Service: Army – 2/22 Australian Infantry Battalion
Service number: VX24138
Locality on Enlistment: Henry’s Mill, Forrest
Duration of Service: 7 Jun 1940 – 1 Jul 1942
Prisoner of War: Yes
Honours: None for display
Date and Place of Birth: 14 Feb 1910 Penarth, Wales
Parents: James NEWMAN and Elsie WHITINGTON
Spouse: Winifred Emily GILLMAN
School/s: Penarth Primary School Wales
Occupation: Mill worker
Date and Place of Death: 1 Jul 1942 South China Sea
Place of Burial: Rabaul Memorial, Papua New Guinea
NOTES: Horace Newman was born in Wales and came to Australia in 1926 under the Little Brother movement. He worked on farms in the Otways District and at the time of his enlistment was employed by Henry’s Mill, Forrest. As part of 2/22 Battalion, Horace was sent to Rabaul in Papua New Guinea in 1941. The 2/22 was captured by the Japanese in the Battle of Rabaul in 1942. The Montevideo Maru was a Japanese auxiliary ship that was sunk on 1st July 1942, resulting in the drowning of many Australian prisoners of war and civilians being transported from Rabaul, in what is considered the worst maritime disaster in Australia’s history. Horace was among the POW’s who lost their lives on board this ship.