Hospital ship centaur to be officially farewelled at service on hmas kanimbla courier mail 9 august 2010. The australian hospital ship centaur was en route to new guninea from sydney to collect casualties of war. The australian hospital ship centaur built on the clyde at grennock in 1924, was. John c h foley torpedoeing by a japanese submarine of the centaur on 14th may, 1943 at 04. Each ship contains twelve fully equipped operating rooms, a 1,000bed hospital facility, radiological services, a medical laboratory. May, 2016 this article, by dr julie ustinoff, was originally published on the queensland state archives website, april 2009. The scottishbuilt vessel was launched in 1924 as a combination passenger linerfreighter and operated a. Images and cabin plan presented on this page has been sourced by mr. The sinking of allied shipping on the australian coast in. Sinking of the hospital ship centaur by japanese submarine i177. In addition to the ships crew of seventyfive merchant seamen all civilians, the centaur was. The australian hospital ship centaur was clearly marked and brightly lit when she was torpedoed by a japanese submarine in the early hours of 14th may. The centaur hospital ship was sunk during world war ii. Kevin rudd marks centaur day of sorrow courier mail 3 march 2010.
The second ms centaur 2 was ordered for the ocean steamship co, of course later known as the blue funnel line and she was built in 1924, but she had a tragic end, after she had been converted to become the australian hospital ship ahs centaur in sydney to serve during world war ii. The sinking of the centaur the australian war memorial. For 66 years the australian hospital ship ahs centaur, has been lost in a watery. The wwii ship was torpedoed by a japanese submarine in 1943 and. On the night of 14 may 1943, the australian hospital ship centaur was steaming north, off the eastern coast of australia, when it was struck by a torpedo fired from the. This article, by dr julie ustinoff, was originally published on the queensland state archives website, april 2009. Mercy class replaced the havenclass hospital ships the ships are operated by military sealift command and are designed to provide emergency, onsite care for american combatant forces, and also for use in support of disaster relief and humanitarian operations. Premier and minister for the arts the honourable anna bligh tuesday, march 02, 2010 national memorial service held for ahs centaur.
Descendants of the men who died in the centaur, the hospital ship sunk in defiance of the conventions of war, have urged mr rudd to support a similar search for it. Search the catalogue for collection items held by the national library of australia new search eresources user lists feedback help collection delivery times visitor update. Sinking of the hospital ship centaur by japanese submarine. Out of martin baxs appalling vision of contemporary civilization in collapse sails the hospital ship. Australian hospital ships naval historical society of. According to mr mearns, pictures revealed the bow almost completely severed from the rest of the hull around the area where the torpedo hit. Did hospital ships have special protected status in wartime. Australian hospital ships naval historical society of australia. Australian hospital ship ahs centaur was a hospital ship which was attacked and sunk by a japanese submarine off the coast of queensland, australia, on 14. She was torpedoed by japanese submarine i177 on 14 may 1943, during her second voyage to new guinea as a hospital ship.
A national service to remember the 332 victims and survivors of the sinking of the australian hospital ship centaur was held in brisbane today. The australian hospital ship centaur built on the clyde at grennock in 1924, was converted early in 1943 to serve in that capacity. The wreck was discovered by david mearns on 20 december 2009 at a depth of 2,000 metres, and the site is now gazetted as a war grave. Sinking of the centaur the centaur, 23rd australian hospital ship, was a motor passenger ship converted in early 1943 for use as a hospital ship. An australian world war ii hospital ship, the centaur, has been seen for the first time since it sank more than 60 years ago with a loss of 268 lives. Of the 12 nursing sisters on board, only sister ellen savage survived. On 14 may 1943 the australian hospital ship centaur was torpedoed and sunk by a japanese submarine 10 miles east of cape moreton. Australian hospital ship centaur the myth of immunity. On may 14th 1943, australian hospital ship ahs centaur was steaming a course 24 miles e. Australian hospital ship ahs centaur was a hospital ship which was attacked and sunk by a japanese submarine off the coast of queensland, australia, on 14 may 1943. For 66 years the australian hospital ship ahs centaur, has been lost in a watery grave, now found lying 2,059m below the surface of the sparkling blue pacific ocean, some 30 nautical miles due east of the southern tip of moreton island. Arrived at sydney on may 8, 1943, centaur was reprovisioned at darling harbour. She was converted to a hospital ship on 12 march 1943.
