Horace Oswald Plummer b. 1 Dec 1902 Wollar, New South Wales, Australia d. 1 Jul 1942 South China Sea: John and Julie Tucker Family History

1902 - 1942 (39 years)

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Name	Horace Oswald Plummer [1]
Born	1 Dec 1902	Wollar, New South Wales, Australia [2, 3]
Gender	Male
Will	18 Dec 1941	Rabaul, New Guinea [4]
	New South Wales Will Books 1800-1952, Will Number 309815, Last will and Testament of Horace Oswald Plummer of Rabaul in the Territory of New Guinea. Died 01 Jul 1942 and Probate granted 30th January 1946 to Iris Rita Malvina Plummer.
		Last Will and Testament of Horace Oswald Plummer Horace Oswald Plummer will no. 309815 dated 18 December 1941 at Rabaul, New Guinea.
War Service	21 Jan 1942	Rabaul, New Guinea [5]
	Horace Oswald Plummer enlisted in the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles in Rabaul, New Guinea on 21 Jan 1942. On 22 Jan 1942 he was Transferred into the AIF and allotted Service Number NGX478, he was the Company Quartermaster Sargent for the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles.. The New Guinea Volunteer Rifles along with the 2nd/22nd Battalion formed Lark Force, whose duty was to defend New Britain from Japanese attack. Lark force was ill equipped, had no reserve force and no plan of evacuation. The Japanes attacked New Britain with an overwhelming force and defeated Lark Force Quickly. Those who didn't escape by sea in the first few days were rounded up and taken prisoner by the Japanese. Horace was captured in Keravat with his fellow New Guinea Volunteer Rifles and taken back to Rabaul and latter died on the Montevideo Maru which was torpedoed whilst transporting him to Japan.
		World War 2 Military Service Record of Staff Sergeant Horace Oswald Plummer Staff Sergeant Horace Oswald Plummer Service Number NGX478, New Guinea Volunteer rifles
		Prisoner of War - Horace Oswald Plummer This is a transcription of a listing of Soldiers missing in Rabaul, New Britain and believed to have been taken prisoner.
		Prisoners of War - Horace Oswald Plummer This is a list of personnel who were reported missing and presumed taken prisoner at Rebaul, New Britain. Horace oswald Plummer of the New Guinea Volunteer Rifles is listed as Serial Number 997.
Memorials	1 Jul 1942	Australian War memorial, Canberra, Australian Captial Territory, Australia [6]
	Staff Sergeant Horace Oswald Plummer, Service Number NGX478, Unit New guinea Volunteer rifles, Date of Death 1 July 1942, Commemorated on panel 72, conflict Second World War, 1939-19454
		Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial - Horace Oswald Plummer Horace Oswald Plummer Roll of Honour at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra, ACT, Australia, his name is located on Panel 72 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War memorial as indicated in the poppy on the plan.
		Roll of Honour - Horace Oswald Plummer Staff Sergeant Horace Oswald Plummer, NGX478, New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, Date of Death 1 July 1942, Commemorated on Panel 72, Second World War, 1939-1945.
		Australian War Memorial Australian War Memorial, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
Memorials	1 Jul 1942	Rabaul memorial, [7]
	Staff Sergeant NGx478 Horace Oswald Plummer of New Guinea Volunteer Rifles, A.I.F. Panel 29
		Commonwealth War Grave Commission Burial Details - Horace Oswald Plummer Staff Sergeant Horace Oswald Plummer NGX478, New Guinea Volunteer Rifles Commemorate on Panel 29 at Rabaul Memorial, Rabaul, New Guinea
		Map of Bita Paka War Cemetery, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea Map of Bita Paka War Cemetery, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea, showing the Rabaul Memorial.
		Rabaul Memorial Rabaul Memorial is located within the Bita Paka War Cemetery, Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. The Rabaul Memorial commemorates over 1,200 members of the Australian Army (including personnel of the New Guinea and Papuan Local forces and constabulary) and the Royal Australian Air force, who lost their lives in New Britain and New Ireland in January and February 1942, and in New Britain from November 1944 to August 1945, and who have no Known grave. Men of the Royal Australian Navy who lost their lives in the south-western Pacific region and who have no graves but the se, are commemorated on Plymouth Naval Memorial in England along with many of their comrades of the Royal Navy and other Commonwealth Naval Forces. The Memorial takes the form of an Avenue of stone pylons. A central stone lectern at the commencement of the Avenue carries a bronze plae with the following inscription: AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM IN THIS PLACE ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS WHO DIED DURING THE 1939-1945 WAR IN THE NEW BRITAIN AREA, ON LAND, AT SEA AND IN THE AIR, BUT TO WHOM THE FORTUNES OF WAR DENIED THE KNOWN AND HONOURED BURIAL GIVEN TO THEIR COMRADES IN DEATH.
Sinking of the Japanese Prison Ship Montevideo Maru	1 Jul 1942	South China Sea, North West of Luzon, Phillipines
	The Japanese Prison Ship, Montevideo Maru,was torpedoed and sunk by a U.S. Submarine, U.S.S Sturgeon, 18.37N 119.29E, at 3 am on July 1st, 1942, 60miles North West of Cap Bojidoro, Luzon Island, in the Phillipines. The ship carried 1.053 (including Horace Oswald Plummer) POW's and civilian internees from Rabaul - mostly Australians. of the 132 Japanese crew and 88 guards only 17 sailors and three guards reached shore.
