Howard Donelly Fuller (1916 - 1942)

Born 1916 in North Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at about age 26 in At Sea

Biography

Howard Fuller was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Howard Fuller died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Howard Donelly Fuller was born in 1916 at North Fitzroy, VIC. He was the son of Howard Fuller and Mary Dines.^[1]

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at 08 Jul 1940 at Caulfield, VIC,after completing attestation forms in Bendigo, VIC on 30 May 1940. He enlisted as a Private (VX41149). At the time he was single, a saleman and living in Bendigo, VIC. He had black hair and brown eyes.

After training he was posted to 2/22nd Bn on 19 Nov 1940.

He embarked at Melbourne on 10 Apr 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 26 Apr 1941.

He was promoted Lance Corporal on 18 Jun 1941 and promoted A/Cpl on 04 Sep 1941.

When the Japanese invaded New Britain on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured at Massawa and became a Prisoner of War. Japanese records show him as a machine gunner in 2nd 22nd Bn. 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. ↑ Birth Index (Victoria Registry of Births Deaths & Marriages : accessed 14 Apr 2023). Index entry for Howard Donelly FULLER, Year: 1916; Parents: Howard Fred and Mary DINES; Place: NORTH FITZROY Reg. Number: 29424/1916

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - FULLER HOWARD DONELLY : Service Number - VX41149 : Date of birth - 11 Nov 1917 : Place of birth - FITZROY VIC : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - FULLER HOWARD - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6133306

• Deaths On Active Service - Family Notices (1945, October 13). The Herald (Melbourne, Vic. : 1861 - 1954), p. 4. Retrieved December 25, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article245668446

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1708128

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2615666/howard-donnelly-fuller/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/628783

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/fuller-howard-donelly/