Charles Forrester Bethune (1917 - 1942)

Born 23 Mar 1917 in Gardenvale, Victoria, Australia

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 25 in At Sea

Biography

Charles Bethune was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Charles Bethune died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Charles Forrester Bethune was born in 1917 at Gardenvale, VIC, the son of Carles Forrester and Muriel Annie Bethune.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Caulfield, VIC on 09 Aug 1940 as a Private (VX48411). At the time he was single, a clerk and was living with his father at Armadale, VIC. He had brown hair and brown eyes.

He was posted to the 2/22nd Bn on 10 Sep 1940.

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.

He spent several days in hospital in Oct 1941 with rubella.

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 a member of D 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=28306

• Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 3049 / 1917; Family name: BETHUNE; Given name(s): Chas Forrester; Place of event: ELSWICK, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Muriel Annie; Mother's family name at birth: JONES; Father's Name: Chas Forrester

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BETHUNE CHARLES FORRESTER : Service Number - VX48411 : Date of birth - 23 Mar 1917 : Place of birth - GARDEN VALE VIC : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - BETHUNE M - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6130756

• Deaths On Active Service - Family Notices (1945, October 8). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 2. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12145865 ... and ... Family Notices (1945, October 9). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 2. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12146063 ... and ... Family Notices (1945, October 11). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 2. Retrieved April 11, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article12146465

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1681622

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615384/bethune,-charles-forrester/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/619938

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/bethune-charles-forrester/