Thread: ROYAL NAVY - WW2 burials in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

(or is it this one that had some mis-information on one of those pay per view grave photo sites?)


LT/JX544407 Kenneth GOWING 3SEP1945 - HMS GLENEARN – RNPS (Royal Naval Patrol Service)

HMS GLENEARN suffered an onboard explosion in April 1945 off New Guinea (maybe this member was moved to Brisbane for treatment and died from his wounds).



In September the ship was used to ferry released civilian prisoners from Shanghai to somewhere...

“In September 1945 in Shanghai my family and I were interned by the Japanese along with hundreds of other civilians in camps around Shanghai. The war in the Far East came to an end in August. For a week or so there was great confusion in Shanghai over who was in charge until eventually the Americans swept in, took over the responsibility for feeding all the internees, and our Japanese guards slunk away to their barracks next to the camp. To our great joy we could see the masts of the allied ships proceeding along the Huangpu river which was not very far away.

A message went round that anyone ready to go by 8 a.m. next morning could go on the first ship home. We arrived at the dock the next morning and were ferried over the river to HMS Glenearn, a merchant ship converted to an armed troop carrier for the duration of the war. We should have left almost at once but a typhoon in the East China Sea delayed us by several days.

Originally Posted by Dave Barlow

Lutwyche military cemetery here in Brisbane is the CWGC official burial site and features the Cross of Sacrifice and memorial scrolls for those with no known grave. It also has plaques with a bit of Australian WW2 history and statistics on the burials within it's grounds.

While I was taking photos I noticed that besides the Australian commemorations there were a couple of members of the ROYAL NAVY interred there.

FRANK EASTHOPE killed in Motor Vehicle accident on Christmas eve 25DEC1945 along with Flying Officer Howard Walter GEE Service Number 413980 RAAF – also buried in BRISBANE (LUTWYCHE) CEMETERY

Frank Easthope of RN was killed outright - Service Number L/FX98561 H.M.S. Nabsford / Son of Frank and Marion Easthope, of Liverpool, England; husband of Margaret Easthope, of Wavertree, Liverpool


GEE was admitted to 112 AGH BMU (Australian General Hospital - Brisbane Military Unit Greenslopes). Died of injuries received as result of accident – fractures and shock. Motor accident marked on casualty file. Vehicle 212595 turned over on Ipswich Road, Annerley at 0300 25Dec. Frank Easthope, William Watson, Henry Roper, Howard Barton, Alex Gove of Royal Navy and FLGOFF GEE & FLGOFF BRENNAN injured. {BRENNAN, David Brenden - (Flying Officer); Service Number – 411001 (discharged 18 Mar 1962 – FLTLT O21991)}

Hi Dave !

Can I ask a question please ? I'm interested in Frank as he's from Liverpool .... but why did they say he died of wounds when he was in a motor accident - with 7 of them in the vechicle ? did something else happen ? do you know ?

Annie

Sorry Annie - I don't know where you read that "they" said that Frank died of wounds.

Everything I know about Frank Easthope's death is in the post I submitted. The file for FLGOFF Gee who ended up passing away from his injuries specifically states that Frank was killed outright in the MVA. Besides what I included in my post you can read Gee's accident report online and see what other clues are there to be gleaned.

Personally, taking into the account the date it occured, the time of night involved and the number of servicemen in the vehicle I would hazard a guess that alcohol might have been in the mix somewhere. The war had been over for a few months, they were all a long way from home and Ipswich is the most boring place in the world to spend a lonely Xmas. They were probably either driving into Brisbane for a continuation of festivities or heading back to base when the accident occured.

Interesting that they were in a RAAF registered vehicle at the time of the crash, I wonder what sort of vehicle it was?? I might have another look myself.

Hi Dave ... I found it here ...... I'll take another look too !

In Memory of
Air Fitter FRANK EASTHOPE

L/FX98561, H.M.S. Nabsford., Royal Navy
who died age 23
on 25 December 1945
Son of Frank and Marion Easthope, of Liverpool, England; husband of Margaret Easthope, of Wavertree, Liverpool.

Remembered with honour
BRISBANE (LUTWYCHE) CEMETERY

Tuesday, 25 December 1945

Berry Head
JOBSON, James, Petty Officer Cook (S), P/MX 52382, DOWS

Burma RNVR
MG, Khin, Able Seaman, 1084 (Burma RNVR), MPK

LCG(M).110
SMITH, Russell H, Marine, CH/X 106625, DOWS

LCT.510
O'NEILL, Francis, Able Seaman, P/JX 385746, DOWS

LST.3020
MAWHINNEY, Hugh, Stoker 1c, C/KX 171958, DOWS

MFV.1108
MAUNDRELL, George C, Petty Officer Motor Mechanic, C/MX 518299, DOWS

Nabsford
EASTHOPE, Frank, Air Fitter (A), FAA/FX 98561, DOWS

President
MOORE, Percy, Lieutenant Commander (E), RNR, road accident, died

Zodiac
BULBECK, Frederick W, Petty Officer, P/JX 126932, illness

Royal Navy casualties, killed and died, Sept-Dec 1945

I've been trying to check the man below him on the list ... in case they were mixed up ... but I'm not having too much luck .... seems he was a Canadian ! and the HMS President was a shore establishment !

