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Hospital ship from WWII is located
Source: Agencies |
December 21, 2009, Monday
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AN Australian hospital ship torpedoed by the Japanese during World War II with the loss of 268 lives has been located in waters off the coast of the northern state of Queensland, the government said yesterday.
The loss of the Centaur in 1943 while sailing to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea was one of Australia's great wartime disasters. Survivors and their relatives have long pressed for the wreck to be found, fearing salvagers would reach it first.
The government eventually supported a search for the vessel.
Yesterday, it said the wreck's location had been confirmed by a team led by United States marine search expert David Mearns, whose other finds include HMAS Sydney, another Australian wartime wreck.
The sinking of the Centaur was considered a war crime, though no one was ever tried for it. Many of the dead were medical staff. The vessel was clearly marked as a hospital ship and had no naval escort.
"The discovery of AHS Centaur will ensure all Australians know of and commemorate the 268 brave nurses and crew who died in the service of their nation," Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a statement.
Jan Thomas, whose father Bernard Hindmarsh was a doctor who died aboard the ship, said finding the wreck would bring some relief. Now 73, she was six when the ship was sunk on May 14, 1943.
"It is always helpful to know where your loved ones lie," she said.
As a hospital ship, the Centaur was required under international conventions to travel alone and be clearly marked with red crosses, which also made it an easy target.
The loss of the Centaur in 1943 while sailing to Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea was one of Australia's great wartime disasters. Survivors and their relatives have long pressed for the wreck to be found, fearing salvagers would reach it first.
The government eventually supported a search for the vessel.
Yesterday, it said the wreck's location had been confirmed by a team led by United States marine search expert David Mearns, whose other finds include HMAS Sydney, another Australian wartime wreck.
The sinking of the Centaur was considered a war crime, though no one was ever tried for it. Many of the dead were medical staff. The vessel was clearly marked as a hospital ship and had no naval escort.
"The discovery of AHS Centaur will ensure all Australians know of and commemorate the 268 brave nurses and crew who died in the service of their nation," Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a statement.
Jan Thomas, whose father Bernard Hindmarsh was a doctor who died aboard the ship, said finding the wreck would bring some relief. Now 73, she was six when the ship was sunk on May 14, 1943.
"It is always helpful to know where your loved ones lie," she said.
As a hospital ship, the Centaur was required under international conventions to travel alone and be clearly marked with red crosses, which also made it an easy target.
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