Charles William Boyd (abt. 1921 - 1942)

Born about 26 Jul 1921 in Sherrington, Wiltshire, England, United Kingdom

Died 1 Jul 1942 at about age 20 in At Sea

Biography

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

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

Charles claimed he was born in 1918 but was born in 1921 in Sherrington, England, the son of William James Boyd and his wife Mary Elizabeth Nursaw. (Japanese records have him as 21 in Jan 1942.)

It seems likely that he and his parents arrived in Melbourne from England on the SS "Commonwealth" on 08 Dec 1921. He is recorded as 1 month old on arrival, so was possibly born on voyage or shortly before departure.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service 0n 05 Jul 1940 at Caulfield, VIC as a Private (VX29988). At the time he was single, a farm hand, living with his father at Somerville, Victoria. He had fair hair and hazel eyes.

He was initially posted to 2/14th Field Regt, but was posted to No 1 Independent Coy on 10 May 1941.

He embarked on HMAT "Zealandia" in Sydney on 12 Jul 1941 for Kaviang, New Ireland in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 24 Jul 1941. He was promoted Lance Cpl on 05 Dec 1941.

When the Japanese invaded New Ireland on 23 Jan 1942 he was probably with the bulk of the Coy who escaped overland to Kaut on the south coast and boarded the "Induna Star" on 29 Jan 1942 before making their way along the coast of New Ireland heading to Rabaul. When they learned that Rabaul had fallen and hearing that the Japanese had landed to the east of them (false) the ship sailed south. It was spotted by a Japanese aircraft, bombed and taken under tow by a Japanese destroyer on 02 Feb 1942 and entered Rabaul on 03 Feb 1942 where he 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.

Sources

• General Register Office UK: Births. BOYD, CHARLES WILLIAM; NURSAW; GRO Reference: 1921 S Quarter in NEWPORT PAGNELL; Volume 03A Page 1863. https://www.gro.gov.uk/

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BOYD CHARLES WILLIAM : Service Number - VX29988 : Date of birth - 26 Jul 1918 : Place of birth - SHERRINGTON ENGLAND : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - BOYD W - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6207686

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1698128

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2615409/CHARLES%20WILLIAM%20BOYD/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/620736

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