Huddart parker owned the wanganella which had also been converted to a hospital ship. 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. 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 captain of i177, commander hajime nakagawa, survived the war to face war crimes charges. During wwii australianbased hospital ships were operated by the australian shipping control board ascb as hmahs his majestys australian hospital ship although some sources incorrectly describe them as hmas. In the nineteenth century redundant warships were used as moored hospitals for seamen. Most are operated by the military forces mostly navies of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones although attacking a hospital ship is a war crime, belligerent navies have the right to board such ships for inspections. Anticipate hospital ship centaur will be in commission 1st march, 1943, request following particulars are passed to enemy powers. The incredibly sharp images show the centaur sitting on the sandy ocean bottom just over 2km down, the vessel listing at an angle of about 25 degrees.
The sinking of the centaur the australian war memorial. The search for australias lost hospital ship bbc news. Centaur, ablaze with lights and clearly marked with red crosses, was torpedoed by japanese submarine i177 south east of cape moreton. The author, rupert goodman was a doctor with australian forces during ww2. On may 14th 1943, australian hospital ship ahs centaur was steaming a course 24 miles e. War memorial to honour victims of australian hospital ship centaur. The most well known hospital ship of ww2 was the centaur, unfortunately due to her nortorious sinking on the 14th may 1943. The personal stories of the sinking of the centaur. Media in category centaur ship, 1924the following 12 files are in this category, out of 12 total.
Australian hospital ships naval historical society of australia. Uss centaur, a fictional spaceship from the star trek. The centaur, a song by buck 65 from the album vertex centaur records, a classical music record label in america. The unarmed and brilliantly lit ship was suppoosedly immune from attack, but down she went to a japanese torpedo with the loss of 268 of the complement of 332. Ahs centaur, an australian hospital ship sunk by the japanese during world war ii. Mr mearns has more than 50 wreck discoveries to his name, including hmas sydney in 2008, which he has written a book about.
Tony stephens, whose father, britt, was among the hundreds killed on the hospital ship centaur, reports. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 died, including 63 of the 65 army personnel. War memorial to honour victims of australian hospital ship. Inappropriate the list including its title or description facilitates illegal activity, or contains hate speech or ad hominem attacks on a fellow goodreads member or author.
Shipwreck hunters have captured the first underwater footage of an australian world war two hospital ship that sank in 1943 and left 268 people dead. While the ships personnel were almost entirely from other parts of australia. 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. A memorial service honouring the lives of 268 australians who died on the centaur was held 2059 metres above the watery tomb of the wreck early yesterday afternoon. On 12 may 1943 the centaur sailed unescorted from sydney at 0945 hours carrying her crew. The hospital ship rewa was sunk by a u boat off the bristol channel on the 4 january 1918 and four lives were lost. A detailed account of the sinking of the australian hospital ship centaur during world war ii. The wreck was located on sunday, december 20, 2009 at approximately 4.
Australian hospital ships centaur oranje wanganella manunda. Thus the sinking of australian hospital ship centaur in may 1943 brought the realities of the war home to brisbane. Hospital ships ww2 and world war 1 queen alexandras. The myth of immunity hardcover 1993 by christopher milligan author.
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. 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. Sinking of the hospital ship centaur by japanese submarine. Most are operated by the military forces mostly navies of various countries, as they are intended to be used in or near war zones. Ahoy macs web log australian hospital ship centaur.
The myth of immunity 97806467155 by milligan, christopher and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The centaur was struck in an oil fuel tank on the port side, caught fire, and sank within minutes. 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. 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.
Australian hospital ship centaur the myth of immunity. Chris milligan, of mcgill university, montreal, became interested in the centaur when trying to trace the fate of an uncle, david ireland milligan, who went down with the hospital ship. Jun, 2012 during wwii australianbased hospital ships were operated by the australian shipping control board ascb as hmahs his majestys australian hospital ship although some sources incorrectly describe them as hmas. The discovery of hmas sydney has spurred calls to search for another australian ship destroyed by enemy fire. Spam or selfpromotional the list is spam or selfpromotional. 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. History australia hospital ships centaur oranje wanganella. During his search for information, milligans curiosity shifted from the narrow concerns of his family history to. Australian hospital ship centaur, the myth of immunity, a 340page book about the vessels demise, uses strong prose to describe the wartime sinking of.
Amazing pictures taken more than 2km below the surface show the torpedoed hospital ship centaur resting on the sea floor. 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. In addition to the ships crew of seventyfive merchant seamen all civilians, the centaur was. The result of 14 years of research into the sinking of the hospital ship centaur by a japanese submarine with the loss of 268 of the 332 souls on.