Mr mearns has more than 50 wreck discoveries to his name, including hmas sydney in 2008, which he has written a book about. The maheno and marama were the poster ships of new zealands first world war effort. In the early hours of friday 14 may 1943 the hospital ship ahs centaur, ablaze with lights, was torpedoed by japanese submarine 1177 off moreton island. The centaur was an australian hospital ship sunk by a japanese submarine in the early morning of 14. The hospital ship centaur text and photo taken from the sydney morning herald of 29th march 2008. She was requisitioned and converted to a hospital ship in 1943. A hospital ship hs is designated for primary function as a medical treatment facility or hospital and covered by article four of the hague convention of 1907. Centaur departed from sydney on 12 may 1943on her second voyage as a hospital ship, with no patients but with crew, medical staff and stores for the212th field ambulance, having a total of 332 persons aboard. Australian hospital ship centaur torpedoed by japanese submarine. But as casualties mounted at gallipoli, the government helped by a massive public fundraising campaign converted them into stateoftheart floating hospitals.
It was found within one nautical mile that the much maligned centaur navigator gordon rippon said it would be. There were no patients on board but 229 crew and medical personnel lost their lives, while 64 survivors were rescued after. The ship s location was discovered last month following a hitech search. The first world war nor can i find any other steamer by that name built between 1884 and 1918 in starkeschell listing on ships, which also includes what ships were renamed as there was, however, a dutch hospital ship sunk on june 6, 1918. After lying undetected for 66 years on the ocean floor as a watery grave for 268 souls, the ahs centaur has finally been found few disasters of the second world war 193945 moved australians as much as the sinking of the australian hospital ship ahs centaur. Ahoy macs web log australian hospital ship centaur. In 1943, a japanese submarine torpedoed the hospital ship, ahs centaur, off the coast of queensland. The myth of immunity hardcover january 1, 1993 by christopher milligan author visit amazons christopher milligan page. Although there is an overall history of hospital ships the narrative mainly details the stories and history of four australian ww2 hospital ships the manunda, wanganella, centaur and oranje.
Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 died, including 63 of the 65 army personnel. The mercy class of hospital ships are converted san clementeclass supertankers used by the united states navy. Service to honour centaur fallen sydeny morning herald 1 march 2010. Tony stephens, who was three years and eight months old when his father died on the centaur, looks at one of the australias greatest wartime disasters. It was in the indian ocean in november of 1941 that the ship rescued survivors of the german armed merchant ship kormoran, which had been sunk in the fight to the death with the australian light cruiser hmas sydney when fitted out as a hospital ship she had red. Australian hospital ship ahs centaur was a hospital ship which was attacked and sunk by a. Despite this the high command of the german imperial army viewed allied hospital ships as violating the hague convention and as a result ordered their submarines to attack the ships as. The sinking of the australian hospital ship centaur war. Before dawn on 14 may 1943, australian hospital ship centaur was torpedoed by a japanese submarine off north stradbroke island. A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. Death of a centaur hero leaves just two survivors herald sun 10 april 2010. Until 1915 these steamers had carried passengers across the tasman for the union steam ship company, but as casualties mounted at gallipoli, the government pressed them into service as hospital ships.
Mr mearns, who located the centaur wreck off the coast of morton island in december last year, said some sections of the wreck were badly damaged. Covid19 ask a librarian due to the need to contain the spread of coronavirus covid19 the library building and reading rooms are closed to visitors until further notice. Bbc news sunk australia wwii hospital ship centaur. At 0415 hrs it was struck by a torpedo fired from a japanese submarine and sank within minutes.
On the morning of 14 may, 23 australian hospital ship centaur was torpedoed east of moreton island and sank rapidly. Hospital ship centaur sydney local health district. Originally built in the 1970s by the national steel and shipbuilding company, they were acquired by the navy and converted into hospital ships, coming into service in 1986 and 1987. The centaur was an australian hospital ship sunk by a japanese submarine in the early morning of 14 may 1943, with the death of 268 of its 332 crew and passengers. The hospital ship centaur ray leasks unofficial clan. In the nineteenth century redundant warships were used as moored hospitals for seamen. The myth of immunity 97806467155 by milligan, christopher and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. Today is the 63rd anniversary of the sinking of the 23rd australian hospital ship ahs centaur. Jan 10, 2010 an australian world war ii hospital ship, the centaur, has been seen for the first time since it sank more than 60 years ago with a loss of 268 lives. The ship departed on may 12, 1943 bound for cairns. It was in the indian ocean in november of 1941 that the ship rescued survivors of the german armed merchant ship kormoran, which had been sunk in the fight to the death with the australian light cruiser hmas sydney. The hospital ship centaur ray leasks unofficial clan leask. The hospital ship by martin bax meet your next favorite book.
