Keith Martial Berwick (1918 - 1942)

Born 24 Feb 1918 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 24 in At Sea

Biography

Keith Berwick was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Keith Berwick died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Keith Martial Berwick was born on 24 February 1918 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, the son of Michael James Berwick and Emily Caroline Maney.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Paddington, NSW on 12 Jun 1940 as a Gunner (NX30466) in the Royal Australian Artillery. At the time he was single, an orchardist labourer and was living with his father in Goulburn, NSW.

Following training he was posted 2/19th Bn at Wallgrove, NSW as a Private on 08 Aug 1940 and then to 22nd Anti Tank Coy, RAA at Ingleburn, NSW as a Gunner on 09 Sep 1940.

He spent time in hospital several times with influenza, bronchitis and URTI.

He was transferred to 17th Anti Tank Battery (B Troop) at Holsworthy, NSW on 09 Aug 1941 and embarked on the "Zealandia" at Sydney on 09 Sep 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 30 Sep 1941. His unit became part of "Lark Force" to defend the Territory.

After the Japanese invasion on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured on the Lassul Bay coast and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul.

He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 Jul 1942, en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

Research Notes

• Brother wounded in action - GOULBURN MAN AT SHAGGY RIDGE (1945, November 6). Goulburn Evening Post (NSW : 1940 - 1954), p. 1 (Daily and Evening). Retrieved May 26, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103219370

• Mother's Death - MRS. C. BERWICK (1947, September 5). Goulburn Evening Post (NSW : 1940 - 1954), p. 4 (Daily and Evening). Retrieved May 26, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103329998

Sources

• Libraries Tasmania: Births. Name: Berwick, Keith Martial; Record Type: Births; Gender: Male; Father: Berwick, Michael James; Mother: Maney, Emily Caroline; Remarks: Note: This data was compiled by the Tasmanian Family History Society. It was published on CD-ROM as part of the Tasmanian Federation Index Births 1900-1919, Deaths and Marriages 1900-1930 by Macbeth Genealogical Services, 2006. Libraries Tasmania does not hold the original documents used to create this index. Contact Births, Deaths and Marriages for access to the original records, or to obtain a certificate. Date of birth: 24 Feb 1918; Where born: Harold Street, Hobart; Registration year: 1918; File number: 4455; Record ID: NAME_INDEXES:2142258. https://linctas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/names/search/
• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BERWICK KEITH MARTIAL : Service Number - NX30466 : Date of birth - 21 Feb 1918 : Place of birth - HOBART TAS : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - BERWICK MICHAEL - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4902324

• Notification of Death - GNR. K. M. BERWICK (1945, November 1). Goulburn Evening Post (NSW : 1940 - 1954), p. 3 (Daily and Evening). Retrieved May 26, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103231830

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1681228

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615382/berwick,-keith-martial/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/619917

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/berwick-keith-martial/