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The Centaur, 2/3rd Australian Hospital Ship, was a motor passenger ship
converted in early 1943 for use as a hospital ship. In November 1941 it had
rescued survivors of the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran after it had sunk and
been sunk by HMAS Sydney.
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Sydney, NSW. 1943. Starboard bow view of the Hospital Ship Centaur. Prominent
red crosses and green lines are painted on her hull. Red crosses are also
attached to her funnel and stern with another lying horizontally on the after
deckhouse.
AWM 302800 |
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.
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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.
NFX76584 SISTER ELLEN SAVAGE, GM., AUSTRALIAN ARMY
NURSING SERVICE, |
The ship had been
appropriately lit and marked to indicate that it was a
hospital ship and its sinking was regarded as an atrocity. The Australian
Government delivered an official protest to Japan over the incident. The
Japanese did not acknowledge responsibility for the incident for many years and
the War Crimes Tribunal could not identify the responsible submarine. However,
the Japanese official war makes clear that it was submarine 1-177, under the
command of Lt Commander Nakagawa who had sunk the Centaur. Lt Commander Nakagawa
was convicted as a war criminal for firing on survivors of the British Chivalry
which his ship had sunk in the Indian Ocean.
partly from the AWM Encyclopaedia |
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Reaction
to the Sinking
Statements
concerning the CENTAUR by
General Macarthur:
I
cannot express the revulsion I feel at this unnecessary act of cruelty.
Its limitless savagery represents the continuation of a calculated attempt
to create a sense of trepidation through the practice of horrors designed
to shock normal sensibilities.
The brutal excesses of the Philippines campaign, the execution of our
captured airmen, the barbarity of Papua, are all of a pattern. The enemy
does not understand - he apparently cannot understand - that our
invincible strength is not so much of the body, as it is of the soul, and
rises with adversity.
The Red Cross will not falter under this foul blow. Its light of mercy
will but shine the brighter on our way to inevitable victory.
Prime
Minister John Curtin: Address to Parliament
It
is with the deepest regret that the Commonwealth Government has learned of
the loss of the Australian hospital ship "Centaur" and I know
that the news will come also as a profound shock to the Australian people.
The attack which took place within a few miles of the Queensland coast
bears all the marks of wantonness and deliberation. Not only will it stir
our people into a more acute realisation of the type of enemy against whom
we are fighting, but I am confident also that this deed will shock the
conscience of the whole civilised world and demonstrate to all who may
have had any lingering doubts the unscrupulous and barbarous methods by
which the Japanese conduct warfare.
To the next-of-kin of those who are lost the Government and nation extend
heartfelt sympathy, which is the deeper since those persons were
non-combatants engaged on an errand of mercy, and were by all the laws of
warfare immune from attack.
The full circumstances of the sinking of the "Centaur" are as
follows:-
The "Centaur" was at 4 o'clock in the morning of Friday 14th May
a short distance off the Queensland coast. The weather was fine and clear,
and the visibility was good. The ship was brightly illuminated in
accordance with the Geneva Convention. Illuminations, in addition to the
usual navigation lights, consisted of red crosses on each side of the
hull, red crosses on each side of the funnel, a large red cross directed
upwards on the poop, and rows of brilliant white lights along the sides of
the hull to illuminate the characteristic green painted band - in this
case five feet wide - which encircles hospital ships. On board the
"Centaur" at the time were 352 persons, consisting solely of the
ship's crew and medical personnel, including twelve nurses. There were no
wounded on board. In all there were only 64 survivors including one nurse.
Remaining 288 persons, including members of the ship's crew, nurses and
other medical personnel, lost their lives.
Notice of intention to use the "CENTAUR" as a hospital ship,
together with particulars of her dimensions, markings, and appearance, was
communicated by the Commonwealth Government to the Axis Powers early this
year; in the case of Japan on February 5th. In addition, full publicity
including photographs of the ship was given in the Press, and particulars
were broadcast in news broadcasts from Australian radio stations.
There is therefore no reason to suppose that the Japanese Government and
the Japanese naval authorities were not fully acquainted with the
existence and purposes of this vessel. In all the circumstances, the
Commonwealth Government is bound to regard the sinking of the
"Centaur" as an entirely inexcusable act undertaken in violation
of a convention to which Japan is a party and of all the principles of
common humanity. An immediate and strong protest in these terms is being
addressed to the Japanese Government, and the country may feel confident
that the Government will do its utmost to establish right of redress and
ensure that the war criminals responsible for this dastardly act are
brought to justice.
A
Cablegram from Mr Attlee:
Deputy Prime Minister of Great Britain;
My colleagues and I are greatly shocked at the
sinking of the hospital ship Centaur. Please accept our deep sympathy with
Australia in this tragic loss of life.
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