Dudley Royes Ainsbury (1921 - 1942)

Ancestors

Biography

Dudley Royes Ainsbury was born 29 November 1921 at Mt Garnet, Queensland, Australia, the youngest son of George Thomas Ainsbury and Eleanor Etta (Royes) Ainsbury.^[1]

His father was a policeman, and as a boy he spent time in Kuranda, Queensland,^[2] and Atherton, Queensland, Australia.

Dudley Royes Ainsbury enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Maryborough, Queensland on 22 Jan 1941 as a Private (QX10930). At the time he was in camp with 51st Bn Militia where he had previously served part time for 2½ years, but was normally a labourer. He was single and living with his mother in Maryborough, Queensland. He had black hair and brown eyes. It seems likely that he raised his age by 2 years to enlist, conveniently putting him over the age of 21. He was 6 ft 3 in tall.

Following basic training he was transferred to the Infantry Training Centre at Foster, Victoria, Australia, transferred to No. 1 Independent Coy (a commando unit) on 10 May 1941. Specialised commando training by British officers was conducted at Wilson's Promontory, Victoria, Australia.

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.

Dudley wrote a poem about his service.^[3]

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.

Dudley Royes Ainsbury died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 1 July 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth - QLD BDM Birth index - Dudley Royes Ainsbury; Event date: 29/11/1921; Event type: Birth registration; Registration details: 1922/C/1307; Mother: Eleanor Etta Royes Robinson; Father/parent: George Thomas
2. ↑ HARMONY IN KURANDA (1930, April 29). Cairns Post (Qld. : 1909 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article41073663
3. ↑ Filling the Ranks Of the A.I.F. Boys (1941, December 15). Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld. : 1860 - 1947), p. 5. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article152142261

See also:

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - AINSBURY DUDLEY ROYES : Service Number - QX10930 : Date of birth - 01 May 1919 : Place of birth - MOUNT GARNET QLD : Place of enlistment - MARYBOROUGH QLD : Next of Kin - AINSBURY E - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4868034
• "They Taught The World What Men There Be." (1943, October 15). Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld. : 1860 - 1947), p. 2. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151547479
• SAD NEWS OF M'BORO. BOY'S FATE (1945, November 24). Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay and Burnett Advertiser (Qld. : 1860 - 1947), p. 4. Retrieved March 20, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article151767465
• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1691075
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615305/ainsbury,-dudley-royes/
• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/617793
• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial (https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/ : accessed 7 Mar 2024) database entry for Dudley Royes Ainsbury