They were opened in 1968 by the premier, sir frank nicklin, and dedicated by reverend alcorn, naval chaplain. Of the 332 aboard all but 64 drowned including 11 of the 12 nurses onboard. The ahs centaur was sunk by a japanese submarine on 14 may, 1943 about 50 nautical miles east northeast of brisbane. The british authors first novel is the account of an atomicpowered ark attempting to salvage a remnant from a world whose recent wars have resulted in the total loss of both social and individual stability. Private hospital ship sindoro sailors, navies and the. Dec 20, 2009 a search team has discovered the wreck of australian wartime hospital ship centaur. The sinking of the hospital ship centaur by a japanese submarine. Hospital ship centaur discovered off queensland coast. The scottishbuilt vessel was launched in 1924 as a combination passenger liner and refrigerated cargo ship and operated a. The centaur was struck in an oil fuel tank on the port side, caught fire, and sank within minutes. Torpedoeing by a japanese submarine of the centaur on 14th may, 1943 at 04. National memorial service held for ahs centaur the. Torpedoed australian hospital ship ahs centaur found. Australian hospital ships centaur oranje wanganella manunda.
Ww2 war book australian hospital ship centaur australian. The centaur, 23rd australian hospital ship, was a motor passenger ship converted in early 1943 for use as a hospital ship. War crimes of the imperial japanese navy pacific war. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 died. Evans from a brochure of his, in addition to one publicity photograph of the ship as seen directly below. The centaur hospital ship was sunk during world war ii, killing 268 people. The discovery of hmas sydney has spurred calls to search for another australian ship destroyed by enemy fire. Hospital ships hospital ships nzhistory, new zealand. The sinking of the australian hospital ship centaur war crime. Until 1915 these steamers had carried passengers on the tasman route. Dec 20, 2009 the ahs centaur was sunk by a japanese submarine on 14 may, 1943 about 50 nautical miles east northeast of brisbane. The wwii ship was torpedoed by a japanese submarine in 1943 and sank off the southeast queensland coast. The centaur story sunk by a japanese torpedoe in 1943.
The kormorans destruction of the sydney on november 19, 1941, taking the lives of all 645 crew, was the australian navys worst tragedy. The centaur story centaur memorial fund for nurses. In november 1941 it had rescued survivors of the german auxiliary cruiser kormoran after it had sunk and been sunk by hmas sydney. Jun, 2012 centaur was painted in hospital ship colours and was fully illuminated at the time. On 12 may 1943 the centaur sailed unescorted from sydney at 0945 hours carrying her crew. The most tragic loss on the eastern coast was the torpedoing of the hospital ship, ahs centaur on 14 may 1943 with the loss of 268 lives. The tragedy of the centaur naval historical society of. Centaur was british registered and crewed by australian sailors. A search team has discovered the wreck of australian wartime hospital ship centaur. As a hospital ship the manunda completed four voyages to the middle east between november 1940 and september 1941. Rohwer the report, stated that nakagawa and i177 were responsible for the attack on centaur in his 1979 book history of submarine warfare. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
The monument and park commemorate those who lost their lives in the sinking of the hospital ship centaur during world war two. Rudd honours vessel of mercy centaur abc news 2 march 2010. On 14 may 1943 centaur was en route from sydney to cairns when she was sunk by a japanese submarine south of moreton island, off the queensland coast. The ships location was discovered last month following a hitech search. Nurses, medical staff, and crew were killed and injured in this barbarous attack on a hospital ship. Flotsam from the 23 australian hospital ship centaur state library. Centaur was tasked with the delivery of medical personnel from port moresby to brisbane with australian and american wounded, along with a small group of prisoners of war. The honour roll commemorates those who served on hospital ship centaur which was torpedoed by the japanese during world war two. The search for australias lost hospital ship bbc news. Hospital ships of world war one the maheno and marama were the poster ships of new zealands first world war effort. The loss on 19 november 1941 of the light cruiser hmas sydney off geraldton, western australia with the loss of 645 naval seamen was the most severe. New plaques were added on 14 may 1993, the 50th anniversary of the sinking of the centaur.
The second geneva convention prohibits military attacks on. Jul 15, 20 the hospital ship paperback july 15, 20 by martin bax author visit amazons martin bax page. Most are operated by the military forces mostly navies of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. It was heading for papua new guinea, where australian troops were fighting the japanese. May 14 1988 marks the 45th anniversary of the sinking of the australian hospital ship centaur, with the loss of 268 lives. Hospital ships of world war one national museum of the. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 were killed.
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