		Transcript of "Remembering 1942 - the sinking of Montevideo Maru 01 July 1942. Presented at the Australian War Memorial by Ian Hodges on Monday 1 July 2002 beside the Roll of Honour at the Australian War memorial.
		The Sinking of the Montevideo Maru - 1 July 1942 NW of Luzon, Phillippines The Sinking of the Montevideo Maru - 1 July 1942 NW of Luzon, Phillippines
		Passenger List of the Montevideo Maru List of persons believed to have left New Britain on the Montevideo Maru. Horace Oswald Plummer's name appears on page 2, passenger 44.
		Report re Japanese steamer "Montevideo Maru" torpedoed off Luzon 1 July 1942 Report compiled by Major H. S. Williams, Australian Officer attached Recovered personnel Division, Tokyo
		The sinking of Japanese Prison Ship Montevideo Maru The Montevideo Maru, Japanese transport, (7,226 tons) was torpedoed and sunk by a U.S. Submarine, U.S.S. Sturgeon, 18.37N, 119, 29E at 3 am on July 1st, 1942, 60 Miles N.W. of Cape Bojidoro, Luzon Island in the Philippines. the ship carried 1, 053 Prisoners of War and Civilian internees from Rabaul - mostly Australians. of the 132 jampanes crew and 88 guards only 17 sailors and three guards reached shore.
		List of New Guinea Volunteer Rifles members on Board Montevideo Maru at time of sinking. NG4017 CQMS Horace Oswald Plummer's name appears on page 1 of the list
		The Japanese Prisoner of War Ship MV Montevideo Maru MV Montevideo Maru was 7.266 ton, twin-screw diesel motor vessel, was a Japanese passenger vessel constructed in Nagasaki in 1926. It was operated until the outbreak of the Second World War by the Osaka Shosen Kaisha Shipping Line for its service between Japan and South America. During the second world war the Montevideo Maru was used by the Imperial Japanese Navy as an auxiliary vessel transporting troops and provision throughout South East Asia. As a part of the Kure Naval District, the vessel participated in landings at Makassar in the Netherlands East Indies. After operating in the Japanese islands, the Montevideo Maru returned to Java before sailing for New Britain
		The U.S. Submarine, U.S.S. Sturgeon On 5 June 1942, The United States submarine Sturgeon, commanded by W.L. ("Bull") Wright, left Fremantle in Western Australia on her fourth war-time patrol. After a six hour chase on 25 June, the Sturgeon caught up with a Japanese merchant fleet of Manila in the Phillippines. It fire three torpedoes at one of the largest ships and then evaded depth charges. The Sturgeon reported that a 'few' gauges and lamps were shattered. On 1 jul while about 65 miles west of Luzon, she attacke and sank what appeared to be an unescorted transport, the Montevideo Maru, and on 5 July scored hits on a tanker in a convoy. She was back in Fremantle on 22 July. It had been a long, dangerous and apparently successful patrol. But between leaving from and returning to an Australian port, the Sturgeon had unwittingly and for long unknowingly fired the shots which resulted in Australia's greatest tragedy at sea. The Submarine Commander was totally unaware the ship was carrying POW' as the Japanese had not displayed that the ship was a prison ship carrying POW's and Civilian detainees, nor had that advised the allies of the fact and previously the ship had been used as a troop and provisions transport for the Japanese Navy.
		The Route of MV Montevideo Maru Shows the Route of the Japanese Prison Ship Montevideo Maru from leaving Rabaul to where it was sunk North West of Luzon Island, Phillippines
		Remembering 1942 - The Sinking of Montevideo Maru, 1 July 1942 Presented by Ian Hodges on Monday, 1 July 2002 beside the Roll of Honour at the Memorial. Talk duration 8 - 9 minutes.
Died	1 Jul 1942	South China Sea [8]
Died		New Guinea Volunteer Rifles Personnel reported lost on the S.S. Montevideo Maru Consists of additional list of New Guinea Volunteer Rifles on full time duty reported to have been aboard "Montevideo Maru" when torpedoed 1-7-1942 (Horace Oswald Plummer) and Red Cross official Notification of his death
Military Honours	21 Jan 1953	Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia [9]
	Horace Oswald Plummer was awarded the 1939/45 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal and the A.S.M.
		The 1939 - 1945 Star Awarded for service as follows: • Navy - awarded for six months service afloat in areas of active operations from 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1945. • Army - awarded for six months service in an operational command during the period 3 September 1939 to 2 September 1945. • Air Force - awarded to all aircrew who have taken part in operations against the enemy, subject to at least two months in an operational unit and to all non-air crew who served six months in the area of an Army operational command. A gold rosette worn on the ribbon signifies participation in the Battle of Britain, 1 July 1940 to 31 October 1940. • Merchant Marine - awarded under the same conditions as Navy provided that at least one voyage was made through a specified area of active operations.
		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
		At least one living or private individual is linked to this item - Details withheld.
		The Australian Service Medal 1939 - 1945 Awarded for 30 days full-time or 90 days part-time service at home or overseas in the Australian Armed Forces and the Australian Mercantile marine between 3 September 1939 and 2 September 1945.
Person ID	I41	Tucker Family Tree \| The Descendants of Jonathon Griffiths
Last Modified	14 May 2016

