Australian Hospital Ship Centaur found. The AHS Centaur was sunk without warning by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine on 14 May 1943, about 50 miles east north-east of Brisbane. Of the 332 persons on board, only 64 survived. http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,,26509762-3102,00.html
That's great news can't wait for the pictures to come up, just hope it is the Centaur and not something else, wonder what the conspiracy theorists will say about this find.
AHS Centau "Roll of Honour" From: Tweed Heads Historical Society - AHS Centaur "Rest in Peace" ROLL OF HONOUR MERCHANT NAVY Abbot, D. Grainger, R. Milligan, D.I. Alexander, G.M. Hall, H.R. Morris, A.J. Behan, T. Hart, R.F. Morris, T.V. Bowden, J.O. Hughes, T.S. Murray, G.A. Brandin, G. Kaki, L. Page, E.C. Buck, J.C. Laird, R.M. Pearl, S.O. Capper, J. Lamble, H.E. Pritchard, T.E. Carey, G.E.J. Le Blanc, J. Rayner, A. Clark, C. Lee, M.J. Siddons, F. Cockerhill, D. Lockhart, V. Simpson, E.B. Cuthill, W.D. Long, G.E. Spence, R.J. Downie, W.R. Longden, S. Strack, S.L. Fox, F.W. Lyons, J. Summers, E.J. Gallagher, J. MacLean, D.R. Sykes, K. Gannon, F.J. McKinnon, W.J. Warner, W.A. SHIPS MEDICAL STAFF Adams, M.L. Johnson, L.G. Ockwell, L.G. Aitchison, G.F. Kerr, J.A. O'Donnell, A.M. Burrett, W.E. King, E. O'Sullivan, J.C. Burroughs, S.P. Laverick, E.G. Perry, N.E. Clark, J.M. Law, R. Phillips, N.E. Clark, W.F.D. LeBrun, C.R. Rutherford, E.M. Clegg, P.L. McFarlane, M.H. Shaw, E.A Collins, L.F. McLean, N. Smellie, M.A. Cooke, A.J. Manson, C.P. Thomas, G.L. Cooley, G.G. Maynard, A.F. Walker, W. Haultain, H.F.J.C. Maynard, J.C. Williams, L.L. Hindmarsh, B.F. Melbom, E.E. Williams, M.A. Holland, L. Moore, D.W. Wyllie, D.J. Howson, A. Moss, L.J. Jewell, S.A. Moston, M. 2/12th FIELD AMBULANCE Anderson, F.W.C. Fehrenbach, H.S. Lowe, H.H. Salmon, L.J. Annis-Brown, J. Findlay, R.W. Lucas, J. Sender, I.H. Annis-Brown, R. Fishwick, C.E. Lynagh, F.J. Skafte, L.R. Baily, W.H. Foley, S.D. Lynne, C.E. South, A.E. Barlow, T.D.H. Forrest, J.M. Lyttleton, S.F. Stanley, J.E, Barnes, W.E.C. Friedrich, V. McCaskie, T.E. Stephens, H.B. Bedkober, L.L. Garbutt, D.R. McDougall, W.O. Stevens, J.A. Benton, K.E. Garfit, W.D. McGuire, H.J. Stewart, J. Black, W.C. Geaghan, W.T. McKay, C.S. Stubbs, R.G. Blackman, R.McG. Goffett, C.A. McSkimming, S.G. Swan, L.R. Bladen, H.A. Gordon, C.T. Marshall, J.B. Swinburn, R. Bourchier, K.P. Gore, W.H. Miles, R.W. Taggart, J. Bowen, D.L. Gunning, A. Miley, T.H. Taylor, J. Boyd, A. Haynes, K.R. Miller, C.O. Thelander, C.E. Bracken, P.J. Hayward, C.E. Montgomery, C.G. Thomas, J.V. Bracken, J.W. Hembrow, J.H. Moran, J. O'N. Thompson, D.L. Brewer, B.W.H. Henderson, L.J. Mort, R.F. Thompson, H.W. Brown, A.V. Hewison, R.J. Mycock, F.J. Thorpe, J. Browne, J.McG. Hoare, J.W. Newell, E.L. Upton, G.H. Bush, G.R. Hodgkindon, N.A. Oakley, H.V. Vincent, E.C.M. Butt, W.J. Holloway, S.G. O'Brien, M.J. Walder, J.J. Carey, W.R. Jackman, V.M. O'Connor, R. Walker, N.L. Chadwick, L.N. Johnston, R.C. O'Neill, T.W. Wattus, E.O. Chapman, E.A. Johnston, S.R. Overett, H.H. West, W.C. Clark, L.S. Jones, G.R. Owens, E.L.V. Westendorf, R.H.G. Clark, N.S. Kemp, A.R. Perrett, E.R. Wheeler, N.E.W. Claydon, J.A. Key, J.J.R. Povey, A.R. Williams, A.H. Cripps, L.J. Lambert, C. Power, E.J. Williams, D.K. Cross, H.R.T. Le Grand, P.M.P. Reid, A. Williams, E.F. Cummings, M.H. Leask, A.R. Richardson, C. Wilson, A. Denne, F.J. Leask, H.M. Richardson, H.F. Wood, A. Doherty, J.P. Leask, H.H. Roberts, H.O. Wood, L.S. Donohoe, H.M. Lee, T.A. Robinson, C.M.S. Woods, C. Dutfield, C.C. Lesnie, N.M.G. Robinson, R.L. Wright, G. Fawcett, G. Loader, J.J.J. ATTACHED PERSONNEL FROM AASC Adams, A.T. Etheridge, G.R.G. Lawson, W.T. Sheard, H.E. Alexander, J.R. Evans, J.K. Lillas, R.L. Shepherd, G.P. Bayley, A.N. Evans, W.A. Long, A. Simpson, E.J. Bond, S.R. Ferrow, J.W. Lotze, E.L. Sweeney, S.E. Burns, W.R. Fortier, A.D. Lyneham, H.L. Thomas, A.K. Bush, G.F. Fortier, F.L. McGuire, C.P. Trigg, B.S. Cavanagh, R.C. Fowler, C.A. Mansfield, J.K. Westhorp, S.B. Colefax, B.D. Galvin, S.G. Murphy. G.G. Wilson, G.A.T. Colemane, W.J. Hayward, T.H. Pain, R.A. Winder, G.A. Collins, H.S. Hogan, K.F. Palmer, V.A. Winterflood, A.A.
