Naval Historical Society of Australia
Preserving Australia's Naval History
THE LONG JOURNEY HOME
THE STORY OF THE UNKNOWN SERVICEMAN FROM HMAS SYDNEY II
Zoom Presentation: Wednesday, 1100, 17th November 2021
Overview
Hear how science and perseverance are helping solve the mystery of an unknown serviceman found in a carley float off Christmas Island in February 1942. Tracing mitochondrial DNA via the female line is vital in solving this riddle but only part of the story. Identifying the unknown serviceman is the last paragraph in the tragic story of HMAS Sydney II and her lost crew of 645 men. We will briefly cover the action that led to the loss of HMAS Sydney II in November 1941 and then look at the twists and turns in the story of the unknown serviceman and what we know about this man who represents an entire crew of lost souls.
Presenter: Gillian Lewis
Gillian joined the Australian National Maritime Museum as a volunteer guide in 2008 when she retired from a successful sales career in commercial building at CSR Building Products and has also been a member of the ANMM Speakers for past 6 years developing several presentations and regularly speaking to community groups. Gillian comes from a family with a history in the merchant and Royal Australian Navies. She has a special interest in the loss with all hands of HMAS Sydney (II) in November 1941 after a battle with the German raider HSK Kormoran and has volunteered her time for several years to search genealogical data bases for living relatives of Sydney crew to be DNA to assist in identifying the unknown serviceman from the ship. She is also interested in WW1 history, particularly the Western front theatre of war and is a passionate traveler having visited over 120 countries so far.
Details
Date and Time: 1100, Wednesday 17th November 2021 (Sydney time)
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