Sinking of the AHS Centaur

My third cousin, three times removed, Reginald McGregor Blackman born in 1904 and 39 years of age died in the sinking of the AHS Centaur. He was working in the 2/12th Field Ambulance.

In a strange coincidence, I returned from Singapore to Fremantle on another ship called the Centaur.

The 2/12th Field Ambulance was an Australian military unit of the Second Australian Imperial Force, serving during World War II. During their six years of service, over 200 soldiers were killed, the highest figure for a non-combatant unit in Australian history.

4 comments

  1. Hi there
    My great great uncle was Reginal. Not sure if that makes us related? Do you have any information about what role he had on the ship?
    Thanks

  2. Jodie,
    I fixed the link for Reginald.
    As fas as I know his unit was just being transported to Port Moresby. So he would have been a passenger. I do not know his actual role in the unit.
    We might be related. I am related on the Blackman side right up the link of males back to James Blackman and Elizabeth Harley.

  3. Ok thanks for that. My Great Grandfather was Jack McGregor Blackman so I am also related to James Blackman. I have just started to look into family history which has been very interesting so far. My daughter is currently studying the Centaur at school hence my initial interest in it and relative Reginald.

  4. then we are related. Off the top of my head, that would make us 5th Cousins once removed.
    You could also look in the National Archives – http://naa.gov.au/collection/search/. Click on search and type in the full name. They may already have Reginald’s service file online. If not, you could request to get it. Or, if you are near Canberra, maybe even visit the archives.

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