I can't prove it yet as I've lost the links and stuff , but possibly their were Infantry with SMLE 303's on board, the rifles & Ammo were ordered to be packed at bottom of hold. If this is true then it makes the centaur a legit target to any enemy.
I don't know if we are on the same track however the open version that I am aware of is this: Ambulance drivers attached to the 2/12th Ambulance did attempt to bring their rifles and ammunition with them onto the ship. The master and the Chief Medical Officer would not allow them to bring the arms aboard. The crew then thought that there may have been other soldiers and munitions and/or military supplies on board so they searched the "holds" of the ship and found nothing. Then official confirmation was received that the drivers (under the Hague Convention 1907 Article?????) permitted to carry weapons and ammunition to "to control good order and the defence of the wounded". Do you have a different version? Cheers Geoff
It wasn't unusual for hostital ships in WW1 to be carrying empty shel cases back home for refilling, making them viable military targets, any chance the Centaur was doing the same? I'm just looking forward to the underwater footage to confirm it.
Lets face it on any ship there is going to be war supplies of some sort it depends on how far you want to go does 50 rifles really count as war supplies as an example? Cheers Tony
The major point here is that the Japanese Sub commander fired without warning and any possible evidence that their could have been any contraband supplies on board the Centaur, This is the same little murdering bas***d that ordered his men to machine gun the survivors in the water of the British Chivalry and others after he sank them in the Indian Ocean. He only received four years for that but should have been hung. This was a quote from a Japanese historian: Please give me a break! He needed to be told a ship with big Red Crosses was a hospital ship! They also say that spies may have seen the soldiers and advised the sub the course of the ship so he could sink it. What does not fit here is that the Captain of Centaur altered course after he left port as he was given the course for Merchant vessels. This makes this theory another one for the waste paper basket. Cheers Geoff
From my book "They Shall Grow Not Old...." Japanese submarine I-37 commanded by Lieutenant Hajime Nakagawa, the same man who had been responsible for the sinking of the Hospital Ship Centaur in April 1943, was also responsible for machine gunning the survivors from the tanker British Chivalry and cargo ships Sutlej & Ascot. After the war he was put on trial for War Crimes. Nakagawa was found guilty only as a Class B war criminal for ordering the machine-gunning of survivors from three British merchant vessels torpedoed by I-37 in 1944; British Chivalry on 22nd February Sutlej on 24th February and Ascot on 29th February. His defence was that he was acting under orders from Vice Admiral Shiro Takasu. His sinking of the Hospital Ship Centaur at the time could not be proven and he received the extremely light sentence of only four years imprisonment. Unlike his victims, Nakagawa had a long life ahead of him and died in 1991. Captain Walter Hill taken prisoner from the British Chivalry who had been forced to watch the unfolding tragedy from his ship and would witness other atrocities against defenceless Merchant Seamen before being held prisoner at Penang for the duration of the war. He was released when Japan surrendered and for whatever reason he had, he declined to give evidence against his captors at the War Crimes Commission.
Thanks Billy, Great info. I had not come across the detail on Captain Walter Hill before. Possibly he felt there had been too much death by this time. Cheers Geoff
Sounds to close too be any thing else, so yes Spidge we are I believe on the same page. As for spies i could not see very many spies for the Japanese to be on the Australian mainland. And especially spies who have information on the routes of convoy/ship. So the Japanese Submarine wouldn't of had a clue if any weapons or RAinft types were on board. So he knowingly sunk the ship that was lit up like a Christmas tree with red crosses and the like. Four (4) years, the ba$^ard should of been hanged most especially for machine gunning the men while in the water. 'B' class war crime even with the Centaur not on the charge sheet he should of been treated like so many other IJN & IJA criminals and been under a A class crime. Interesting that the captain who witnessed it did not want anything to do with it. Probably very embarrassed that being a Captain of a ship sunk in war time he survived and was rescued by this Japanese fellow, while his ship went down and his men drowned or where shot. Whatever the reason it is a pity he did not appear. As for hospital ships carrying war supplies well 50 rifles ain't that much, as I would expect all vessels to carry at least a few rifles and a few hand guns for self protection but also for attempting to blow sea mines. So imho a few rifles make no difference, however to get technical and to run by all the rules, they are war supplies, and if we start with 50 rifles where do we go, where do we draw the line for war equipment, on a hospital ship as we all know people will use any ruse to give themselves a edge especially in World War time
Well they have gotten the Photos of the AHS Centaur, still has the Large Red Cross several of them where shown they were easy to see well over 2000 feet down, as well the White Paint of the ship herself is also still visible. Their was a TV show that showed some of the photos which also included photos of Slouch hats and Army Boots that had been scattered by the sinking they placed a plague with a photo and DVD in it, on the ship via deep water cameras/robots and had a service. Also they showed some of the families this very old lady was crying, she had been waiting 67 years for her dad to come home. She 'the Centuar' although torpedoed and a explosion seemed to me to be in very good condition.
