Published on Tuesday, 31 December 2024 at 12:07:46 PM
Welcome to this New Year’s Eve edition of #TimeWarpTuesday. On this last day of 2024 it feels somehow appropriate to reflect on what is arguably The Saddest Day in the history of Victoria Park and surrounding suburbs. You may well ask, what day do they mean?
On Thursday, 21 November 1941, the HMAS Sydney II was lost with all hands*. The cruiser had a total complement of 42 officers and 603 ratings, including nine sons of Victoria Park. These are the names of those nine sailors, men who lived and loved and called Victoria Park home prior to enlistment in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II:
Arthur John ANDREWS
Ernest George BAVERSTOCK
Hanbury Victor BEVAN
Alexander Harold DOXEY
Albert Frederick HARRINGTON
Francis Bernard KEENAN
Charles Hugh REDFEARNE
Frederick Ernest Charles WARD
Bertram Linsay WITTON
Visit the commemorative page on the Local History section of our website where we have linked these sailors to their official service records that have been digitised by the National Archives of Australia.
We have photographs of four of these men who were lost at sea. Can you help us to find photographs of the other five men? Please get in touch if you can help.
And finally, you might wonder why we would bring up a sad story on the last day of the year. The answer is that we do so, with hope for the new year, that we look back and remember all the sacrifices that have been made by many hundreds of thousands of Australians over the years, so that we can look forward to our tomorrows and enjoy the peace that has been so valiantly fought for by many and paid for with the ultimate sacrifice of some.
Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy and Joyous New Year.
NOTES:
*The remains of one unknown sailor were later found through extensive research and DNA testing to be Able Seaman Thomas Welsby Clark (S/4449). He is buried at Geraldton War Cemetery.
**With special thanks to Neville Browne JP who alerted us to this fact of history, so that we can honour the memory of these nine sons of Victoria Park and suburbs.
#LoveVicPark #HappyNewYear
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