Charles Richard Burdett (1919 - 1942)

Born 19 Oct 1919 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 22 in At Sea

Biography

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

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

Charles Richard Burdett was the son of Richard Leslie Burdett and Edith Annie Wilson. He was born in 1919 in Brisbane, Queensland.

He enlisted in the Australian Army (Militia) on 14 Jan 1941 at Kelvin Grove, QLD as a Driver (Q64074) and was allocated to the Australian Army Ordnance Corps. At the time he was single, a motor mechanic and living with his father in Bardon, QLD.

He was promoted A/Cpl on 05 May 1941 and arrived in Rabaul in the Territory of New Guinea on 09 Aug 1941 on the "Malaita". He was promoted Corporal the day he arrived. He was promoted A/Sgt on 03 Oct 1941.

When the Japanese invaded New Britain in Jan 1942 he was captured at Neinduk (in the Lassul Bay area) and became a Prisoner of War. 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 transferred to the 2nd AIF as QX64912.

He is memorialised in a family headstone in Toowong Cemetery, Qld.

Sources

• Qld birth registration #1919/C/12595

• Australian Army Service record - National Archives of Australia - BURDETT CHARLES RICHARD : Service Number - QX64912 : Date of birth - 19 Oct 1919 : Place of birth - BRISBANE : Place of enlistment - BRISBANE : Next of Kin - BURDETT LESLIE - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4924679

• Roll of Honour - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1692750

• Missing - MISSING IN RABAUL (1942, August 1). The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 2 (Second Edition). Retrieved September 17, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article172616499

• Death Notification - WAR CASUALTIES (1945, October 25). The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 5 (CITY FINAL LAST MINUTE NEWS). Retrieved September 17, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188752147

• Qld death registration - Charles Richard Burdett, Event date: 01/07/1942, Event type: Death registration, Registration details: 1946/S/3248, Mother: Edith Annie Wilson, Father/parent: Richard Leslie Burdett

• Roll of Honour Notices - Family Notices (1946, July 1). The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 4 (CITY FINAL LAST MINUTE NEWS). Retrieved September 17, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188727428

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2615441/charles-richard-burdett/

• Billion Graves Index - https://billiongraves.com/grave/Charles-Richard-Burdett/27111439

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/621765

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