The tragedy of the centaur naval historical society of. The hospital ship by martin bax goodreads share book. Hospital ship centaur 14 may1943 at approximately 4. If theres a main character thats a centaur of if they feature heavily in the plot, add them here.
Centaur, an american rock band formed in 2000 by hum founder matt talbott. In november 1941 it had rescued survivors of the german auxiliary cruiser kormoran after it had sunk and been sunk by hmas sydney. Nov 04, 20 mast from the centaur donated to the nurses in 1951 by huddart parker limited in memory of the nurses lost in the hospital ship centaur torpedoed 14th may 1943. This is the video trailer for my full length television documentary, centaur death of a hospital ship. 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.
A memorial service honouring the lives of 268 australians who died onboard the torpedoed hospital ship centaur has been held 2059 metres directly above the watery tomb of the wreck. Centaur was a motorship of british registry built in 1924 of 3,222 grt. Centaur publications 19381942, one of the earliest american comic book publishers. As a hospital ship the manunda completed four voyages to the middle east between november 1940 and september 1941. May 14, 2008 today is the 63rd anniversary of the sinking of the 23rd australian hospital ship ahs centaur. May 08, 2015 war memorial to honour victims of australian hospital ship centaur. Oct 19, 2009 a tribute to a few of the hospital ship sunk in world war 1 and those who lost there lives on them, not in battle but still in sevice to their country. But as author tom frame points out in his book, no pleasure cruise. The town of caloundra has dedicated centaur park with a memorial plaque devoted to the ship.
Ww2 war book australian hospital ship centaur australian. A hospital ship is a ship designated for primary function as a floating medical treatment facility or hospital. This is one of two hospital ships in the mercyclass maintained. The australian hospital ship centaur built on the clyde at grennock in 1924, was converted early in 1943 to serve in that capacity. Hospital ship warilda the book the roses of no mans land by lyn macdonald describes the sinking of the hospital ship warilda that was torpedoed after leaving le havre on its passage to southampton on 3 august 1918 at 1. Of the 332 medical personnel and civilian crew aboard, 268 were killed. The scottishbuilt vessel was launched in 1924 as a combination passenger linerfreighter and operated a trade route between western australia and singapore. It tells, for the first time, the full story of the sinking of the centaur through the eyes, memories and emotions of the survivors themselves the the only people. During his search for information, milligans curiosity shifted from the narrow concerns of his family history to the centaur itself. The centaur story sunk by a japanese torpedoe in 1943. The cameras have left the centaur and the torpedoed australian hospital ship will be left to rest in peace off moreton island. This article, by dr julie ustinoff, was originally published on the queensland state archives website, april 2009. The bbcs philippa fogarty on how australias wartime hospital ship, the centaur, was lost and then found.
The 70th anniversary of the centaur in melbourne was held. Out of martin baxs appalling vision of contemporary civilization in collapse sails the hospital ship. The only reference to the centaur in the 104 volume official war history published by the japanese selfdefence agency appears in volume 96, where a brief passage records that i177 sank the british hospital ship centaur. The hospital ship centaur ray leasks unofficial clan. The second geneva convention prohibits military attacks on. Incorrect book the list contains an incorrect book please specify the title of the book. Mar 22, 20 australian hospital ship centaur the myth of immunity.
The story of the royal australian navy, volume 83 of the official japanese war history series published in 1979 named the culprit. The centaur story centaur memorial fund for nurses. Hospital ship project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. John c h foley torpedoeing by a japanese submarine of the centaur on 14th may, 1943 at 04. Australian hospital ships centaur oranje wanganella manunda hospital ships centaur oranje wanganella manunda by rupert goodman this war book has long been out of print, and has been sought after for sometime. Score a book s total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book.
Ahs centaur, an australian hospital ship sunk in 1943 hms centaur, eight ships of the british royal navy sb centaur, thames sailing barge. Centaur, ablaze with lights and clearly marked with red crosses, was torpedoed by japanese submarine i177 south east of capemoreton. My father was only stationed on a hospital ship in korea regular navy ships the rest of the time, and the book included good material on that ship in that era. Familys grief ted leask holds a photo of his father, malcolm, and the three brothers he lost on the centaur. May, 2016 australian hospital ship centaur, the myth of immunity, a 340page book about the vessels demise, uses strong prose to describe the wartime sinking of the vessel, in a chapter titled, three. The title is hospital ships of world war ii, but the chapters on some individual ships carry out the topic for several decades later or as long as those ships were in service. Australian hospital ships naval historical society of. 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 hospital ship centaur ray leasks unofficial clan leask. The centaur, 23rd australian hospital ship, was a motor passenger ship converted in early 1943 for use as a hospital ship. Torpedoed australian hospital ship ahs centaur found.
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