Latham Hamilton (1892 - 1942)

Born 1892 in Whites Bay, Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand

Died 1 Jul 1942 at about age 50 in At Sea

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Biography

Latham Hamilton was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Latham Hamilton died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Latham was born in about 1892 at Whites Bay, Blenheim, Marlborough New Zealand, the son of William Henry Hamilton, a civil servant and his wife Jessie, nee Daniel.

He applied to enlist in the AIF in Sydney during WW1 on 17 Aug 1914. He was a chemist, 5 ft 9 & 1/2 in tall, with fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He was a Private (No. 1284) allocated to G Coy, 3rd Bn. He listed 6 years prior military experience (all artillery), including 3 months permanent service with the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery.

He was immediately made Provisional Sergeant. This was confirmed on 01 Sep 1914. He embarked at Sydney on HMAT "A14 "Euripides" on 20 Oct 1914.

At Gallipoli on 23 May 1915 he was evacuated to hospital with pleurisy. he rejoined his unit on 19 Feb 1916.

On 22 Mar 1916 he embarked at Alexandria, Egypt for Marseilles, France on HMAT "Grampian".

He was taken on strength with 1st Australian Div Salvage Corp. on 22 Jan 1917 in France. He returned to 3rd Bn on 22 Mar 1917.

On 28 May 1917 he was appointed 2nd Lieutenant with 1st Bn. On 04 Jan 1918 he was promoted to Lieutenant.

He was wounded in action at Ypres on 04 May 1918. (gun shot wound left leg and right toe). He was hospitalised in England, and following leave on 28 Sep 1918 returned to Australia on the "Borda" (as a 1914 man). Medical reports indicate that the effects of his wound were mild and that he could walk distances with the aid of a stick.

On 20 Feb 1919 his appointment was terminated.

He moved to the Territory of New Guinea in about 1920. He never married.

In 1934 he was living at Ramu in New Guinea. He had also lived at Kavieng and Sumuna Plantation (Dyaul Island, south of New Ireland) in New Guinea. He was plantation manager at Garua (Island, just off the north coast of New Britain) when the Japanese invaded in Jan 1942 he was captured at Kokopo, near Rabaul and interned as a civilian prisoner.

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.

A memorial to him and another plantation manager was erected at Garua Island following the War.^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Memorial to Plantation Men. (1954-01-01). In Pacific islands monthly : PIM. xxiv, no. 6 ( jan. 1, 1954) (6), 89. - https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/234112355

• Birth - NZ BDM Birth index - 1892/2598; Hamilton Leatham; Jessie; William Henry

• WW1 AIF Service record - National Archives of Australia - HAMILTON Latham : Service Number - Lieutenant/1284 : Place of Birth - Blenheim NZ : Place of Enlistment - Sydney NSW : Next of Kin - (Father) HAMILTON G K - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4265714

• Death Form - National Archives of Australia - Defence - General - Information of deaths for persons lost on the MONTEVIDEO MARU - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchNRetrieve/Interface/ViewImage.aspx?B=102239&S=82

• Probate Notice - IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE TERRITORY OF PAPUA - NEW GUINEA. PROBATE JURISDICTION. (1948, March 3). Territory of Papua-New Guinea Government Gazette (1945 - 1949), p. 50. Retrieved June 11, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article249061098

• People of the Plaque - Roll of Honour - http://www.jje.info/lostlives/exhib/potp/rollofhonour2.html

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/3173285/latham-hamilton/