Commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll Of Honour - located near St.George's Chapel, Westminster Abbey - are the names 67,000+ Commonwealth civilians whose deaths were due to enemy action during the course of WW2 and many of whom have no-known-graves. Amongst 86 civilian casualties who died in Papua New Guinea can be found those of 9 Reverands, all of whom died between 1939 and 1947. note: 10 images attached 01. The Rev. JOHN FREDERICK BARGE executed between 22nd and 31-10-1943 Age 46 02. The Rev. WILLIAM BARROW 13-11-1942 Age 39 03. The Rev. JOHN CHRISTOPHER CONLEY died between 03-09-1939 and 31-12-1947 04. The Rev. WILLIAM CULHANE died between 03-09-1939 and 31-12-1947 05. The Rev. JOHN DINGLES died between 03-09-1939 and 31-12-1947 06. The Rev. EDWARD HARRIS died between 03-09-1939 and 31-12-1947 07. The Rev. ARTHUR MANION died between 03-09-1939 and 31-12-1947 08. The Rev. BERNARD MOORE died between 03-09-1939 and 31-12-1947 09. The Rev. MICHAEL MURPHY executed between 13th and 30-11-1942 Age 31 What I find most poignant is the absence of specific dates relating to the deaths of many of these men. p.s. In relation to the above WW2 timeline in Papua New Guinea: Please exercise 'caution' when dealing with events and dates for this period in history. Some links here which may be of interest: Australian Christian Martyrs Pacific Wrecks People of the Plaque - Roll of Honour Rabaul & Montevideo Maru Society Lest We Forget Tony Buckley www.asiawargraves.com
Rev John Frederick Barge (1897-1943) - Find A... The Revd. John Frederick Barge, Anglican Priest at Apugi Mission, New Britain. An Englishman, he came to Australia in 1926, and became an orchardist in the Stanthorpe area of South Queensland. He was ordained in Brisbane in 1932, and was appointed as assistant in the Parish of St. James, Toowoomba. He went to Yumyello, Gasmata, New Britain in 1935. His grave is marked on a Mission Station in New Britain near the Mission Station of Apugi and the Government Station of Kandrian. He was Aged 46. Gravesite Details Died at Arung Bay, New Britain TD
This may or may not be the same man as in post 1 What is the #TabarCiborium In 1942 on September 11th Fr. Michael Murphy MSC, greatly weakened by malnutrition, sickness, and months of captivity, was executed by the Japanese and buried on an uninhabited island. TD
Rev Arthur Manion missionary captured by Japanese in WWII 1944 - Newspapers.com Rev. Fr. Arthur Manion uncle of Rev. Thomas F Manion. Killed by Japanese in WWII - Newspapers.com TD https://todaysmartyrs.org/pdf/By Incident Date/Todays Martyrs 1943-03 March.pdf Wednesday March 17, 1943 Papua New Guinea: off Manus Fifty missionaries of several denominations - mostly Germans - and 12 other civilians were killed aboard the Imperial Japanese Navy destroyer Akikaze Fr Arthur Manion SVD (aged 41, U.S. citizen, shot dead)
LIFE STORY: Fr TED HARRIS MSC There are conflicting and gruesome versions of where and how Fr Harris died. It's agreed the Japanese took him away from Mal Mal. The only certainty after that is his execution. The final mystery in the Fall of Rabaul surrounds the Montevideo Maru. The Japanese claimed that when the ship was torpedoed in 1942 it was carrying all the prisoners of war and civilians taken when they invaded New Britain. But who was on the ship? The Montevideo Maru Search group says the claim was to conceal war crimes like the Tol murders and massacres at other sites, for which there is evidence, and that there are scores of victims whose last resting places are as unknown as Fr Ted's. He was obviously still alive during part of 1942 as the Montevideo wasnt sunk until July 1942 [https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/encyclopedia/montevideo_maru] TD
