Frederick Martin Rae (1912 - 1942)

Born 6 Aug 1912 in Rochester, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 29 in At Sea

Frederick Rae was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Frederick Rae died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Biography

Frederick was born in 1912 in Rochester, VIC, the son of Henry Moncrieff and Lydia Rae.

By 1937 he was working as a station hand near Hay, NSW. He escaped serious injury when thrown from his horse.^[1]

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Wagga, NSW on 10 Jul 1940 (having completed his attestation form at Hay, NSW on 25 Jun 1940) as a Private (NX36268). At the time he was single, a station hand and was living at Hay, NSW. He had brown hair and brown eyes. He expected to be fighting in Europe.^[2]

After training he was transferred to No. 1 Independent Coy (a commando unit) on 10 May 1941.

He embarked on HMAT "Zealandia" on 12 Jul 1941 for Kavieng, New Ireland in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 29 Jul 1941.

When the Japanese invaded New Ireland on 23 Jan 1942 he was probably with the bulk of the Coy who escaped overland to Kaut on the south coast and boarded the "Induna Star" on 29 Jan 1942 before making their way along the coast of New Ireland heading to Rabaul. When they learned that Rabaul had fallen and hearing that the Japanese had landed to the east of them (false) the ship sailed south. It was spotted by a Japanese aircraft, bombed and taken under tow by a Japanese destroyer on 02 Feb 1942 and entered Rabaul on 03 Feb 1942 where he became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul.

He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

Sources

1. ↑ No title (1937, July 13). The Riverine Grazier (Hay, NSW : 1873 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved February 25, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137354516
2. ↑ R.S.S.A.I.L.A. (1941, June 27). The Riverine Grazier (Hay, NSW : 1873 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved February 25, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137367600

• Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 23984 / 1912; Family name: RAE; Given name(s): Fredk Martin; Place of event: ROCHESTER, VIC, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Lydia; Mother's family name at birth: WILLIAMS; Father's Name: Hy

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - RAE FREDERICK MARTIN : Service Number - NX36268 : Date of birth - 06 Aug 1912 : Place of birth - ROCHESTER VIC : Place of enlistment - WAGGA NSW : Next of Kin - RAE LYDIA - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4878529

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1700453

• https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2616194/rae,-frederick-martin/