Elvin Boon Barker (1912 - 1942)

Born 21 Nov 1912 in Saint Arnaud, Victoria, Australia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 29 in At Sea

Biography

Elvin Barker was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Elvin Barker died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Elvin was born in 1912 at St Arnaud, VIC, the son of Joseph and Evelyn Susan Barker. His birth registration indicates it was registered in St Albans in Melbourne, but this may be a transcription error.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Caulfield, VIC on 19 Jun 1940 as a Private (VX28659), having completed his attestation form in Donald, VIC on 07 Jun 1940. At the time he was single, a farmer and was living with his father at Donald, VIC. He had fair hair.

He had previously served in the school cadets.

Although initially identified for the Artillery he was posted to 2/22nd Bn on 27 Aug 1940.

He entrained from Victoria for Sydney on 10 Mar 1941, embarking there on HMAT "Katoomba" on 12 Mar 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea and disembarking there on 28 Mar 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 New Massawa and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records have him as part of B Coy.

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

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 Card - https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=26745

• Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index- Event: births; Registration number: 34734 / 1912; Family name: BARKER; Given name(s): Elvin Boon; Place of event: ST ALBANS, VIC, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Evelyn Susan; Mother's family name at birth: BOON; Father's Name: Joseph

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BARKER ELVIN BOON : Service Number - VX28659 : Date of birth - 21 Nov 1912 : Place of birth - ST ARNAUD VIC : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - BARKER JOSEPH - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6202232

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1690444

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615344/barker,-elvin-boon/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/619037

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