Horace Ormes Sawyer (abt. 1892 - 1942)

Born about 12 Jun 1892 in Winterton, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Myrtle Ann (Wright) Cannon — married about 1915 (to about 1929) in Camperdown, Victoria, Australia [uncertain]

Husband of Irene Edith (Martin) Sawyer — married about 1933 (to about 7 Feb 1935) in Victoria, Australia [uncertain]

Died 1 Jul 1942 at about age 50 in At Sea

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Biography

Horace Sawyer was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Horace Sawyer died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Horace Ormes Sawyer was born in 1892 at Winterton, Lincolnshire, England, the son of Stephen and Bessie Rebecca Sawyer. He was part of a large family.

He served his apprenticeship as a butcher for 5 years with J. Dawson of Winterton, Lincolnshire. He was living in Kettering, Northamptonshire, ENG in 1911 and was a butcher.

He enlisted for service in the Australian Army in WW1 at Broadmeadows, VIC on 26 Aug 1914 as a Private (346) in the 8th Bn. At the time he was a butcher, single, living at Camperdown, VIC. He gave his mother, Bessie, living in Winterton as his next of kin. He was 5 ft 7 in tall with fresh complexion, brown hair and brown eyes. He was discharged as medically unfit on 19 Sep 1914.

In 1915 he married Myrtle Ann Wright in Camperdown, VIC.

There were 2 children

• Allan Horace Alfred Sawyer b. 02 May 1916 at Camperdown
• Gordon Ormes Sawyer b. 10 May 1917 at Colac

Myrtle filed for divorce on the grounds of desertion. He counter-petitioned on the grounds of desertion. She withdrew her charge and the divorce was granted on his petition in 1929.^[1] It appears he did not seek custody of the children and made no effort to stay in contact with them.

He married Irene Edith Martin in Victoria in 1933.

She died in Melbourne on 7 February 1935.^[2] It seems he was working at St Kilda beach at this time.^[3]

He married Mary Gilchrist Honeyman in Victoria in 1939.

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Caulfield, VIC on 11 June 1940 as a Private (VX25013), having completed his attestation form at Leongatha, VIC on 29 May 1940. At the time he was a widower, a butcher and was living at Wonthaggi, VIC. He lowered his age by 8 years to enlist. He gave his sister, Mrs Filby of Creswick, VIC as his next of kin. He made no mention of being currently married.

He was initially identified for the Australian Army Service Corps, but was posted to the 2/22nd Bn on 11 July 1940 and was appointed Butcher Group III the same day.

He entrained from Victoria to Sydney on 10 April 1941, embarked in Sydney on HMT "Katoomba" on 12 April 1941 for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 26 April 1941. His Battalion was to form the core of "Lark Force" to defend the Territory.

After the Japanese invasion of 23 January 1942, he was captured at Kokopo and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records show him as part of Headquarters.

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.

His only "In Memoriam" notice was from Mrs F. Dixon and Albert, so he may have formed another relationship.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Divorce #1 - OTHER CASES. (1929, June 26). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 19. Retrieved April 1, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205025147
2. ↑ Wife #2 Death - Family Notices (1935, February 8). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 1. Retrieved April 1, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11013189
3. ↑ Return Thanks - Advertising (1935, February 23). The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), p. 17. Retrieved April 1, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11017142
4. ↑ In Memoriam - Family Notices (1945, October 19). The Age (Melbourne, Vic. : 1854 - 1954), p. 8. Retrieved April 1, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article205644524

• Birth - UK GRO Birth index - SAWYER, HORACE ORMES; PERCIVAL; GRO Reference: 1892 S Quarter in GLANFORD BRIGG Volume 07A Page 706

• Baptism - "England, Lincolnshire, Parish Registers, 1538-1990," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPHW-69Z3 : 21 January 2020), Horace Ormes Sawyer, 1 Sep 1892; citing Baptism, 1 Sep 1892, Winterton, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom, Lincolnshire Record Office, Lincoln; FHL microfilm .

• 1901 Census - "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS8R-L8F : 21 May 2019), Horace O Sawyer in household of Stephen Sawyer, Winterton, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Winterton subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.

• 1911 Census - "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7G8-SZ3 : 18 July 2019), Horace Sawyer in household of George Herbert Carps, Kettering St Peter and St Paul, Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.

• Marriage # 1 - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 1165 / 1915; Family name: SAWYER; Given name(s): Horace; Personal detail Spouse's family name: WRIGHT; Spouse's given name(s): Myrtle Ann

• Marriage #2 - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 8362 / 1933; Family name: SAWYER; Given name(s): Horace Ormes; Personal detail Spouse's family name: MARTIN; Spouse's given name(s): Irene Edith

• Marriage #3 - Victoria BDM Marriage index - Event: marriages; Registration number: 11158 / 1939; Family name: SAWYER; Given name(s): Horace Ormes; Personal detail Spouse's family name: HONEYMAN; Spouse's given name(s): Mary Jilchrist

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - SAWYER HORACE : Service Number - VX25013 : Date of birth - 12 Jun 1900 : Place of birth - LINCOLNSHIRE ENGLAND : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - FILBY - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6205107

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1698417

• Commonwealth War Graves Commission - https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2616259/sawyer,-horace/