George Sinclair McKeown (1915 - 1942)

Born 3 Apr 1915 in Willoughby, New South Wales, Australia

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 27 in At Sea

Biography

George McKeown was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

George McKeown died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

George was born in 1915 at Willoughby, NSW, the son of Pierce McKeown and Hannah Sinclair.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Paddington, NSW on 10 Jul 1940. At the time he was single, a painter, and was living with his father in Willoughby, NSW. He had brown hair and grey eyes.

At some point he was joined in training by his younger brother John Sidney McKeown, who had enlisted 9 months after him.

After training he was transferred to No. 1 Independent Coy (a commando unit) on 10 May 1941. He was graded as a Signaller Group II on the same day.

He embarked on HMAT "Zealandia" on 12 Jul 1941 for Kavieng, New Ireland in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 29 Jul 1941.

When the Japanese invaded New Ireland on 23 Jan 1942 he was probably with the bulk of the Coy who escaped overland to Kaut on the south coast and boarded the "Induna Star" on 29 Jan 1942 before making their way along the coast of New Ireland heading to Rabaul. When they learned that Rabaul had fallen and hearing that the Japanese had landed to the east of them (false) the ship sailed south. It was spotted by a Japanese aircraft, bombed and taken under tow by a Japanese destroyer on 02 Feb 1942 and entered Rabaul on 03 Feb 1942 where he became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul.

He and his brother, John Sidney McKeown had been captured together and died together 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.

Sources

• Birth - NSW BDM Birth index - MCKEOWN GEORGE S; 19678/1915; PIERCE; HANNAH; CHATSWOOD

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - MCKEOWN GEORGE SINCLAIR : Service Number - NX53992 : Date of birth - 03 Apr 1915 : Place of birth - WILLOUGHBY NSW : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - MCKEOWN PEIRCE - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4623786

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1685535

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615976/mckeown,-george-sinclair/

• [https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/639039