Jack (Boyd) Thornton (1916 - 1942)

Born 3 Apr 1916 in Waverley, New South Wales, Australia

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 26 in At Sea

Biography

Jack (Boyd) Thornton was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Jack (Boyd) Thornton died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Jack was born in 1916 at Waverley, the son of Pearl Boyd and (probably) Norman Thornton. His parents married a few years after he was born and he used the surname Thornton.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Paddington, NSW on 01 Jul 1940 as a Private (NX55649). At the time he was single, a labourer and was living at Double Bay, NSW with his mother. He had black hair and blue eyes.

After training he was transferred to No. 1 Independent Coy (a commando unit) on 10 May 1941.

He embarked on HMAT "Zealandia" on 12 Jul 1941 for Kavieng, New Ireland in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 29 Jul 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.

His cousin, George Thornton who had served with 17 Anti Tank Coy at Rabaul, died on the same ship.

Sources

• Birth - NSW BDM Birth index - BOYD JACK; 19936/1916; PEARL W; WAVERLEY

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - THORNTON JACK : Service Number - NX55649 : Date of birth - 03 Apr 1916 : Place of birth - SYDNEY NSW : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - THORNTON PEARL - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4641169

• On Active Service - Advertising (1946, July 1). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 15. Retrieved March 3, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17990972

• Family Notices (1948, July 1). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 12. Retrieved March 3, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article18076241

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1694464

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2616384/thornton,-jack/