the Australians were in a relatively quiet sector, there were periods of sharp fighting, shelling, and some heavy raids; by the end of June over 600 men had been killed. Only a few days earlier, Private William Jackson became the first man of the AIF to win the Victoria Cross in France. He rescued wounded members of his raiding party from no man’s land until his arm was blown off by a shell.

July 1916 they were in the trenches at Messines and then moved on to Tara's Hill at Pozieres where the 26th fought in it's first major battle between 28th July and 7th August.

For men thrown into the fighting at Pozières the experience was simply hell. The battlefield had become the focus of artillery fire from both sides. Attacks went in, some ground was taken, and then the enemy would counter-attack.

Throughout this action the fighting was wild, and all the time the shelling tore up the ground, folded the trenches in, and blew away any protection.

Major Walter Claridge wrote to his wife:

I knew you would be ashamed if I played the coward, so I kept straight on at the head of my platoon. I was thankful to get [wounded] as it got me out of the firing line for a rest. Australia may well be proud of the part its boys played in taking Pozières.

The ordeal at Pozières, both physical and mental, was more than men could put up with for very long. Courage made little difference, what each man needed was endurance and luck.

Sergeant R. Baldwin, of the 27th Battalion wrote:

We came out this morning as best we could. We are a very shaken lot. Well, we went in and relieved the first division on the night of August 1, six days ago. I saw some awful things although I never got a mark, we are all on the edge, all our nerves are wrecked, we lost some fine men.

The 26th Battalion took part in the attack on Pozieres Heights at 9.15pm (see attached report) on the 4th August 1916.

The 26th Battalion diary has for the 5th August:

repelling enemy attack, took 91 prisoners, killing many others, Bn reassembles at Tara's Hill. 32 KIA.

 It was then that Allan Wesley Walkeden was first reported as Missing in Action.  But later that day was changed to "Killed in Action" according to the Red Cross reports:

Sap / Sapping: In trench warfare, the practice of digging small ‘sap’ trenches at roughly ninety degrees out from existing lines and then digging a new trench line at the front of the saps. A slow, but relatively safe, way of moving forward.

Unfortunately, this 'relatively safe' sap did not save Allan Walkeden from the German shell that exploded in the trench where he was standing.

Walkie's (Allan Walkeden) body was never recovered, but his memorial will forever remain at Villers-Bretonneux.

Allan Wesley Walkeden's
name will be projected
onto the exterior of the Hall of Memory
of the AWM in Canberra on:

Thu 28 August, 2014 at 8:25 pm
Tue 14 October, 2014 at 1:48 am
Sat 6 December, 2014 at 10:27 pm
Sat 31 January, 2015 at 1:50 am
Mon 23 March, 2015 at 2:06 am
Tue 5 May, 2015 at 6:45 pm
Sun 14 June, 2015 at 9:56 pm
Wed 22 July, 2015 at 4:33 am

These dates and times are estimates.
The actual time of projection could change as a result of weather and other factors, 

so it is advisable to check closer to the date.
In the rare event of a temporary loss of electrical power, the names scheduled for display in that period will not appear until the next time listed.

LEST WE FORGET

This website will be of interest to those with any family member that fought at Pozieres:

Pozieres Memorial Park

With grateful thanks to the following for information 
and the use of images & data off their sites.:

State Library of Victoria

National Library of Australia - Trove

The Australian War Memorial

The Australian National Archives

Australians on the Western Front

.