Anzac Day, Australian War Memorial, Roll of Honour, Canberra
I took this photo of part of the Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial some time ago when we were in Canberra for a few days. As today is Anzac Day I thought I would include it in my 365 project.
Joseph Henry Hill is a relative of mine. He served with the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War on the HMAS Vampire.
The HMAS Vampire was escorting the British aircraft carrier HMS Hermes off Batticaloa in Ceylon when both were attacked by Japanese carrier aircraft at 10.35 am on the 9th April 1942. HMS Hermes went down within 20 minutes. At the same time, another sixteen dive-bombers focused attention on Vampire. The destroyer fought of the attackers with her anti-aircraft guns and survived two near misses with a severe shaking. Then, though, a bomb scored a direct hit in the boiler room and the ship was brought to a dead stop. Now a sitting duck, she suffered four more hits in quick succession.
Commander William Moran, the captain of Vampire, ordered his men to abandon ship and take to rafts and floats. Then another hit broke the destroyer's back; the bow quickly sank, followed by the stern a few minutes after 11 am.
Moran and seven ratings perished that day, one of which was Joseph Hill. A British hospital ship, Vita was fortunately able to pluck 590 survivors from both ships out of the sea and brought them to Colombo.
The eight men who died in this action are recorded on the Roll of Honour along with another rating (RAH MacDonald) who died four days later of wounds received. The tenth name recorded on this panel (DJ Kimber) was a member of the ship's company who died earlier, on 15 February 1942.
Oh Babs, I have a tear in my eye. This photo is such a lovely tribute. I went to Canberra to the war memorial back in October 2011 and was very moved by the experience.
In about an hour I set off from my home to walk into Central London for the Anzac day service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall at 11.00. The route I take is about 7 miles and camera will be in hand.
In 2009 I made the trip to Gallipoli with my brother for the Anzac Day. The dawn service down by the landing beaches was very powerful and poignant and won't soon be forgotten.
A poignant photograph. Thanks for the history Babs. Obviously we get to hear about the sinking of ships such as HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales in the far east but we rarely get to hear about anything that happened to ANZAC vessels or about events off Ceylon.
Such a lovely tribute Babs, the war memorial is such a sacred place to visit, with so many names on the Honour Roll. ANZAC day is always such a day of rememberence and reflection. Thank you for the story of your Joseph.
@davidgnc Thanks David. Hope you got some shots on your journey yesterday. Must have been a very emotional exprience too at Galipoli. did you know anyone who was out there during the war?
@steampowered Thanks Paul. You are right. I remember hearing about the British ship Hermes before, but not about the Australian Vampire who was escorting her.
@bugsy Yes Heather, sad story all round. Joseph's mother Emma had a brother also named Joseph. He joined up at the beginning of WW1 and died in France at the age of 17. She named her son Joseph after her dead brother and he died in WW2.
In 2009 I made the trip to Gallipoli with my brother for the Anzac Day. The dawn service down by the landing beaches was very powerful and poignant and won't soon be forgotten.