HMAS PERTH MEMORIAL 

David Nicolson

HMAS Perth (I) display at the Albany Maritime Festival

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Albany’s Princess Royal Fortress put on a display commemorating the loss of the HMAS Perth (I) and the USS Houston.  It used the banners recently acquired by the Foundation and models of the Perth and Houston built by Gerry Westenberg.  We have curator David Theodore to thank for making this possible.  The display are is quite small but it was well presented and gave the Foundation yet another opportunity to spread the word.

 


 

The annual Church service to commemorate the loss of HMAS Perth(I) and USS Houston at the Battle of Sunda Strait.

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A service was held at the St John the Evangelist church in Fremantle on Sunday the 28th of February to remember those lost on HMAS Perth(I) and  USS Houston, those who died in the POW camps and those who returned home after the war.  The service was presided over by the Rector of Fremantle, Patrick King with the US Consul General, representatives from the City of Fremantle, HMAS Stirling, the United States Navy, relatives of the survivors and numerous service organizations also in attendance.

Patrick King, the Rector of Fremantle reads the service .

 

Colin Bancroft announces those laying the wreaths.

 

Captain Lawton, CO of HMAS Stirling does the reading.

 

Captain Lawton lays a wealth in front of the model of HMAS Perth(I) and the banner showing the the ships’ battle honours.

 

CMD Chris Cleverger representing the United States Navy laying a wreath.

 

Trevor Vincent laying a wreath on behalf of the HMAS Perth Memorial Foundation.

 

CMD Nagle, Captain of HMAS Perth(III) lays wreath on behalf of the Royal Australian Navy.

 

Standing to attention during the playing of ‘tapps’.

     

Launch of the HMAS Perth(I) exhibition.

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On the 27th on February 2021, the HMAS Perth(I) Memorial Foundation Inc., in conduction with the City of Perth, put on a display to commemorate the loss of the Perth and the Houston at the battle of Sunda Stait in March 1942.  Over 50 people attended the launch which was opened by the Governor  of Western Australia, Kim Beazley AC.  Over the next week 300 people visited the display which included artifacts and paintings on loan from the City of Perth, items of interest from the HMAS Stirling museum, models of the ships involved in the actions and a set of 9 banners and a video produced by the Australian National Maritime Museum which provided the complete story of those tragic events

Mike Bailey, Chair of the HMAS Perth(I) Memorial Foundation.

 

Kim Beazley AC, Governor of WA officially opens the exhibition.

 

The Governor and Mike Bailey examine the model of the proposed HMAS Perth (I) Memorial designed by Charles Smith and Joan Walsh-Smith

 

The Governor chatting with Colin Bancroft whose father, Arthur ‘Blood’ Bancroft was one of the few from HMAS Perth(I) to return to Australia.

 

A painting of HMAS Perth under fire during the Battle of Sunda Strait above a banner showing its battle honours.

 

Commander Nagle, the newly appointed Captain of HMAS Perth(III) signing the visitor’s book.

 

The Governor spending some time with Mike Bailey, second from the left, LCMD Chapman and Captain Lawton, both from HMAS Stirling.

 

CPO Bill Prince from HMAS Stirling looks on as the Governor is first to sign the visitor’s book.

 

Jim O’Neill, project manager for the proposed memorial with Robert Waller, grand son of Captain Hec Waller who went down with his ship, the HMAS Perth(I) on March the first, 1942.

Five models of the ships lost in the battles of the Java Sea and Sunda Strait.

They were on loan from an exhibition of models built by Gerry Westenberg being held at the Fremantle Shipwreck Museum .

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The Nedlands Yacht Club Annual HMAS Perth Regatta

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CMDR Nagle, the new Captain of HMAS Perth(III) chatting with LCDR Chapman, also from the Perth, and Jim O’Neill the project leader for the proposed HMAS Perth(I) memorial.
Colin Bancroft, son of the late ‘Blood’ Bancroft one of the few survivors of the HMAS Perth(I) pointing out his father on the Roll of Honour produced by the Nedlands Yacht Club.
From the left, Peter Javis, President of the HMAS Perth(I) National Association (WA), LCDR Chapman and CMDR Nagle of HMAS Perth(III), Jim O’Neil of the Memorial Foundation and Mike Bailey, Chairman of the Memorial Foundation.
Gerry Westenberg with his model of the HMAS Perth(I)
From the left, Mike Bailey from the Foundation, Captain Gary Lawton and Peter Javis from the Foundation.
From the left, Captain Lawton, Robert Waller, grandson of the late Captain Waller of the HMAS Perth(I) and CMDR Nagle, Captain of HMAS Perth(III)
David Gainer, the US Consul General for WA addresses the attendees for the HMAS Perth regatta held at the Nedlands Yacht club
Peter Javis in his capacity as the President of the HMAS Perth National Association reads the Ode
Captain Lawton inspects the Guard of Honour put on by the Australian Naval Cadets
A minutes silence in acknowledgement for those lost from the HMAS Perth(I) and the USS Houston at the Battle of Sunda Strait, March 1942

The Foundation receives a model of the proposed HMAS Perth (I) Memorial.

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The Chairman of the Foundation, Mike Bailey receives the model of the Memorial from the builder, Gerry Westenberg. Gerry built the model from plans provided by the designers, Smiths Sculptures.
Model builder Gerry Westenberg with the Chairman Mike Bailey on the left and Project Leader Jim O’Neill on the right.
Committee members admiring the model of the proposed memorial.

Arthur Bancroft war diaries.

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Bridge construction in Burma

 

HMAS Perth Story – SURVIVAL AT SEA AND ON LAND

ARTHUR BANCROFT celebrated his 18th birthday on 24 November 1939 shortly after World War II was declared against Germany on 3 September 1939. On 14 November 1940 he obtained leave of absence from his employer, the Union Bank of Australia Limited, to enlist for wartime service in the Royal Australian navy.

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