Reginald McGregor Blackman [905] ²

   Cause of his death was Drowned?.

  Medical Notes:

On 12 May 1943 the Centaur sailed unescorted from Sydney at 0945 hours carrying her crew and normal staff, as well as stores and equipment of the 2/12th Field Ambulance but no patients. It was sunk without warning by a torpedo from a Japanese submarine on 14 May 1943 at approximately 0400 hours, its position being approximately 27°17' S, 153°58' E about 50 miles east north-east of Brisbane. The wreck was discovered in 2009.
Of the 332 persons on board, only 64 survived. These survivors spent 35 hours on rafts before being rescued. Sister Ellen Savage, the only one of twelve nursing sisters on board to survive, though injured herself, gave great help to the other survivors and was awarded the George Medal for this work.

  Noted events in his life were:

• Registration: Birth, 1904, Stroud District, New South Wales, Australia. ³ 16871/1904
BLACKMAN, REGINALD MCG
JOHN S H
CAROLINE
STROUD

• Military Service: 2/12 FIELD AMBULANCE, Bef 1943 May 14. ⁴ Service Record
Name
BLACKMAN, REGINALD MCGREGOR
Service
Australian Army
Service Number
NX47999
Date of Birth
3 May 1904
Place of Birth
BULLAH-DELAH, NSW
Date of Enlistment
22 Sep 1941
Locality on Enlistment
KATOOMBA, NSW
Place of Enlistment
PADDINGTON, NSW
Next of Kin
BLACKMAN, MARGARET
Date of Death
14 May 1943
Rank
Private
Posting on Death
2/12 Field Ambulance
WW2 Honours and Gallantry
None for display
Prisoner of War
No
Roll of Honour
KATOOMBA NSW

• Registration: Death, 1943. ⁵ Department of Army: Defence certificate of Death:
NX 47999 Private Reginald McGRegor Blackman 2/12^th Field Ambulance, AIF
Died 14 May 1943

• Newspaper: Family Notices, 1945 May 14, Sydney District, New South Wales, Australia. ⁶ Family Notices. (1945, May 14). The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), p. 10. Retrieved November 3, 2011, from <http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article27935055>

BLACKMAN.-In loving memory of Reg. , lost on the Centaur. Inserted by mother and brothers.

Reginald married Margaret Helen Smith [906] [MRIN: 310], daughter of Harry Fullerton Smith [15866] and Evelyn [27476], on 1938 May 14 in Walgett, Baradine County, New South Wales, Australia.¹ (Margaret Helen Smith [906] was born before 1923 and died on 1959 Jun 13 in Hillstone District, New South Wales, Australia ².)