The Identity of HMAS Sydney's 'unknown sailor' was revealed as 21-year-old Thomas Welsby Clark.
Mal's note: this story always intrigued me as a kid, when I read some of my dad's books about this incident, and also the loss of HMAS Perth as well.
Exactly 80 years to the day after HMAS Sydney sank in a World War II battle, the identity of the only crew member ever recovered has been revealed, today at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.
The remains of Able Seaman (AB) Clark washed up on Christmas Island 11 weeks after the HMAS Sydney sank in a World War II battle on November 19, 1941, following an ambush by German raider the Kormoran off the coast of Western Australia. Only one body was ever found, washed ashore on Christmas Island — and that body became known as the 'unknown sailor', until now.
His grave was found in 2006 but it is only now that technological advances are thought to have helped reveal his identity.
HMAS Sydney
"AB Clark was one of 645 crewmen who lost their lives following the engagement between HMAS Sydney and the German cruiser Kormoran off the coast of Western Australia," the Australian War Memorial said.
The then-Ordinary Seaman Clark enlisted on August 23, 1940, and trained at HMAS St Giles and HMAS Cerberus. Then, on August 19, 1941, he became a crew member of HMAS Sydney, achieving the ranking of Able Seaman just a few days later.
The HMAS Sydney and its crew of 645 were darlings of the Australian war fleet as they cruised the Western Australian coast in November 1941.
Their loss in a battle with the German cruiser HSK Kormoran devastated a nation and sparked decades of research, speculation and controversy about where the ship had sunk.
While some 315 of the Kormoran's 393 officers and crew survived the loss of their ship, none of the HMAS Sydney's men was found — except for the body of one sailor who washed up in an invertible life raft on Christmas Island after the battle.
The sailor was buried by locals and largely forgotten.
"It was ferocious and it was brutal and Tom is believed to be the only person who made it to a life raft," he said this morning.
"Tom tragically died at sea and his body was found at Christmas Island some three months later."
A Carley Float, associated with HMAS Sydney
Mal's note: I remember the powerful image this float conveyed to me when I saw it as an older child on display at the Australian War Memorial.
In 1950, a man named Brian O'Shannassy took a photo of the gravesite. The Navy subsequently attempted to find the lost grave – to no avail.
Meanwhile, Mr O'Shannassy handed the photo to Ms McDonald, who had become passionate about finding the HMAS Sydney's final resting place after hearing stories of her loss from locals in Western Australia.
Using the photo, countless interviews and archival research across the globe to aid her case, Ms McDonald managed to convince the Navy to launch another search for the lost HMAS Sydney sailor's grave.
With Mr O'Shannassy in tow, naval officers visited the site of the photo and dug five trenches – each one empty.
They shared the devastating news with Ms McDonald who again convinced them to keep looking — this time in a wider gap between the graves.
Here, at last, they found the unmarked grave of the unknown sailor. His body was exhumed and studied in New South Wales. But at the time, the DNA extracted from a tooth provided no clues to his identity.
In 2008, the man's body was buried in the closest Commonwealth war grave cemetery to the ship's final resting place – in the coastal city of Geraldton, Western Australia.
"It's testament to modern science and technology that we have been able to identify Tom, after all of these decades. I think it says a lot about our nation that even after 80 years, we are still working so hard to identify and honour our servicemen and women."
Chief of Navy Vice-Admiral Mike Noonan said "his long voyage is complete, may he rest in peace".
Another related story... "Historic diary reveals personal life aboard HMAS Sydney during World War II".
Source: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-19/unknown-sailor-identified-as-thomas-welsby-clark/100633302
Peas be with ewe
Mal
Mal
I felt satisfied that the Sydney had now been dealth with when hearing the news. It's resolved, DNA has conquered the sketchy remains and we can stop hoping for other surviving bodies. Vale the Crew of HMAS Sydney.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely yes, Kay!
DeleteVery interesting. I did not know of this but of course I know about the loss of so many.
ReplyDeleteA question long asked, finally answered. RIP.
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