Vivian Wilson (1918 - 1944)

Ancestors

Biography

Vivian was born in 1918 at Ballarat Victoria. Parents named on the Birth index as Vivian Leopold Wilson, mother Elizabeth Marian Stevenson. ^[1] Ian was a nick name or abbreviated version of his name and is not on his birth index. His grave has his name listed as Vivian /Ian Wilson. Australia Cemetery index have him buried at Benalla Cemetery aged 26. ^[2]

On 11th July 1940 Ian enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force for military service during the Second World War. He was posed to the 2/10th Field Company, Australian Engineers. He became aprisoner of war of the Japanese at the Fall of Singapore in February 1942. He died in captivity on 12th September 1944. ^[3]

Died SEP 1944.-AT SEA NEAR MALAYA. Note: There is a place known as the Union Jack Club which is great rendez-vous fo Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of all. marvellous. There are any amount of places to visit at night, one place in particular is called "New World" something like Luna Park only not so many side shows. It. Well I think I had better telll you a bit about my doings in this part of the globe now. couldn't do anything about it. jungle got thicker. Our original intentions were to try and get a photo of a crocodile but we didn't see any, I don't think. nationalities. We've shifted camp a couple of times since I last wrote to. wwe went far enough up stream and apart from that the river was too high. Another party went out on a motor launch trip to an island about ten miles off the coast and I. Malaya dated 12-5-1941. swim and a friend saw him in the water but that was the. and fires, and Oh Boy what would I say to nice cold night. I was very pleased to receive your letter this. Ian joined 2/10th Engineers early in 2nd World War and was taken prisoner in Malaya about 1941. In September,. So you've taken up the skating again in earnest. Is the ice. to-day's mail so I must write to him to-night. one thing to do and that was to get busy immediately and. No Phyl I didn't know until to-day that Uncle Jack had been. never for a minute thought you would apply to join it yourself. Yes I knew they were calling for girls in different. same thing next Sunday if we are all free from duties. 1944, prisoners were being taken by ship to Japan to work in the mines. He was apparently very well despite prison life. Americans attacked the ship, not knowing that Australian prisoners were on board. Ian was unable to. last that was heard of him. Letter to Phyllis Broadbent (1st cousin) from.

Ian in

.

Dear Phyl,. after-noon and when I read it was ashamed to think that I had not answered you last one so decided there was only. start writing. still as hard as ever? The last time I was at the Glaci it was very hard. Yes it does seem funny speaking of cold nights. just at present. Just fancy, I wonder what it will be like to wake up and look out the window and see everything covered with frost again. Still I don't really mind the heat youknow, not that it would make any difference if I did. I. Well I knew the Air Force has at different times attracted you (or maybe I shouldn't say the whole Air Force) but I. branches. Well I hopee you are successful anyway Phyl. ill. Mother also told me in a letter I received from her in. you. We've left our nice comfortable camp where we had huts to live in, electric light and whart nolt, and nlow we are living in tents again, it wasn't so good at first but we soon got used to it in fact I think I would prefer to be in tents.

now

because we only have four men to a tent and you can get in. with your own pals. The only thing I didn't like about it in one way was that we no sooner got settled in one new camp when we had to pack up and move to another one, still I don't mind it because I like being on themove and seeing fresh country all the time. We are in quite a good camp now though, right on the beach again and close to a fairly decent town. I can't tell you the name of the town of course. I had my final leave to Singapore about a fortnight ago. Had a very enjoyable day too. The only trouble with it was that the time was just a bit too short for my liking. We had the Saturday after-noon and evening but that isn't very long. when it is the first time you've seen the place and there is so much to be seen. Singapore is a wonderful place Phyl, it is very modern. although typically eastern, some of the buildings are. contains a marvellous picture theatre and a modern air. conditioned cabaret which I believe is biggerr and more. modern than any cabaret in Australia. There are three of these places in Singapore, the "Old World" "New World" and "Happy World" although I believe. the New World is the best of them and up to date is the only. one I"ve seen still I intend to see them all befor the war is over. I think I should have plenty of time. It is a rest house for members of the different forces and is a very good place for meals and rooms too if you were on weekend leave and wanted somewhere to stay. Yesterday being Sunday, all who were not on duty had the. day to themselves so a party of nine of us hired a couple of. small boats and went for a row up the river into the jungle. Had quite a good trip too, we went about seven miles and. saw some very nice scenery as we got up stream and the. believe had a very nice trip so we are thinking of doing the. Well Phyl I don't think there is much more to write about just at present and I must drop a line home to-night so I think I had better say cheerio and close up. Remember me to Auntie, Uncle and Jack,. Cheerio - Yours Ian.

