Details of those killed during Japanese Raids on Darwin, NT on 19 February 1942

DETAILS OF THOSE KILLED
DURING JAPANESE RAIDS ON DARWIN, NT
ON 19 FEBRUARY 1942

visits since 9 September 2002

Modern history seems to record that there were 243 deaths in Darwin on the 19 February 1942 after two major air raids by Japanese aircraft. Anecdotal evidence would seem to suggest there were many more deaths than this.

Tom Minto, First Mate on the Hospital Ship "Manunda" expressed some doubt about the identity of the 3 men from HMAS Swan who were brought on board "Manunda". 19 bodies were taken ashore from "Manunda" and laid out on the ground in front of the Naval Signal Station. The bodies stayed there all day in the hot sun. The order was given for the bodies to be collected from the shore at 10.30pm that night. They were to be buried at sea. The official records show that this happened, but Tom Minto's Report states:-

"We were told we would not be required to take the bodies as they had been disposed of. I did not ask any further questions."

The Australian War Graves Commission states that Army casualties were buried at sea,. The Northern Territory Memorial and the Sydney Memorial show them as having "no known graves". One source, who was filling sandbags on the shore remembers quite clearly that there was a long trench dug in the area between the current Darwin Casino and Kahlin Beach. The Manager of the Mindil Beach Caravan Park sold the land in 1978 for the development of the Darwin Casino. During earth works for the project many human remains were found in a deep trench. The Northern Territory News on 3 October 1981 claimed they were aboriginal remains. Later reports claimed they were remains of Mocassin fishermen. Henry Lee was in Darwin at the time of the Japanese attack and stated in the Newspaper:-

"The bombing victims were buried at Frances Bay, along Mindil Beach and in a huge bomb hole on the hillside near Darwin Hospital. The bodies were mainly those washed up from sunken ships. Most could not be identified. There was on nursing sister with identity discs who was given a proper burial."

The nursing sister is most likely to have been Sister de Mestre form the Manunda. Is it possible that the "Manunda" bodies were actually buried at sea and some of them washed ashore.

A senior Army Matron recalls that the bodies from "Manunda" were seen at Catherine Cemetery. A Darwin historian believes they were exhumed and reburied at the Adelaide River War Cemetery. Here the early grave markers were made of wood and soon disappeared as time passed due to white ants or grass fires.

The Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour database shows only 18 deaths for Military personnel killed in Darwin on 19 February 1942.

DETAILS OF THOSE LISTED ON THE AWM ROLL OF HONOUR DATABASE

Barton, Leonard Arthur	18368	LAC	RAAF Stn Hq Darwin	Darwin	Ground Battle
Bevir, Robert John	NX65289	Cpl	AAMC 2/1 HOSP SHIP (Army) (Manunda)	Australia	Killed In Action
Breen, A J	-	Signalman	HMAS Swan	-	-
De Mestre, M A	NFX70211	Sister	AANS 2/1 HOSP SHIP DARWIN (Army)	Australia	Killed In Action
Emms, F B	-	Leading Cook	HMAS Melville	-	-
Gardiner, R S	VX129388	Cpl	7 MD ORD WKSPS AAOC (Army)	Australia	Killed In Action
Hocking, B H	VX68883	Capt	AAMC 2/1 HOSP SHIP STAFF (DENTAL) (Army)	Australia	Killed In Action
Ladd, H W	-	Leading Seaman	Attached Merchant Navy (RAN)	-	-
Latham, Philips Stonham	32932	LAC	SHq Darwin (RAAF)	Darwin	Ground Battle
Moore, F	-	Petty Officer	HMAS Kookaburra	-	-
Moore, N R	-	Cook	HMAS Kangaroo	-	-
Neaylon, Francis	20361	Aircraftman Class 1	SHq Darwin RAAF	Darwin	Ground Battle
Purdon, A	-	Able Seaman	HMAS Swan	-	-
Sault, J	-	Leading Seaman	HMAS Swan	-	-
Schulz, Albert Victor Leske	28222	LAC	SHq Darwin RAAF	Darwin	Ground Battle
Simons, Robert Frederick	26040	Cpl	RAAF Stn Hq Darwin	Darwin	Ground Battle
Smith, Stanley George	45738	Aircraftman Class 1	SHq Darwin RAAF	Darwin	Ground Battle
Tindal, Archibald Robert	76	Wing Cdr	Hq North Western Area Darwin	Darwin	Ground Battle

THOSE KILLED ON SHIPS

SHIP	KILLED	WOUNDED	DETAILS
British Motorist	Bates, Gilbert Chase - Master, NKG, UK Merchant Navy, 37 years old, from Minster, Kent, UK Webster, James Henry - 2nd Radio Operator, NKG, UK Merchant Navy, 17 years old, from Wallasey, Cheshire, UK	-
Don Isidro	11 survivors died on beach of Bathurst Island	-
Gunbar - RAN Minesweeper	1	-
Kangaroo	1	-	Moore
Kara Kara	2	-
Manunda - Hospital Ship	15	18 Seriously wounded 40+ minor wounds
Mauna Loa	5	-
Port Mar - US Transport	1	-
Neptuna	45	?
USS Peary	91	?
HMAS Swan - RAN Sloop	3	22	Breen, Purdon, and Sault
Zealandia	2 died from wounds - James Masson & Patrick Vincent O'Connell	-	142 survived
TOTAL	179	107

Can you help me with names of those killed
on any ships in Darwin on 19 February 1942?

THOSE KILLED ON THE WHARVES

22 wharfies killed

There were 70 waterside workers on the wharves at the time of the attack.

