Ernest George Carter (1920 - 1942)

Born 15 Jun 1920 in Kaniva, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 22 in At Sea

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Michael Zerbst [send private message]

Biography

Ernest Carter was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Ernest Carter died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Ernest George Carter was born on 15 June 1920 at Kaniva, Victoria, the son of William and Minnie Ada Carter. He had claimed he was born in 1919 to enlist. Japanese records put him at 21 at the start of 1942.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Royal Park, Melbourne, VIC on 20 Jul 1940 as a Private (VX37824), having completed his attestation form in Horsham, VIC on 06 Jul 1940. He had probably raised his age in order to enlist. At the time he was single, a farmer and was living at Kaniva, VIC with his father. He had light brown hair and blue eyes.

He was posted to the 2/22nd Bn on 26 Jul 1940.

He entrained from Victoria for Sydney on 11 Mar 1941, embarking there on HMT "Katoomba" on 12 Mar 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea and disembarking there on 28 Mar 1941. His Battalion was to form the core of "Lark Force" for the defence of the Territory.

After the Japanese invasion of 23 Jan 1942 he was captured on the Lassul Bay coast and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records have him as a part of B Coy.

He was among those who were able to write a carefully scripted letter to next of kin advising that he was a POW. The letters were dropped from a Japanese plane over Port Moresby, Papua.^[1]

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

1. ↑ Red Cross POW Enquiry Cards - https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=33111

• Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 23037 / 1920; Family name: CARTER; Given name(s): Ernest George; Place of event: KANIVA, VIC, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Minnie Ada; Mother's family name at birth: HOGAN; Father's Name: Wm

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - CARTER ERNEST GEORGE : Service Number - VX37824 : Date of birth - 15 Jun 1919 : Place of birth - KANIVA VIC : Place of enlistment - ROYAL PARK VIC : Next of Kin - CARTER WILLIAM - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6138933

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1693848

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615472/carter,-ernest-george/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/622720

• Ernest George Carter (The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/ : accessed 16 Mar 2024)