Clarence William Rosewarne

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Clarence (Dick) William Rosewarne

Gunner - Service Number - VX129395 -
6th Heavy Brigade Royal Australian Artillery

Personal Details

Born: 18 March 1918 - Scarsdale, Victoria and was a rubber worker at the time of his enlistment.

Died: 1 July 1942 - Lost at Sea - P.O.W. on board the torpedoed Japanese troop ship, "Montevideo Mara".

Parents/Family: James and Helen Rosewarne née Scott who were living at 2 James Street, Footscray/Seddon at his time of enlistment.

Dick was the younger brother of James Norman Rosewarne (Uncle Jim) 1912 - 1995.

War Service

Clarence enlisted on 3rd of July 1940 and joined the Royal Australian Artillery (RAA) and on 16 July 1940 he was taken on strength as a Gunner with the 6th Heavy Brigade which formed part of the 'Lark' Force.

LARK FORCE

He embarked the HMAT Zealandia at Sydney on 18 April 1941 and disembarked at Rabaul, on 9th May 1941 which is situated on the northern tip of the island of New Britain - an Australian mandated territory at that time.

HMAT Zealandia

On the 20 January, 1942, Clarence was evacuated to the Military Hospital in Rabaul suffering from Enteritis.

The Japanese started bombing Rabaul in early January 1942, in advance of an invasion. In anticipation of the coming invasion, the battalion withdrew from around Rabaul and set up defences on the western shores of Blanche Bay, only hours before the Japanese landings commenced at 01:00 on 23 January, 1942.

It would have been around this time that Clarence was taken as a prisoner of war. He was officially reported missing on 20/4/1942 with a missing date of 25/1/1942.

On 18 January 1945, Clarence was presumed dead as it was ascertained he was a prisoner of war being transported on the Montevideo Mara - and most likely locked in the holds - when it was torpedoed by the American submarine, Sturgeon, believing it to be a Japanese troop ship and unaware it was carrying over 1,000 Australian prisoners of war. (This was the biggest single loss of life in Australia’s wartime history, with up to 845 soldiers and 206 civilians believed to have been locked in the ship’s hold when it sank.)

Lark Force and Rabaul

The Mothers’ and Widows’ Badge of the Second World War was issued to the mother and/or widow of a member of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), AIF (including the Australian Army Nursing Service), Citizens Military Forces, or Royal Australian Air Force who was killed in action, or died of wounds or other causes as a result of their service. The badge was round and silver-coloured. The obverse showed a raised image of a woman and part of a laurel wreath with the words "For Australia" in raised letters. The reverse had a hinged securing pin and raised lettering which reads "Issued by the C'wlth Govt" along with the manufacturer's details. Suspended by two securing rings from the bottom of the badge is a flat rectangular bar where stars were added, as in the case of the First World War Mothers' and Widows' Badge. Authority for the issue of the badge in the Second World War was given under AIF Order 200, 14 February 1941.

Helen May Rosewarne successfully applied for the Mother's and Widow's Badge on either 21/11/45 or 21/11/46.

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