NUMBER:

RAN W1957

BATTALION / UNIT / SHIP:

HMAS Sydney

DATE & PLACE OF BIRTH:

Ulverstone Tasmania 13 October 1922

NEXT OF KIN:

His father Arthur Bowden He was the son of Henry and Agnes Bowden of Langwarrin 

DATE & PLACE OF ENLISTMENT:

6 January 1941 Williamstown

LOCATION ON ENLISTMENT:

Langwarrin

DATE & PLACE OF DEATH

20 November 1941 Indian Ocean

LOCATION OF GRAVE/MEMORIAL:

His name is on the HMAS Sydney 11 Memorial Geraldton and on memorials in Leongatha and Frankston.

RELATIONSHIP TO WOORAYL SHIRE:

The family farmed during the 1930s in the Dumbalk area before moving to Langwarrin in 1941. 

Two brothers Henry Edwin and Ernest Arthur enlisted in 1940 and 1942 respectively. 

MILITARY/.OTHER HISTORY:

A section of the memorial Geraldton

Bonner, ReginaldMechanician 1st ClassNSWAUSTRALIA

Bool, JamesOrdinary SeamanVICAUSTRALIA

Booth, Ernest AlbertAble SeamanVICAUSTRALIA

Bowden, LaurenceStoker 2nd ClassVICAUSTRALIA

Bowes, Keith Andrew JosephStokerNSWAUSTRALIA

Box, Robert AubreyStoker 2nd ClassTASAUSTRALIA

Boyd, David WilliamActing Leading Sick Berth AttendantVICAUSTRALIA

Bradley, Ross  

The HMAS Sydney II

After a number of deployments on the east coast, including several to New Zealand, Sydney II passed through the Sydney Heads, assigned to escort US 12B to Fremantle where she arrived three days later on 25 September. Leaving Fremantle to undertake the 'milk run' up to Sunda Strait she did a handover of US12B to HMS Glasgow who would finish the escort.  By now she had become a familiar sight off the coast of Western Australia where there had also been a number of disturbing reports about the disappearance of several merchant ships. This suggested there was a raider in the region. In fact, the German Navy's largest auxiliary cruiser, the Kormoran, disguised as a Dutch merchant ship MV Straat Malakka and her Captain, Kapitan zur See Theodor Anton Detmers were the culprits.

On November 19, after returning from an escort of the Zealandia to the handover point to HMS Durban in the Sunda Straits, Sydney II would encounter the Kormoran by surprise. It was an encounter that would prove to be her undoing and remains Australia�s worst naval disaster. All on board were lost.