Discoverer of HMAS Sydney offers help with Centaur

[Antipodean Andy]

Shipwreck hunter offers to find Centaur remains - National - smh.com.au

THE man responsible for finding HMAS Sydney has offered to help find the lost Australian hospital ship Centaur, saying the task is feasible so long as there is funding.

David Mearns, the world-renowned shipwreck hunter and search director for the Finding Sydney Foundation, has conducted preliminary research on the Centaur and said it would be easier to find than the Sydney and the Kormoran.

The Centaur was sunk by a Japanese submarine, 1-177, off the Queensland coast on May 14, 1943. The ship displayed the red cross - the international symbol for a hospital ship - meaning that under international law it should have been immune from attack.

One of the last remaining survivors from the Centaur, Martin Pash, renewed calls for the wreck to be found in the Herald last month, saying: "It's time the arguments over the exact location can be settled and protected."

Mr Mearns said the only barriers to finding the Centaur was a lack of money and political will.

"On the basis of what I've seen of her, I believe she's findable," he said. "The information, even at this preliminary stage, is better than what I had to deal with in locating … Kormoran and Sydney.

"I think the water depth isn't a barrier; I don't think there are any environmental problems. But how it's organised, who funds it - those are all big questions."

The sinking has long been interpreted in Australia as a war crime, with the then prime minister, John Curtin, labelling the sinking "deliberate, wanton and barbarous".

One of the Centaur's celebrated feats was in November 1941, when it picked up 61 German Kormoran survivors after it was sunk by the Sydney.

Ross Anderson, the president of the Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology, said there was support among the relatives of those who died on the Centaur to find its wreck.

"It's another important site for the country and, like Sydney, it's a very emotive site as well," Mr Anderson said.

A Defence spokesman said the navy had not received a formal request for government funding to begin a search for the wreck.

Mr Mearns said he would offer his services if asked to find the Centaur.

"I'm always game for an interesting project," he said.

"I really enjoyed this project and I've made a lot of good friends in Australia and I have a very good relationship with the navy, so I'd be pleased to help if I possibly could."

In 2003 television reports claimed that a researcher had found the Centaur but the find turned out to be a scuttled merchant ship, the Kyogle.

[Antipodean Andy]

DVA - Publications - The Sinking of the Centaur

[Kyt]

He could probably get all the funding he needs in the current climate. Good luck to him.

[Antipodean Andy]

HMAS Sydney find prompts calls for Centaur search - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A Queensland MP says the recovery of the sunken World War II ship Centaur should be a priority for the Federal Government.

The hospital ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in May 1943 and sank near North Stradbroke Island, killing 268 people.

Federal Liberal MP Peter Slipper says now HMAS Sydney has been found, the Government should pay for the recovery of the Centaur, to recognise the service of those on board.

"The Centaur will be easier to find as the 4:00am bearings taken 10 minutes before the ship sank survived along with the officer who took them," he said.

"The estimation is that the ship is about 24 nautical miles off North Stradbroke Island in fairly shallow waters."

[Antipodean Andy]

Sunken hospital ship Centaur remembered - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has paid tribute to those who died when a World War II hospital ship was sunk 65 years ago today.

The Centaur was torpedoed off the south-east Queensland coast by a Japanese submarine in 1943, killing 268 people.

There are renewed calls for the team behind the discovery of the HMAS Sydney to mount an expedition to find the wreck of the Centaur.

"The mystery of Centaur's final resting place remains to this day, with estimates that she lies about 24 nautical miles off North Stradbroke Island," Ms Bligh.

"It is hoped that one day she will be found, and today our thoughts are with the family and kin of those who lost their lives and remain lost to their families."

[Antipodean Andy]

RSL hopes for protection of Centaur wreck - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Queensland RSL president Brigadier Douglas Formby says finding the wreck of the Centaur will offer it a better chance of being protected.

He was speaking at a Centaur memorial service in Brisbane today.

The hospital ship was sunk by the Japanese off Stradbroke Island during World War II, with the loss of 268 lives.

Brig. Formby says the wreck is at risk of being disturbed, but would be declared a sacred site if discovered, meaning divers would have to stay away.

"I would like to leave it alone and let them rest in peace and that would be it," he said.

"But it'll be a big decision, the families will have to have a say, even these folk from the Centaur Memorial Foundation should arguably be invited to have a say."

[Antipodean Andy]

Qld Govt to look at funding 'Centaur' search - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Queensland Government says it would be willing to support a new search for the sunken World War II hospital ship "Centaur" off the state's south-east.

The hospital ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in May 1943, near North Stradbroke Island.

The 268 passengers were killed.

Its exact location has remained a mystery.

In 2003, the Navy confirmed a wreck in the area - that was officially gazetted as the ship - was not the Centaur.

Premier Anna Bligh has now asked for work to begin on identifying costs for any new search and what help the Government could provide.

"I'm very interested in the Centaur," she said.

"It's something that I think is a unique and interesting part of our history.

"I've certainly asked for some work to be done about what the possible costs might be and what sort of assistance we might be able to provide.

"I spoke about this earlier this year in Parliament - it is I think a little known part of Queensland's wartime history.

"We lost a lot of nurses, we lost a lot of highly skilled health professionals- so I certainly will have a look at it."

Bold - spoken like a true politician!

[liverpool annie]

We lost a lot of nurses

On 12 May 1943 the Centaur sailed unescorted from Sydney at 0945 hours carrying her crew and normal staff, as well as stores and equipment of the 2/12th Field Ambulance but no patients. It was sunk without warning by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine on 14 May 1943 at approximately 0400 hours, its position being approximately 27°17' S, 153°58' E about 50 miles east north-east of Brisbane. The wreck was discovered in 1995.

Of the 332 persons on board, only 64 survived. These survivors spent 35 hours on rafts before being rescued. Sister Ellen Savage, the only one of twelve nursing sisters on board to survive, though injured herself, gave great help to the other survivors and was awarded the George Medal for this work.

Service Record
Name - SAVAGE, ELLEN
Service - Australian Army
Service Number - NX76584 (N270911)
Date of Birth - 17 Oct 1912
Place of Birth - QUIRINDI, NSW
Date of Enlistment - 18 Nov 1941
Locality on Enlistment - GORDON, NSW
Place of Enlistment - SYDNEY, NSW
Next of Kin - SAVAGE, HENRY
Date of Discharge - 8 Mar 1946
Rank - Lieutenant
Posting at Discharge - HOSPITAL SHIP ORANJE
WW2 Honours and Gallantry - George Medal
Prisoner of War - No

WW2 Nominal Roll

DVA - Publications - The Sinking of the Centaur

[Antipodean Andy]

Lt Ellen SAVAGE :-)

[Antipodean Andy]

Federal government funding possible now:

Search for WWII ship Centaur being considered | NEWS.com.au

...The Centaur's final resting place remains unknown, but it is believed the ship lies about 24 nautical miles off North Stradbroke Island.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh today said she hoped to make an announcement about state government assistance to find the ship in the next few weeks.

Federal Heritage Minister Peter Garrett, who visited Brisbane today, said he and Defence Personnel Minister Warren Snowden were looking into the project.

"We are considering this very closely and I expect to work with Mr Snowden on this issue - he managed the whole question about HMAS Sydney very well," Mr Garrett said.

"It's premature to be talking about funding at this point but what I can say is that we'll examine all issues around the Centaur very closely and the relevant minister, in this case Mr Snowden, will be actively involved with that."