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Roy Merrington (Uhrlaub) Earle (1892 - 1942)

Roy Merrington Earle formerly Uhrlaub
Born in Mount Bryan, South Australia, Australiamap
Ancestors ancestors
Son of and
[sibling(s) unknown]
[spouse(s) unknown]
[children unknown]
Died at age 50 in At Seamap
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Profile last modified | Created 14 Apr 2020
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Biography

Roll of Honor
Roy (Uhrlaub) Earle was a Prisoner of War during World War II.
Roll of Honor
Roy (Uhrlaub) Earle died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Roy was born in 1892 at Mount Bryan, South Australia, the son of Carl August Christian and Elizabeth Uhrlaub. His father was a school teacher in South Australia and it appears the family moved several times. He was also prominent in Labour Party circles and as a letter writer and speaker. In 1904, the family was in Mt Gambier, South Australia where his father was involved with the Literary Society.[1]

In 1915 he was a member of the Adelaide Rifle Club where he performed creditably in the A Grade competitions.[2] Probably in late 1915 or early 1916 he changed his name, probably to be less German given strong anti-German sentiments running at that time. He later stated he had changed it by Deed Poll. In Dec 1916 he was going by the name of R.M. Earle.

In 1917 he competed in the Bosanquet Cup for shooting in Adelaide (as R.M Earle). He placed 5th.[3]

Roy enlisted in the Australian Army during WW1 on 11 Apr 1918 at Adelaide, South Australia as Roy Merrington Earle. He enlisted as a Private (56074) in 3rd General Service Reinforcements 'S'. Later in the War when queried by the Army about his name he stated it had been changed by Deed Poll and he declined to be recognised by his birth name.

At the time he was single, a mercantile clerk and was living in Adelaide. He was 5 ft 10 in tall with medium complexion, dark brown hair and brown eyes.

He embarked from Australia on HMAT A74 "Marathon" on 23 Jul 1918 for the UK. He joined 10th Bn in the UK on 27 Sep 1918 and transferred to the Pay Corps on 04 Dec 1918. He was appointed Temporary 2nd Cpl on 01 Feb 1919.

On 09 Aug 1919 he boarded the HMT "Ceramic" for return to Australia. He reverted to Private but was given the Honorary rank of 2nd Cpl, until he arrived in Australia on 19 Aug 1919.

He was discharged in South Australia on 09 Oct 1919.

Roy competed in the National Rifle Championships in Oct 1919 in Sydney and was one of the South Australian prize winners.[4] The last mention of him in South Australian shooting is in Mar 1920 and by Nob 1920 he was shooting for Essendon and Flemington in Victoria.[5]

He married Evelyn Morley in Victoria in 1921.

He was living at Landing Place near Warburton, VIC by 1930 when he was honorary secretary of their tennis club[6] and was shooting for Upper Yarra from 1934[7].

Roy enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Ringwood, VIC on 08 Jun 1940 as a Private (VX35581), having completed his attestation form at Warburton, VIC. At the time he was an insurance agent, living with his wife at Launching Place (Warburton). He lowered his age by 8 years to enlist.

He was posted to 2/22nd Bn on 27 Aug 1940.

He entrained from Victoria for Sydney on 11 Apr 1941, embarking there on HMAT "Katoomba" on 12 Apr 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea and disembarking there on 26 Apr 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 at Taliligap and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records have him as a driver with D 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.[8]

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. ↑ MOUNT GAMBIER LITERARY SOCIETY. (1904, November 9). Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA : 1861 - 1954), p. 3. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article77576935
  2. ↑ THE RIFLE. (1915, April 23). The Journal (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1923), p. 4 (4 P.M. EDITION). Retrieved April 14, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203538087
  3. ↑ M'DOUGALL WINS CUP (1917, September 15). Weekly Times (Melbourne, Vic. : 1869 - 1954), p. 22. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132694309
  4. ↑ NATIONAL RIELE[?]MATCHES. (1919, October 16). The Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), p. 9. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62394507
  5. ↑ RIFLE SHOOTING. (1920, November 12). The Ballarat Star (Vic. : 1865 - 1924), p. 2. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article213375858
  6. ↑ COUNTRY NEWS. (1930, July 5). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 17. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4097838
  7. ↑ BRILLIANT MARKSMANSHIP AGGREGATE TO P. WILSON (1934, March 5). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 14. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10915307
  8. ↑ Red Cross POW Enquiry Card - https://gallery.its.unimelb.edu.au/imu/imu.php?request=multimedia&irn=55323
  • Birth - South Australia BDM Births index - genealogysa.org.au - UHRLAUB Roy Merrington; M; Carl August Christian UHRLAUB; Burra; 501/118; 1892
  • Marriage - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 4082 / 1921; Family name: EARLE; Given name(s): Roy Merrington; Personal detail Spouse's family name: MORLEY; Spouse's given name(s): Evelyn




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Andrewartha-50 John Andrewartha
his Siblings :

Surname Given Names Gender Father District Book/Page Birth Year Action UHRLAUB Friedrich Wilhelm Adolph M Carl August Christian UHRLAUB Kapunda 454/243 1890 UHRLAUB Roy Merrington M Carl August Christian UHRLAUB Burra 501/118 1892 UHRLAUB Christian Fuller M Carl August Christian UHRLAUB Burra 569/395 1895 Parents : Groom Surname Groom Given Names Bride Given Names District Book/Page Marriage Year Action UHRLAUB Carl August Christian Lizzie Fuller Adelaide 156/962 1888

posted by John Andrewartha

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Categories: 2nd 22nd Infantry Battalion, Australian Army, World War II | Montevideo Maru Sinking, 1942 | Rabaul War Cemetery and Memorial, Papua New Guinea | Prisoners of War, Australia, World War II | Died while Prisoner of War, Australia, World War II