Details of 19 of those killed are as follows:-

Mr. G. Dangerfield	Wharf's A/Foreman
Mr. Erriccsson	Ships Supervisor
Mr. G. Brown	Wharfie
Mr. F.A. Chavez	Wharfie
Mr. A. Dejulie	Wharfie
Mr. E. Hodges	Wharfie
Mr. W. Marr	Wharfie
Mr. A. Mullins	Wharfie
Mr. F. Oliver	Wharfie
Mr. B. Schilling	Wharfie
Mr. E. Shores	Wharfie
Mr. C. Spain	Wharfie
Mr. R. Coninan	Wharfie
Mr. J. Cubillo	Wharfie
Mr. Doninikh	Wharfie
Mr. J. Hynes	Waterside Worker (died on 25 Feb 42 on 2/1 Hospital Ship)
Mr. A. Byers	Wharf Labourer (died 26 Feb 42 on 2/1 Hospital Ship)
L. Perkins	Waterside Worker (died 19 Feb 42)
George Michaels	Waterside Worker (died 19 Feb 42)

Can anyone help me with names of the other wharfies killed

US AIRCREW KILLED DURING JAPANESE RAIDS ON 19 FEBRUARY 1942

19 Feb 42	near Gunn Point, east of Darwin	USAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	Jack Peres 33rd Pursuit Squadron USAAF killed, shot down by Japanese aircraft.
19 Feb 42	In Darwin Harbour	USAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	Lt. Elton S. Perry of 33rd Pursuit Squadron USAAF killed, shot down by Japanese aircraft.
19 Feb 42	In Darwin Harbour	USAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	Lt. Charles Hughes of 33rd Pursuit Squadron USAAF killed, hit by Japanese aircraft,
19 Feb 42	In Darwin Harbour	USAAF	P-40 Kittyhawk	Major Floyd J. Pell (0-20701) of 33rd Pursuit Squadron USAAF killed when he bailed out too low after aircraft hit hit by Japanese aircraft,

An official US Record titled "Report of Air Attack on Base Section No. One" shows the following two entries for the USAAC:-

Floyd J. Pell Major 0-20701 Air Force
H. M. McTavish S/Sgt 6549162 Air Force

It does not show the other three pilots above (Peres, Perry and Hughes). Perhaps they were killed in the second raid on that day. McTavish was killed in LB-30A AL521 which was destroyed at on the ground in Darwin during this raid.

MEMBERS OF 148th FIELD ARTILLERY, US ARMY KILLED

Sergeant James M. Woffard (20947009)	Battery "A" 148th F.A.	Nearest of kin, James Wofford, 824 Wallace Avenue, Couer D'Alene, Idaho
Private Wilbert L. Mead	Battery "A" 148th F.A.	Nearest of kin, unknown
Private Basil L. Skelton	Battery "C" 148th F.A.	Nearest of kin, Bert Skelton, Box 27, Srandford, Montana.

THOSE KILLED AT THE RAAF BASE

7 killed

Can anyone help me with names of those killed at the RAAF Base

THOSE KILLED IN THE TOWN AREA

17 killed

Includes at least 10 killed in the Post Office area (see below)

Can anyone help me with names of those killed in the town area

POST OFFICE, TELEGRAPH OFFICE, CABLE OFFICE & POSTMASTER'S RESIDENCE

The Post Office, the Telegraph Office, the Cable Office and the Postmaster's residence all suffered either a direct hit or blast and were a complete loss. All the staff of the Post Office and Telegraph Office were killed as follows. This included the Postmaster and his family :-

Mr. H.C. Bald **	Postmaster
Mrs. H.C. Bald **	Postmaster's wife
Miss I. Bald **	Typist Tax Department
Mr. A.W. Wellington **	PO Clerk
Mr. A.T.R. Halls **	Telegraphist
Miss J. Mullens (or Mullen) **	Telephonist
Miss E. Mullens (or Mullen) **	Telephonist
Miss M.E. Young (or J. Young) **	Telephonist
Miss J.F. Stasinowsky **	Telephonist
Mr. W.R.I. Rowling	PMG Department (died 21 Feb 42 on 2/1 Hospital Ship)

** initially buried in the Military Section of the Adelaide River Cemetery and later transferred to the civilian section.

OTHER CIVILIANS KILLED

Miss D. Martin	Civilian Domestic
Mr. W.J. Bowen	Civilian Labourer
Mr. S.D. Mills	Civilian Fish Trapper
Mr. Cohoon	Civilian unknown
Ah Young	Chinese
T. Quiggen	?
Maria Albertina Brandt	?

Another source quotes the following:-

The first air raids on Darwin were over by 12.40p.m. on 19 February 1942. At least 292 people were dead or dying � 22 on the Darwin wharf, 17 in the town area, 177 on the harbour, seven at the RAAF base, four in the air, six other service personnel, 18 on the Florence D and Don Isidro, and 41 others either on the Manunda or in unclear circumstances. We will never know how many other people may have died but were not taken into account.

US Army Personnel Wounded at Darwin on 19 February 1942

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Gordon Birkett for his assistance with this web page.

REFERENCE BOOKS

"Wrecks in Darwin Waters"
By Tom Lewis

"Darwin's Air War - 1942-1945. An Illustrated History"
By the Aviation Historical Society of the Northern Territory

"Hospital Ships - Manunda, Wanganella, Centaur, Oranje"
by Rupert Goodman

"In the Highest Traditions ... RAN heroism Darwin 19 February 1942"
by John Bradford