Albert August Samuels (1919 - 1942)

Born 16 Sep 1919 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 22 in At Sea

Biography

Albert Samuels was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Albert Samuels died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Albert August Samuels was born in 1919 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. His parents were Gustav Samuels and Rose Ellen Hitchman.

In 1939, Albert was a key witness in a murder trial.^[1]

Albert enlisted in the Australian Army (Militia) on 23 March 1940 as a Private (Q63998) in the Australian Army Ordnance Corps in Brisbane. He was a garage mechanic, single and living with his father in Holland Park, QLD. He had brown hair and hazel eyes.

He was called up for full time service on 13 June 1941. He embarked on the "Malaita" on 19 July 1941 and disembarked in Rabaul in the Territory of New Guinea on 09 August 1941. The next day he was promoted Cpl and he was made A/Sgt on 02 October 1941.

When the Japanese invaded New Britain in January 1942 he was captured at Nienduk (near Lassul Bay) and became a Prisoner of War. He died on board the "Montevideo Maru" when it was torpedoed and sunk off the coast of the Philippines on 01 July 1942 en route from Rabaul to Hainan where he was destined for forced labour.

He was posthumously transferred to the 2nd AIF as QX64911.

He was remembered at the Toowong Cemetery.

Research Notes

He is memoralised with Charles Richard Burdett who died on the same day. The surname on his memorial is Samuels. Paper transcription seems to have added the surname of Burdett.

Sources

1. ↑ ALLEGED REMARK BY YOUNG MAN (1939, June 25). Truth (Brisbane, Qld. : 1900 - 1954), p. 13. Retrieved September 19, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article198686631

• Qld birth registration - Albert August Samuels, Event date: 16/09/1919, Event type: Birth registration, Registration details: 1919/C/8960, Mother: Rose Ellen Hitchman, Father/parent: Gustaf Samuels

• Australian Army Service record - National Archives of Australia - SAMUELS ALBERT AUGUST : Service Number - QX64911 : Date of birth - 16 Sep 1919 : Place of birth - BRISBANE : Place of enlistment - ANNERLEY : Next of Kin - SAMUELS GUSTAV - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=4924680

• Roll of Honour - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1697409

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2616252/albert-august-samuels/

• Death Report - War Casualties (1945, November 14). The Telegraph (Brisbane, Qld. : 1872 - 1947), p. 6 (CITY FINAL LAST MINUTE NEWS). Retrieved September 19, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article188760360

• In Memoriam notice - Family Notices (1945, November 2). The Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved September 19, 2019, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50287830

• Qld death registration - Albert August Samuels, Event date: 01/07/1942, Event type: Death registration, Registration details: 1946/S/3646, Mother: Rose Ellen Hitchman, Father/parent: Gustaf Samuels

• Billion Graves Index- https://billiongraves.com/grave/Albert-August-Samuels-Burdett/27111443