Robert Baldwin (1912 - 1942)

Born 8 Jan 1912 in Carlton, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 30 in At Sea

Biography

Robert Baldwin was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Robert Baldwin died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Robert was born in 1912 in Carlton, VIC, the son of Euphemia BALDWIN (nee IRVINE).

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Caulfield, VIC on 28 Jun 1940 as a Private (VX41231), having completed his attestation form at Swan Hill, VIC on 12 Jun 1940. At the time he was single, a labourer and was living in Swan Hill, VIC. He had fair hair and blue eyes. For some reason, he raised his age by 2 years when enlisting.

It appears he wasn't close to his mother as he wasn't able to say where she was living. In his will he named a friend, Mrs Elizabeth Ratcliffe of Bendigo as his beneficiary.

He was posted to 2/22nd Bn on 07 Jan 1941.

He entrained from Victoria for Sydney on 11 Apr 1941, embarking there on HMAT "Katoomba" 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" (probably Vunakanau airfield) and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records have him as a driver with D Coy.

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 - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 1641 / 1912; Family name: BALDWIN; Given name(s): Robt; Place of event: CARL, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Ephma; Mother's family name at birth: IRVINE; Father's Name: Unknown

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BALDWIN ROBERT : Service Number - VX41231 : Date of birth - 08 Jan 1910 : Place of birth - CARLTON VIC : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - BALDWIN ELIZABETH - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6128307

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1704575

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615340/baldwin,-robert/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/618870

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