Albert Henry Austine (1908 - 1942)

Born 8 Dec 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 33 in At Sea

Biography

Albert Austine was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Albert Austine died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Albert Henry Austine was born in 1908 at Islington, London, England, the son of Earl David and Elizabeth Jane Austine.

He married Lilian Richards in Victoria in 1937. There was a daughter, June Lillian.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Caulfield, VIC on 26 Apr 1940 as a Private (VX13397). At the time he was married, a labourer and was living with his wife at Cranbourne, VIC. He had dark brown hair, hazel eyes and a scald scar.

He was initially posted to the Australian Army Headquarters but after infantry training was transferred to 2/22nd Bn on 15 Oct 1940.

He entrained from Victoria for Sydney on 10 Apr 1941, embarking there on 12 Apr 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea and disembarking there on 26 Apr 1941. His Battalion was to form the core of "Lark Force" for the defence of the Territory.

After the Japanese invasion of 23 Jan 1942 he was captured at Bu Airfield (almost certainly Vunakanau airfield, as the other airfield was abandoned before the Japanese landed) and became a Prisoner of War initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records have him as a member of the machine gun Coy and a driver.

He was among those who were able to write a letter to next of kin advising that he was a POW. The letters were dropped from a Japanese plane over Port Moresby, Papua.^[1][2]

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. ↑ Red Cross POW Enquiry cards - https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=26006
2. ↑ CRANBOURNE (1942, November 18). The Dandenong Journal (Vic. : 1927 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved June 6, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article215711297

• Birth - UK GRO Birth index - AUSTINE, ALBERT HENRY; WREN; GRO Reference: 1909 M Quarter in ISLINGTON; Volume 01B Page 162

• Marriage - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 6489 / 1937; Family name: AUSTINE; Given name(s): Albt Hy; Personal detail Spouse's family name: RICHARDS; Spouse's given name(s): Liln

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - AUSTINE ALBERT HENRY : Service Number - VX13397 : Date of birth - 08 Dec 1908 : Place of birth - LONDON ENGLAND : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - AUSTINE LILY - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6209578

• Deaths On Active Service - Family Notices (1945, October 10). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 2. Retrieved June 6, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12146231

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1708964

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615335/austine,-albert-henry/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/618615

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial (https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/ : accessed 7 Mar 2024) database entry for Albert Henry Austine