Peter Biden (1919 - 1942)

Born 1 Jul 1919 in Camberwell, Surrey, England, United Kingdom

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 23 in At Sea

Biography

Peter Biden was born in Surrey, England.

Peter Biden was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Peter Biden died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Peter Biden was born in 1919 at Camberwell, Surrey, England, the son of Australian parents Eric Broomfield Biden and Mildred Ethel Hamilton Dicker. Peter's father was a serving AIF Officer (and MM holder) at the time he was born and the family returned to Australia when he was a few months old, arriving in January 1920.

On 3 November 1923 Mildred E. H. Biden (31) Home Duties and her two sons, Peter Biden (4) and Paul Biden (2) arrived in London, England on board S.S. Hobsons Bay. ^[1]

On 2 December 1924 Mildred E. H. Biden (33) Home Duties and her two sons, Peter Biden (5) and Paul Biden (2) departed London, England on board S.S. Hobsons Bay bound for Sydney, Australia. They had been staying a 3 Crescent Place, Brighton. ^[2]

He enlisted in the Australian Army Militia at Paddington, New South Wales on 28 March 1941 as a Gunner (N107809) in the Royal Australian Artillery allocated to the 1 Anti Aircraft Brigade at North Head, Sydney, NSW. At the time he was single, a turner and fitter and was living with his father at 24 Laurel Street, Willoughby, New South Wales. He had fair hair and blue eyes.

He had previously served in the Militia in the Australian Army Ordnance Corps.

On 1 August 1941 he was appointed as Specialist Artificer Artillery Group I. He embarked on HMAT "Neptuna" at Sydney for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea on 6 August 1941, disembarking on 16 August 1941 as part of the Rabaul Anti Aircraft and Anti Maritime Craft Defence.

Because the Battery was positioned high above the harbour to permit coverage of the sky and the guns could not be depressed to cover ships it was useless in the anti-maritime role. Requests for star shell in case of a night time attack were refused.

The battery was equipped with 2 WW1 vintage 3 inch guns which had never been fired before Japanese aircraft began attacking - one of the guns had a cracked breech and there was concern at what would happen when it was fired. Crews drilled without ammunition and of the 54 members only 1 officer and 2 of the sergeants had ever heard a 3 inch gun fired.

Nevertheless the battery performed well, managing to shoot down 1 confirmed Japanese plane.

The battery was destroyed ahead of the Japanese landing to prevent the guns falling into enemy hands.

After the Japanese invasion on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured at the Warangoi River and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul.

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.

He was posthumously enrolled in the 2nd AIF as NX191444.

Sources

1. ↑ UK and Ireland, Incoming Passenger Lists, 1878-1960
2. ↑ UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1924

• Birth - FreeBMD.org.uk - Births Sep 1919 - Biden Peter; Dicker; Camberwell; 1d 1147
• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BIDEN PETER : Service Number - NX191444 : Date of birth - 01 Jul 1919 : Place of birth - LONDON ENGLAND : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - BIDEN ERIC - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=5608802
• In Memoriam On Active Service - Family Notices (1945, November 3). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 29. Retrieved May 26, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17958587
• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1682288
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615387/biden,-peter/
• New South Wales, Australia, Index to Deceased Estate Files, 1859-1958; Name: Peter Biden; Residence Place: Willoughby; Death Date: 1 Jul 1942; Occupation: Apprentice
• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/620001
• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/biden-peter/
• Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1943 for Peter Biden
• Roberts Ancestry.com Family Tree