John
James
McNamara
Born in Ivanhoe, Victoria, Australia
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
[spouse(s) unknown]
[children unknown]
Died
at age 27
in At Sea
Profile last modified
| Created 8 Jan 2020
This page has been accessed 79 times.
Biography
John McNamara was a Prisoner of War during World War II.
John McNamara died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.
John James McNamara was born in 1915 at Ivanhoe, VIC, the son of John James and Anna McNamara.
John enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service on 20 Jun 1940 at Caulfield, VIC as a Private (VX29194). At the time he was a labourer, single and living with his father at Heidelberg, VIC. He had red hair and brown eyes.
He was posted to the 2/22nd Bn on 31 Jul 1940.
He married Evelyn May Newey at Corowa, NSW in 1941 - he went AWOL for 3 days each time at the end of Dec 1940 and again in Mar 1941, so possibly this is when he married.
He embarked on HMAT "Katoomba" in Melbourne on 10 Apr 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, where he disembarked on 26 Apr 1941.
His time in Rabaul includes punishments for a long list of infractions of regulations and 2 stays in hospital for malaria.
When the Japanese invaded New Britain on 23 Jan 1942 he was captured at Rabaul and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records mis-identify him as a member of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles. 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.
Sources
- Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 4733 / 1915; Family name: MCNAMARA; Given name(s): Jno Jas; Place of event: IVANHOE, VIC, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Anna; Mother's family name at birth: DALRYMPLE; Father's Name: Jno Jas
- Marriage - NSW BDM Marriage index - 14094/1941; MCNAMARA JOHN JAMES; NEWEY EVELYN MAY; COROWA
- WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - MCNAMARA JOHN JAMES : Service Number - VX29194 : Date of birth - 22 Feb 1915 : Place of birth - MELBNE VIC : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - MCNAMARA E - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6205884
- Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1686016
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2615999/john-james-mcnamara/
- Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/639370
- The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial: https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/mcnamara-john-james/
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M > McNamara > John James McNamara
Categories: Ivanhoe, Victoria | 2nd 22nd Infantry Battalion, Australian Army, World War II | Montevideo Maru Sinking, 1942 | Rabaul War Cemetery and Memorial, Papua New Guinea | Rabaul Montevideo Maru War Memorial, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea | Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Lake Wendouree, Victoria | Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory | Prisoners of War, Australia, World War II | Died while Prisoner of War, Australia, World War II