In Memory of
Lieut-Commander (E) PERCY MOORE

Royal Naval Reserve
who died
on 25 December 1945

Remembered with honour
VANCOUVER (MOUNTAIN VIEW) CEMETERY

Percy Moore ( - 1945) - Find A Grave Memorial

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Pre..._establishment)

Annie

Thanks Annie - a great resource to use, not that I'm doing much Naval research - besides the two RN burials here in Brisbane.

It does list Easthope as DOWS but they obviously have the term "road accident" available as evidenced by the next entry on that list. I have contacted the naval-history site owners to see if they are interested in the disconnect between their entry and Aussie official files.

Easthope was working out of RAAF Station Archerfield - In February 1945, the Royal Navy moved its Transportable Aircraft Maintenance Yard No.1, known as TAMY 1, to Archerfield. The Royal Navy base was known as HMS Nabsford and a plaque commemorating it and the British personnel who served in the Pacific theatre can be viewed in the old administration building along with plaques from the RAAF and the US 5th Air Force.

************************************************** ***

The site you use also gives a little more detail on the fate of Seaman Gowing, but not much:

Monday, 3 September 1945

Glenearn

GOWING, Kenneth, Seaman, RNPS, LT/JX 544407, accident, killed

(CWGC - Son of Claud Robert and Flora Ethel Gowing, of Norwich, England)

I have had a quick trawl around the navy history site to see if there is any more info about his demise or the movements of his ship without any luck. I now know that the Glenearn was a Landing Ship, Infantry (Large).

cheers


Dave

I have contacted the naval-history site owners to see if they are interested in the disconnect between their entry and Aussie official files.

Gordon is a nice man and terrifically helpful ... I'm sure he'll help you find out something more !!

I have been in touch with the guys over at navalhistory and they are amending the record for Easthope to reflect "road accident" in line with the report on the RAAF file.

By the way - apparently DOWS has nothing to do with the word "wound" - I thought it must have stood for something like "died of wounds sustained", however, I received the following from Don K at navalhistory:

From British Admiralty sources. DOWS is Died on War Service. That is killed while in service of the King (or Queen), but not in contact with the enemy.

This was an umbrella that encompasses all the ways a person can be killed. It does not appear until late 1943 or 1942 (I am calling upon memory).

Certainly, road accident is more descriptive. DOWS leaves it open: jumping from a third story window while drunk, etc, etc, etc.

Originally Posted by Dave Barlow

(or is it this one that had some mis-information on one of those pay per view grave photo sites?)


LT/JX544407 Kenneth GOWING 3SEP1945 - HMS GLENEARN – RNPS (Royal Naval Patrol Service)

HMS GLENEARN suffered an onboard explosion in April 1945 off New Guinea (maybe this member was moved to Brisbane for treatment and died from his wounds).



In September the ship was used to ferry released civilian prisoners from Shanghai to somewhere...

“In September 1945 in Shanghai my family and I were interned by the Japanese along with hundreds of other civilians in camps around Shanghai. The war in the Far East came to an end in August. For a week or so there was great confusion in Shanghai over who was in charge until eventually the Americans swept in, took over the responsibility for feeding all the internees, and our Japanese guards slunk away to their barracks next to the camp. To our great joy we could see the masts of the allied ships proceeding along the Huangpu river which was not very far away.

A message went round that anyone ready to go by 8 a.m. next morning could go on the first ship home. We arrived at the dock the next morning and were ferried over the river to HMS Glenearn, a merchant ship converted to an armed troop carrier for the duration of the war. We should have left almost at once but a typhoon in the East China Sea delayed us by several days.

Dave I may have some information about this that could prove helpful.
My Father John Earley AB served on HMS Glenearn as Radar operator from Feb 1942 to 1945 and was in the mess when the LCT kerosene ignited and exploded on the Glenearn. My Father recounted the whole incident to Alex Aiken who wrote a book about the Glenearn called 'In Time of War'
It has been over a week waiting for registration to be processed and unfortunately too late tonight to go into this further.

I'll give you chapter and verse on Sunday and any questions about the incident can be put to my Father
regards
Nick Earley (Son)