Neville Edword Hercules Curtis (1916 - 1942)

Born 16 May 1916 in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 26 in At Sea

Biography

Neville Curtis was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Neville Curtis died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Neville Edword Hercules Curtis was born in Wahroonga, NSW on 16 May 1916. His parents were Hercules George Curtis and Alice Sarah Jackson.

In 1940 he married Jean Robbie in Victoria. It does not appear there were any children.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service on 05 Jul 1940 at Caulfield, Victoria (after completing papers in Wangaratta, VIC). At the time he was single, a bank clerk with the Bank of NSW in Wangaratta and living in Wangaratta. He had been serving in the Militia 59th Bn for 18 months. He was allocated to 2/22nd Bn, promoted A/Cpl on 29 Aug 1940. He was married to Jean Robbiie in Victoria on 30 Nov 1940, probably at Bonegilla, VIC.

He disembarked from HMT "Katoomba" in Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea on 28 Mar 1941.

When the Japanese invaded in Jan 1942 he was captured on the Wide Bay coast of New Britain and became a Prisoner of War, 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

• Birth - NSW BDM Birth index - CURTIS NEVILLE E; 18691/1916; HERCULES G; SADIE A; CHATSWOOD

• Marriage - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 20730 / 1940; Family name: CURTIS; Given name(s): Neville Edwd Hercules; Personal detail Spouse's family name: ROBBIE; Spouse's given name(s): Jean

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - CURTIS NEVILLE EDWORD HERCULES : Service Number - VX42144 : Date of birth - 16 May 1916 : Place of birth - WAHROOGA NSW : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - CURTIS JEAN - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6132474

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1710115

• Death Notices
  • Family Notices On Active Service - Family Notices (1945, October 13). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 4. Retrieved December 9, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245668446 ;
  • Family Notices (1945, October 16). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 2. Retrieved December 9, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12147405 ;
  • Family Notices (1945, October 9). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 6. Retrieved December 9, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205641599 ;
  • Family Notices (1945, October 30). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 2. Retrieved December 9, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12150054

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2615549/neville-edward-hercules-curtis/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/625035

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/curtis-neville-edword-hercules/