Currents
Following Frank’s death at sea, William and Beryl were adopted separately; at the time, it was believed that adoptees needed a ‘clean break’ from any remaining relatives
A happy ending SS Iron Crown orphans reunited at last
Last December, Bill Stewart and his sister Beryl saw each other for the first time in nearly 80 years. They were separated in 1942 after their father died on SS Iron Crown, but a series of fortunate occurrences finally reunited them, writes Emily Jateff.
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Following Frank’s death at sea, William and Beryl were adopted separately. This seems harsh now, but at the time, it was believed that adoptees needed a ‘clean break’ from any remaining relatives. Family member Kylie Watson says, ‘I don’t believe there was legislation in place to support siblings to remain in contact. It is my understanding that it was quite the opposite and common practice to discourage any further contact with their past lives.’
THE AUSTRALIAN MERCHANT VESSEL SS Iron Crown was en route from Whyalla to Newcastle, New South Wales, when it was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-27 on 4 June 1942. It sank within minutes, taking 38 of the 43 crew with it.
Beryl was adopted at age seven by Walter and Rose Johnson and lived in South Australia for her whole life. Bill was placed with the Allen family in Adelaide when he was 14, moved to Sydney when he was 19, and is still resident in New South Wales. Bill and Beryl spent the following decades apart, not knowing where the other was, or if they still lived.
This included 64-year-old fireman Frank Stewart, who was born in London, England, in 1878. Frank and his wife Margaret had two children, William and Beryl. After Margaret died in 1935, and Frank joined the merchant navy, both children were sent to St Joseph’s Orphanage at Larg’s Bay, South Australia.
In April 2019, with the support of CSIRO Marine National Facility RV Investigator, a joint maritime archaeological research project by the Australian National Maritime Museum and Heritage Victoria located the last resting place of SS Iron Crown in 672 metres of water in Bass Strait.
Signals 139 Winter 2022
