Members who served in years gone past promised their comrades that the Club would remember them come what may. Annually, we ensure that the names of those who did not return again resound in the boat house and that we take time to remember them.

The Club again chose to undertake this solemn commemoration in the presence of our younger members.

The following is a transcript of the 2023 service.

Members - every year proximate to ANZAC Day when sufficient members are present, the Club remembers those members who were killed in action on service for their country. Members of years past promised their comrades that at least once every year, their names should again be heard in the boathouse.

Many of our members served their country in war and sadly the last of our WWII serving personnel have gone with the passing away last year of Arthur Atkins, a WWII RAF bomber pilot who miraculously survived his missions over enemy territory. His stories captivated us.

We are now left to just imagine the horrors that these members endured and remember the many members who died in the service of their country.

This has not stopped us remembering each year one or more of these members who did not return.

Today we take the time to remember four members who died as POWs at the hands of the Japanese. Three of these members were part of Gull Force who tried to defend the island of Ambon in Indonesia against a vastly larger Japanese force. 

Kevin Alexander Braithwaite 21 Sept 1919 - 20 February 1942
It appears that Kevin started his rowing at Wesley College where he educated until 1933.
Kevin was one of at least three club members who joined 2/21 Battalion, part of Gull Force, and died as POWs on the strategically significant island of Ambon in Indonesia. He was only 22 years old when, on 20 February 1942, he was captured by the Japanese and executed along with 229 others at the Laha airfield. They were either beheaded or bayonetted. He has no known grave.
He enlisted in the Australian Army on 26th October 1940 as a young single man. He hailed from Camberwell. 
Gull Force was sent to Ambon to defend the Indonesian island of Ambon‘s strategic harbour and air strip. When an overwhelmingly larger Japanese force of approximately 20.000, landed on the Island in January 1942 Gull Force numbered 1131 men, most of them Victorians. They were split into two groups: 292 were sent to defend the air strip at Laha on the western side of the magnificent bay that almost splits Ambon in half. 47 men were killed in action, 11 escaped, 5 managed to join the rest of the force on the other side of the Island, and 229 were massacred after surrendering. Kevin was one of these unfortunate soldiers massacred.
Over 800 members of Gull Force became prisoners of war and endured three years of forced labour, starvation and brutality. Only 300 of these men would survive to make it home to Australia as the conditions for the prisoners on Ambon were poor and they suffered the highest death rate of any group of Australian prisoners of war during the conflict. The Battalion website states: Of the 528 men who stayed on Ambon only 119 survived, the rest died of starvation, overwork, disease and brutality.
So Kevin became one of the 500 POWs captured at Ambon and who died at the hands of the Japanese. 

Sergeant Geoffrey Theo Hastie, 9 Jan 1918 - 20 July 1945
Geoff was a very active member of the Club who served as Vice-Captain in the 1939-40 season. He left the Vice-Captaincy in July 1940 to enlist as a soldier. His leaderships skills were used in both areas with great effect.
He initially enlisted in Surrey Hill Battalion in 1938. It would appear that this was more like a Reservist style Battalion which was a support company. The medical Officer who inspected him was none other than famous King's Cup oarsman, Dr Clive Disher. He was tall for his time being 6' 2" tall. Geoffrey enlisted in the Australian Infantry Forces on 15th July 1940. His leadership skills were evident as he rose from the rank of private through to Sergeant. He died at the hands of the Japanese whilst a prisoner of war and is buried at the Ambon War Cemetery. Sadly, he could not survive another month until August 1945 when WWII effectively ended with the atomic bomb blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. He became one of the 500 POWs who died at the hands of the Japanese on Ambon. To survive that long required luck and importantly, enormous mental and physical reserves.

2 / 21st Bn. B Company. Photo taken before embarkation
Geoff Hastie is in the second row from the front, sixth from the right

Captain James Frank Major, 10th October 1915 - 11 May 1944
James was a bank officer at the time of his enlistment on 4th July 1940 as an officer in the 2/21 Australian Infantry Battalion. He hailed from Malvern and was the son of a doctor.
During his brief time in the Army, he progressed through to being a Captain. He was a well liked and deeply missed member.
He was one of at least three club members who joined 2/21 Battalion, part of Gull Force, and died as POWs at Ambon. The life of an officer protecting his men would have required great courage.
He became one of the 500 POWs who died at the hands of the Japanese.

James Major upon enlistment

The fourth member to die at the hands of the Japanese as a POW was Robert Bingley Scholefield, 25 July 1908 - 18 July 1945

He enlisted in the Australian Army on 1st July 1940 as a married man with one daughter. He was 33 years old and so a mature soldier. He hailed from Hawthorn, although was originally from South Australia. His wife's name was Dorothy and his daughter Anne. He joined 1 Company AASC (Australian Army Service Corps). This company moved stores and personnel, and distributed supplies, rations, and ammunition. Perhaps he joined this company given that he was a married man with a child and so less likely to be injured or killed? Alas this did not occur and he was captured. Robert finished his war and died as a prisoner of war at the hands of the Japanese.
Serving as sergeant with No. 1 Company, Australian Army Service Corps, Scholefield was one of over 2000 Allied prisoners of war (POW) held in the Sandakan POW camp in North Borneo, having been transferred there from Singapore as a part of B Force. The 1494 POW's that made up B Force, were transported from Changi on 7 July 1942 on board the tramp ship Ubi Maru, arriving in Sandakan Harbour on 18 July 1942. Sergeant Scholefield died as a prisoner of the Japanese on 18 July 1945, aged 36. Letters, telegrams and badges related to Sgt Scholefield's service are held at the Australian War Memorial. He nearly survived until the end of the war dying less than a month before the cessation of fighting. He died at Sabah, Malaysia, then known as Ranau, Borneo. 
The death notices included reference to his family, namely that he was the second son of Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Scholefield of Riverton, South Australia, brother of Jim (R.A.A.F.), Biff (R.A.A.F.), Ken (A.I.F.), and Betty.

Robert and his daughter Anne before departure

They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun,
And in the morning,
We will remember them

Lest we forget