Richard Walter Barrett (1920 - 1942)

Born 23 Jun 1920 in Waratah, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 22 in At Sea

Biography

Richard Barrett was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Richard Barrett died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

When Richard enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Paddington, NSW on 05 Jun 1940 (having completed his attestation form in Newcastle, NSW on 23 May 1940) he claimed he was born in 1919 at Newcastle, NSW, the son of Walter and Alice Alma Barrett.He was actually born in 1920 (Japanese records have him aged 21 in early 1942). He enlisted as a Private (NX20493). At the time he was single, a bobbin winder and was living with his father at Mayfield, NSW. He had black hair and blue eyes.

He had been educated at the Newcastle Boys High School and had worked at the Australian Wire Rope Works.^[1]

After initially training with the Artillery, he was transferred to No. 1 Independent Coy (a commando unit) on 10 May 1941.

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 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

1. ↑ PRESUMED DEAD (1945, October 16). Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954), p. 2. Retrieved February 20, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article134371516

• Birth - NSW BDM Birth index - BARRETT RICHARD W; 34116/1920; WALTER; ALICE A; WARATAH

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - BARRETT RICHARD WALTER : Service Number - NX20493 : Date of birth - 23 Jun 1919 : Place of birth - NEWCASTLE NSW : Place of enlistment - PADDINGTON NSW : Next of Kin - BARRETT WALTER - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4642568

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1689657

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2615349/barrett,-richard-walter/

• Virtual War Memorial Australia: https://vwma.org.au/explore/people/619171

• The Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial https://www.powmemorialballarat.com.au/prisoners-of-war/barrett-richard-walter/