Charles Edward Bignell (1919 - 1942)

Born 29 Oct 1919 in Tulagi, British Solomon Islands Protectorate

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 22 in At Sea

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Biography

Edward Bignell was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Edward Bignell died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

He is the son of Charles Bignell and Kathleen Freeman. ^[1]

Charles was born in 1919 at Tulagi, capital of the British Solomon Islands Protectorate. He had the minor distinction of being the first white child born in the recently built Tulagi Hospital. He was known as Ted, probably to distinguish him from his father. His early years were spent at his parents' Fulakora Plantation.

He (along with his older sisters) was sent to boarding school in Sydney at around the age of 5 (around 1925), studying at "Glencarron", Mosman, NSW. The school was co-ed so he was able to keep in close contact with his sisters, but he only really knew his parents through correspondence for 10 years. His mother had to come to Sydney in 1928 for medical treatment and was joined by his father later, so he was able to spend brief time with his parents at their cottage in Manly. When his parents returned to the Solomons, the cottage was loaned to his aunt in return to her looking after Charles and his sisters, so he was no longer a boarder.

Around 1935, having completed school, Charles returned to Fulakora Plantation where he helped with odd jobs. In Nov 1935, Charles and his father had a trip in his father's ketch in search of trochus shell when they discovered a yacht, "The Chance" on a reef in good condition with a dead American on board and the American's companion never found. It was an unsolved mystery.^[2] Ted was never close to his father and while he respected him, he never loved him. He was much closer to his mother.^[3]

He went to work on Choiseul Island around 1936. In 1938 he applied for and was offered a position as a plantation overseer on Bougainville Island^[4]. He was in Rabaul for his sister, Jean's wedding in 1939 and "gave her away" as his father was unable to attend. He probably stayed in Rabaul from then, living with his mother at her Waravula plantation on the Warrangoi River. It seems he was employed by the New Britain Timber Company.^[5]

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea on 13 Dec 1941 as a Private (NGX200) and was taken on strength with the 2/22nd Bn the next day. He was a tractor driver and mechanic, single and was living with his mother at Waravula (now Warenvula), via Rabaul, TNG.

After the Japanese invaded on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured near his mother's home at Ralabang, shortly after his mother was take captive around 22 Feb 1942. Apparently he had heard his mother was in trouble following her escape attempt and was attempting to get to her. He became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. He and his mother managed to have some talks in Rabaul under supervision while both prisoners.

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. His brother-in-law Dudley died with him.

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Glenda Cachia-Garrett, Jan 31, 2012
2. ↑ DEAD MAN IN YACHT; MATE MISSING (1935, November 17). The Sun (Sydney, NSW : 1910 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved March 9, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article230186211
3. ↑ Clarence, Margaret; "Yield not to the wind";Sydney : Management Development Publishers, 1982; ISBN: 090963307X
4. ↑ N.G. PUBLIC SERVICE (21 April 1938). (1938-04-21). In Pacific islands monthly : PIM. VIII (9), 62. - Retrieved April 27, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-314398444
5. ↑ Fijian Villages Washed Away (14 February 1946). (1946-02-14). In Pacific islands monthly : PIM. XVI (7), 3. - Retrieved April 27, 2023, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-317552491

• Clarence, Margaret; "Yield not the wind"; Sydney : Management Development Publishers, 1982; ISBN: 090963307X

• WW2 Australian Army Service File- National Archives of Australia - BIGNELL CHARLES EDWARD : Service Number - NGX200 : Date of birth - 29 Oct 1919 : Place of birth - TULAGI BRITISH SOLOMON IS : Place of enlistment - RABAUL TERRITORY OF NEW GUINEA : Next of Kin - BIGNELL KATHLEEN - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=5873674

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/234152079

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2615389/charles-edward-bignell/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/620025

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

Acknowledgement

• Glenda Cachia-Garrett, firsthand knowledge. Click the Changes tab for the details of edits by Glenda and others.