Donald Douglas Findlay (1920 - 1942)

Born 31 Mar 1920 in Sandwell, South Australia, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 22 in At Sea

Biography

Donald Findlay was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Donald Findlay died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Donald Douglas Findlay was born on 31 May 1920 in Sandwell, South Australia (now absorbed into Birkenhead or Peterhead), the son of David Kerr Findlay and Gladys Lena Foureur.

He enlisted in the Australian Army Militia for full time War service on 02 Jan 1941 at Fort Largs, South Australia as a Sapper (S15442) in the Port Adelaide Fortress Coy (38 Fortress Coy), Royal Australian Engineers. At the time he was single, a compositor with Webb & Sons, printers and was living with his parents at Sandwell. He had brown hair and green eyes.

He was allotted to the Special Coastal Defence Force ("L Force") on 02 Mar 1941 and entrained for 3MD the same day. He was taken on strength with "L Force" on 14 Mar 1941 and was graded as an Instrument Operator Group II the same day.

He embarked in Sydney on the "Zealandia" on 18 Apr 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 26 Apr 1941 as part of the Rabaul Fortress Coy, RAE.

After the Japanese invasion on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured at Keravat and 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.

He was posthumously enrolled in the 2nd AIF as SX38283.

Sources

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - FINDLAY DONALD DOUGLAS : Service Number - SX38283 : Date of birth - 31 Mar 1920 : Place of birth - SANDWELL SA : Place of enlistment - Unknown : Next of Kin - FINDLAY DAVID - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6327749

• Private Casualty Advices (1945, October 29). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), p. 9. Retrieved March 13, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article74624351

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1708671

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615643/findlay,-donald-douglas/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/574505

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/findlay-donald-douglas/