Father	Alfred Henry Edward Plummer, b. 04 Jul 1858, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia , d. 1937, Grandville, New South Wales, Australia (Age 78 years)
Relationship	Birth
Mother	Agnes Isabel Plummer, b. 24 Feb 1865, Battery Point, Tasmania, Australia , d. 1929, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (Age 63 years)
Relationship	Birth
Family ID	F2443	Group Sheet \| Family Chart

Family Iris Rita Malvina Bull, b. 1904, Cassilis, New South Wales, Australia

Married 1925 Canterbury, New South Wales, Australia [10, 11]

Children

	1. V.R. Plummer
+	2. N.A. Plummer
	3. R.B. Plummer
	4. Clive Douglas Plummer, b. 1942, d. 9 Dec 1943 (Age 1 years) [Birth]

Last Modified 14 May 2016

Family ID F11 Group Sheet | Family Chart

Sources

[S212] Alvin Bryant (Reliability: 3), 1902.
Horace Oswald Plummer the third of the three children was born in 1902.
[S212] Alvin Bryant (Reliability: 3), 1902.
[S32] Veteran Affairs (Reliability: 3), 1 Dec 1902.
Date of Birth 01 Dec 1902, Place of Birth Wollar
[S344] Findmypast, Will No. 309815 (Reliability: 3), 18 Dec 1941.
See attached Will No. 309815 for Horace Oswald Plummer
[S34] National Archives of Australia (Reliability: 3), 21 Jan 1942.
See attached Service Records
[S202] Australian War Memorial (Reliability: 3), 1 Jul 1942.
See attached roll of honour
[S48] Commonwealth War Graves Commission (Reliability: 3), 1 Jul 1942.
See attached Casualty Details
[S202] Australian War Memorial, Roll of honour (Reliability: 3), 1 Jul 1942.
Staff Sergeant Horace Oswald Plummer NGX478 New Guinea Volunteer Rifles date of Death 01 Jul 1942
[S34] National Archives of Australia, 7 (Reliability: 3), 21 Jan 1953.
The military decorations awarded to Horace Oswald Plummer are listed on page 7 of his military service record. See attached records.
[S212] Alvin Bryant (Reliability: 3).
Horace oswald Plummer married Iris Bull of Dunedoo.
[S4] NSW BDM, New South Wales Government (Reliability: 3), 1925.
Registration Number 1152/1925, Groom's Surname Plummer, Grooms Given Names Horace O, Brides Last Name at time of Marriage Bull, Brides given Names Iris R M