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(ANZAC Day Magazine – March 2011) Feature Article (The story of the 2/12 th Australian Field Ambulance Banner and Honour Roll (with kind thanks to the ( then ) Rover Leader John (“Spud”) Murphy. I wrote a small piece in our June 2010 magazine and since then “Spud” has provided me the following details). Coogee Rover Scout Crew. In early 1992, after a recommendation from the NSW Branch HQ, we were contacted by Mr Ron Mierendorff who represented the 2/12 th Field Ambulance, to ask if we could carry their unit Banner and lead their members in the 1992 ANZAC Day March. Ron explained that their youngest member was now into his 70’s and they were having trouble finding unit members strong enough to carry their Banner, particularly if strong winds were blowing. It required two men to carry the Banner! It was also suggested that our “crew” consider making it a permanent undertaking in future ANZAC Day Marches. The proposals were “put to the crew” for their views, and it was “unanimously agreed” that this would be a crew obligation on the 25 th of April each year, following our Dawn Service commitments. And so another Coogee Rover Crew tradition began. In March 1996, Mr Mierendorff again contacted us and asked if we would consider becoming the official custodians of their Banner AND the AHS Centaur “Role of Honour”. This was a unique request, because in 48 years of Scouting I’d never heard anything like this before. My immediate thought was what a great honour for a Rover Crew to be asked to be custodians of a Military Unit Banner and the AHS Centaur Role of Honour. I told Mr Mierendorff that I did not think there would be a problem with our crew but I would have to check with the Scouts’ hierarchy to see if there was any reason we could not accept this invitation. We had been asked to “look after” their Banner because the normal practice was to send it home with a unit member for safe-keeping until the next ANZAC Day March. After discussion by the 2/12 th unit members, they agreed it was time to present their Banner to a responsible younger group for safe-keeping and ensure its future appearances at the ANZAC Day Marches in Sydney and at the AHS Centaur Memorial Service at Concord Hospital. They all agreed that, who better to look after our Banner and Role of Honour of the AHS Centaur than the Coogee Rover Crew who have carried it for the last five years. We sought advice from our learned scouters, including the NSW Rover legend and guru, Stan Bales, the former Rover Commissioner, Wal Scott-Smith, the incumbent Rover Commissioner, Ron Pound and the NSW Chief Commissioner, David Kinchin. They all considered it a great honour for scouting and in particular, the Coogee Crew – they could see no reason other than to accept. Their advice was conveyed to the Coogee Crew who agreed to this unique honour. The Coogee Crew’s decision was relayed to the 2/12 th members and they then asked us if we would attend the annual AHS Centaur Memorial Service for their members and others who perished when the “Centaur” was sunk by a Japanese torpedo, off the coast of Brisbane in the early hours of the morning of the 14 th May 1943, 268 of the 331people on board went down with the ship – which sank within minutes of being torpedoed. 2 On Tuesday 14 th May 1996, Spud, Reg, Dickie, Squeak, Did, Duffers and Max, all members of the Coogee Rover Crew, arrived in pouring rain at 10am, to witness the Wreath-Laying Ceremony at the large, beautiful stained glass Centaur Memorial window in the hospital foyer. After the Wreath-Laying Ceremony we all proceeded to the hospital chapel for the main AHS Memorial Service. There was one of the two remaining survivors of the sinking able to be present – Mr George McGrath. George officially presented the Banner and Honour Roll to the Crew and said … ”for a number of years, the Coogee Rover Crew has carried our Banner in the ANZAC Day Marches, so when the question came up “Who’s going to look after our Banner in the years to come”? There was only one answer, ask the Rovers if they would be the custodians of our Banner and Centaur Honour Roll – and when we asked them, they said they would be honoured to do so. These young men represent the best of the rising generation of future Australia and we all feel sure that they will carry on all the traditions of the 2/12 th Australian Field Ambulance Unit and the Hospital Ship AHS Centaur, and our history will become part of their tradition in years to come. It gives me great pleasure to call on the Coogee Rover Crew Leader, John (better known as “Spud”) Murphy to accept custody of our Banner and Honour Roll on behalf of his crew”. On accepting the Banner and Honour Roll, the Unit members were assured that both would be cared for, with much pride, by the Coogee Rover Crew in future years. With that brief ceremony, Coogee Rover Crew became official custodians of the 2/12 th Australian Field Ambulance Banner and the AHS Centaur Roll of Honour, which must be regarded as a huge commendation for this Crew as it is the only Rover Scout Crew or Scouting Formation ever entrusted with the honour of being custodians of a Military Unit Banner and a Commissioned Ship’s Roll of Honour. Coogee Rover Crew now has the responsibility to respectfully care for both these historic items and ensure they/it appear at official parades whenever required. ------------------------------- HISTORICAL FOOTNOTE Prior to WW 2 the MV Centaur was a passenger/cargo ship of 3,220 tons trading between Western Australian ports and Singapore until January 1943. She was then requisitioned by the Australian Government and converted to a hospital ship required for the New Guinea Campaign. She was commissioned HMAHS CENTAUR on March 1st 1943. During WW 2 and prior to Japan entering the war in December 1941, the MV Centaur was taking supplies from WA to Singapore on a normal run in mid November 1941. Little did anyone know what was to unfold. On the 19 th November 1941, the Australian Cruiser HMAS SYDNEY was attacked off Carnarvon, WA by the German Merchant raider KORMORAN which was disguised as a Dutch Merchant ship. The “SYDNEY” sailed toward the “KORMORAN” to establish her identity, and about 2000 yards away, the “KORMORAN” dropped the Dutch Flag and hoisted the German Naval Ensign and began to fire on the “SYDNEY”. Within seconds, the “KORMORAN” had scored direct hits on “SYDNEY’s Bridge and Director Tower. A short, fierce sea battle began and both ships were crippled and very severely damaged within the space of about thirty minutes. HMAS SYDNEY sank shortly after, taking all her ship’s crew of 645 men – there were no survivors. The “KORMORAN” sank much later, with the loss of 78 lives out of her crew of 393 men. 3 Enter the MV Centaur which was on her run to Singapore and about a week after the “SYDNEY”/”KORMORAN” battle. The Centaur found the Captain of the “KORMORAN” (Capt. Theodore Detmers) and 61 “Kormoran” survivors who were drifting off the WA coast in life boats. The survivor’s life boats were in danger of sinking due to overcrowding so the Centaur lowered two of her life boats and by nightfall had towed the four life boats back to Carnarvon and arrived there late the next afternoon. In the evening of the 28 th November in Carnarvon, the Centaur embarked 103 “KORMORAN” survivors where they were taken to Freemantle for questioning by military authorities. Strange isn’t it? how the MV Centaur played a prominent role following the sinking of “KORMORAN” by HMAS “SYDNEY” in November 1941, then about 18 months later, as an unarmed and defenceless hospital ship, she was mercilessly torpedoed in the middle of the night by the allies of those she’d mercifully rescued after a week adrift in life boats, in the blazing summer sun, off the West Australian Coast. Ironically, “Centaur” was involved in both of Australia’s biggest maritime tragedies – the loss of HMAS “SYDNEY” and her crew, is our worst naval disaster and the “Centaur” sinking is the greatest loss of a non-combatant ship and from an enemy submarine attack in Australian waters. ----------------------------------- .

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