Struan Raymond Wilson (1912 - 1942)

Born 23 Apr 1912 in Portland, Victoria, Australia

Died 1 Jul 1942 at age 30 in At Sea

Struan Wilson was a Prisoner of War during World War II.

Struan Wilson died as a prisoner of war on the Montevideo Maru during the Second World War.

Biography

Struan was born in 1912 in Portland, VIC, the second son of William Allan and Elsie McPherson Wilson.

He married Molly Cynthia in Adelaide, South Australia in 1934.

In 1934 he was a farmer and was conned into paying a man 2 Pounds under false pretences.^[1]

He enlisted in the Australian Army for overseas service at Caulfield, VIC on 18 Jul 1940 as a Private (VX44390). At the time he was married, an omnibus driver and was living with his wife at Coburg, VIC.

He was posted to the 2/22nd Bn on 27 Aug 1940.

He entrained in Victoria on 11 Mar 1941 for Sydney where he embarked on 12 Mar 1941 on HMAT "Katoomba" for Rabaul, New Britain in the Territory of New Guinea, disembarking there on 28 Mar 1941. His Battalion was to form the core of "Lark Force" to defend the Territory.

After the Japanese invasion of 23 Jan 1942, he was captured on the Wide Bay coast and became a Prisoner of War, initially held at Rabaul. Japanese records have him as a Driver attached to Headquarters.

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. ↑ AGENT SENT TO GAOL FOR FIVE MONTHS (1934, December 20). The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), p. 5. Retrieved April 5, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article35027100

• Birth - Victoria BDM Birth index - Event: births; Registration number: 14539 / 1912; Family name: WILSON; Given name(s): Struan Raymond; Place of event: PLAND, VIC, Australia; Personal detail Mother's name: Elzie Macpherson; Mother's family name at birth: KEAN; Father's Name: Wm Allen

• Marriage - genealogysa.org.au - South Australia Marriage index - WILSON Struan Raymond; Molly Cynthia; Adelaide; 352/3887; 1934

• WW2 Australian Army Service File - National Archives of Australia - WILSON STRAUN RAYMOND : Service Number - VX44390 : Date of birth - 23 Apr 1912 : Place of birth - PORTLAND VIC : Place of enlistment - CAULFIELD VIC : Next of Kin - SIMON LES - http://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/scripts/AutoSearch.asp?O=I&Number=6118821

• Death On Active Service - Family Notices (1945, October 25). Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), p. 2 (EVENING). Retrieved April 5, 2020, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article64405793

• Roll of Honour - Australian War Memorial - https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/R1694531

• https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2616498/wilson,-straun-raymond/