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The following is a section from the chapter about Viv and Lyd Wilson in the Wilson book - 'They Came on Eastern City'.

Viv and Lyd Wilson only had one son, Vivian, known as Ian, and he was fighting in Asia in the 2nd World war.

The relevant Dede ancestry is:

Sarah Dede Sarah Wilson Vivian Wilson Vivian (Ian) Wilson

It has been wondered if Ian was on Montevideo Maru which was recently found on the bottom of the ocean. Although the circumstances were similar Ian was not on that ship. He was on Rakuyo Maru.

Vivian (Ian) Wilson

The Wilsons gave Ian a farewell function at Camberwell. Neil and Thea Wilson travelled down from Burnbank to see him off. This might have coincided with Christmas and a cricket match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

At some stage Ian was promoted to Corporal. After being involved in conflict in Malaya Ian was taken as a prisoner. For the most part Ian survived his confinement well although he had to work on the Thailand Burma railway. This railway was built from 1940 - 1944 and was designed to carry troops and weapons. Since around 90,000 Southeast Asian civilians and 12,000 Allied prisoners perished while building the railway it was also known as the death railway. The famous Bridge on the River Kwai is a part of the infrastructure for this railway.

In September 1944 a group of 13 ships including some Prisoner of War (PoW) ships sailed from Singapore bound for Formosa, now known as Taiwan. The PoWs were being transported to holding camps in Taiwan before being shifted to Japan. These camps were also brutal places. Ian was held captive on the Japanese transporter, Rakuyo Maru. The ship sailed with 1318 Australian, British and American PoWs who were kept in the hold. The ships joined with another convoy from Manila. They had nearly reached their destination but early in the morning of the 4th September 1944 as they sailed through the Luzon strait the convoy was torpedoed by the American submarine, USS Growler, and an escort ship was sunk. USS Growler did not know that Allied prisoners were on some of the ships. The Rakuyo Maru survived a couple of torpedo attacks but after the second one, PoWs started to jump overboard. The Japanese sailors took all of the lifeboats. The ship stayed afloat for many hours but by 5 pm all men had to leave. The PoWs were left behind with only two lifeboats between them. Ian survived the attack but, despite being seen in the water by a friend, was unable to swim and sadly met his death by drowning. At this time another submarine, USS Pampanito and USS Sealion arrived and began rescuing a few survivors. Soon it was joined by a couple of other US submarines. It is estimated that only about 159 PoWs survived the sinking of the Rakuyo Maru. There were many casualties from the 13 ships.

There are a number of references devoted to this horrific incident. These include:

Wikipedia: SS Rakuyo Maru,

ww2today.com - USS Sealion sinks Rakuyo Maru - and 1300 PoWs

Numerous videos can be found from Criticalpast on youtube. The key word is Rakuyo Maru.

Viv and Lyd must have been devastated that their only child, Ian, died. The original of the photo of Ian is reproduced nearby. It was this photo that Lyd kept by her bed.

A notice about the tidying up of young Ian’s affairs appeared in The Argus on Monday 21st January 1946:

VIVIAN WILSON. Late on War Service. Deceased - After 14 clear days Vivian Leopold Wilson, formerly of 164 Nicholson street Bairnsdale, but now of Moe, labourer, one of the executors appointed by the deceased’s will, dated 28th December, 1940 will APPLY to the Supreme Court for a grant of PROBATE of the said WILL, leave being reserved by Keith Thompson Dahlsen of Bairnsdale manager, the other executor named in the said will, to come in and prove the same at any time. J. I. LANFRANCHI, solicitor, Bairnsdale

The executors were Ian’s father, Viv, and Keith Dahlsen. Keith Dahlsen was well known in Bairnsdale. He was also the Director of J. C. Dahlsen Pty Ltd. Shipowners and General Merchants, as well as the President of the local Red Cross and a Rotarian. One of Keith Dahlsen’s jobs was to oversee the production of munitions for the war. He would have been known to the Wilson family when they lived in Bairnsdale and Viv, and possibly Ian, worked for him. There is a tree that commemorates the 2/10th Field Company located in Birdwood Avenue, Shrine Reserve in Melbourne.

Source: Ken Miller https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Miller-71267

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria BDM Births: 24574 / 1918
2. ↑ Australian Institute of Genealogical Studies; Reference: M250
3. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: VX41946 Corporal Vivian Wilson; accessed 27 May 2022

• Registry Birth Death and Marriages [BDM] Victoria online database: https://my.rio.bdm.vic.gov.au/efamily-history/5fa9e1030ae78424125d1f53?q=efamily