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Remembering Jock: Find Closure in the Wreckage of the MV Montevideo Maru
By Gayle Thwaites
In the tapestry of remembrance, there are threads of stories that span generations, reminding us of the sacrifices made by those who came before us. One such story, deeply intertwined with my family’s history, is the tragic fate of brothers Jock and Neil Olney.
Jock and Neil were men of passion, their love for sports evident as they played for the Warburton Football Club, leaving an indelible mark on the field. But their journeys took unexpected turns when they enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and were posted to 2/22nd Battalion as part of Lark Force, bound for Rabaul in New Britain.
Jock’s letters to his sisters, Katie and Marian, reveal a longing for home and a glimpse into his experiences abroad. They speak of his desire for excitement amidst the monotony of camp life, and his reflections of family deaths highlighted the profound sense of loss that pervaded those times.
Tragically, Jock’s path converged with the horrors of war. Alongside his dear friend, Roy Earle, he found himself aboard the ill-fated Montevideo Maru. On that fateful day, 1 July 1942, an American submarine USS Sturgeon fired four torpedoes, two of which struck the Montevideo Maru. Their lives, along with over 1,000 prisoners of war were tragically claimed by the depths of the ocean. The news of their final resting location, however, remained unknown to their loved ones for 81 long years.
Neil, the elder brother, managed to escape Rabaul and embarked on a treacherous journey to Mt Hagen in New Guinea. It took him months as he battled through hardships and the spectre of malaria. Upon his return to Australia, Neil struggled with the lingering effects of the disease, spending weeks in different hospitals, including Heidelberg and Ballarat convalescent units. Despite his recovery, Neil’s heart remained burdened by the unknown whereabouts of his beloved brother Jock.
Neil had hoped to find Jock after the war, but fate had a different plan. He never fully discovered the truth of Jock’s fate and returned to Adelaide with his wife Gwen. They had a son, ‘Jock’, whom Neil would never get to see grow up. On 30 October 1945, at age 35, Neil passed away from malaria complications when Jock was only three months old. Neil now rests at the Adelaide General Cemetery alongside his wife Gwen, who passed away in 1981.
Imagine the toll that weighed upon our family’s shoulders. Jock and Neil’s parents, siblings, and even their nieces and nephews lived their lives without ever hearing the truth. The pain of not knowing would have gnawed at their hearts, leaving a void that could never be filled. It was a burden our family carried, yearning for closure and the solace that comes with knowing.
Then, on 22 April 2023, I received a call from Andrea Williams, my good friend and founding member of the Rabaul & Montevideo Maru Society.
“We found it. We found the wreck.”
The immense grief that washed over me upon hearing those words is difficult to describe. Eighty-one years of unanswered questions suddenly found an answer, but with it came a flood of emotions, a mix of sorrow and gratitude.
The tireless month-long search for the Montevideo Maru’s wreckage, led by John Mullen of the Silentworld Foundation and supported by deep-sea survey specialists Fugro and Australian Defence Force, showcased their unwavering commitment to honouring the past and bringing closure to affected families. Alongside John Mullen, the Silentworld team comprised marine search specialists Roger
Turner and Tim Brown, as well as documentary maker Max Uechtritz, cinematographer Neale Maude and Andrea Williams, all aboard the Fugro Equator.
This dedicated international team spent five years refining the search area to maximize the probability of success. Their collaborative efforts exemplify the significance of remembrance, extending beyond solving the mystery of Australia’s worst maritime disaster.
As the great-great niece of Jock, I had a profound discovery about my family’s hidden history. The story of Jock and his brother Neil, their sacrifices and the tragic fate of the Montevideo Maru were unknown to me for many years. It was only after my grandfather’s passing that I stumbled upon fragments of their story buried deep within our family archives. The realisation struck me with a blend of curiosity and sorrow, as I came to understand the gravity of this undisclosed chapter in our family’s history. The ache of uncertainty weighed heavily within me, fuelling my determination to uncover the truth and pay homage to their memory.
Driven by my newfound purpose, I decided to join the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society to assist with their education team. It was through this involvement that I delved deeper into the history of the Montevideo Maru and the experiences of the prisoners of war. Immersed in research and conversations with surviving relatives, I pieced together the puzzle of Jock’s life, his bravery, and the immense loss that our family had endured. Each story I encountered during this journey became a thread in the larger tapestry of remembrance, connecting families and weaving a narrative of resilience and sacrifice.
As the 75th Anniversary Commemoration approached, I felt a deep sense of responsibility to honour not only Jock and Neil but also the countless others who had suffered the same fate. I had the privilege of collecting over 140 families’ stories and photographs, preserving their legacies, and ensuring that their voices would be heard. The culmination of this endeavour was the creation of a compilation titled When the War Came: New Guinea Islands 1942, a testament to the strength and resilience of those who lived through that dark chapter of history.
As I witnessed the news footage of the expedition team’s war room upon their announcement of the wreckage find, I saw the stories and photos I had collected from the Lark Force and Civilian members’ families surrounding the walls. Their stories were above, and they lay below. I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming mix of emotions.
The weight of the past and the stories of those who never had the chance to share their experiences washed over me. In that moment, I understood the power of remembrance and the importance of ensuring that the stories of Jock, Neil, and all those who suffered aboard the Montevideo Maru would never be forgotten.
The journey to uncover my family’s hidden history and to contribute to the collective remembrance of the Montevideo Maru tragedy has been a transformative one. It has filled the void that once existed within our family and given me a profound sense of purpose. I carry their stories with me, a torchbearer of their memory, and a testament to the resilience and sacrifice of those who came before us.
Closure, however, does not erase the pain or magnitude of the loss. It serves as a bittersweet reminder that Jock and his fellow prisoners of war will forever be etched in our collective memory. They made the ultimate sacrifice, and we will never forget the price they paid.
Background on the MV Montevideo Maru
On 1 July 1942, the MV Montevideo Maru was sunk by an Allied submarine USS Sturgeon
The ship was carrying more than 1,000 Japanese prisoners of war and while the exact number and identity of the men aboard has never been confirmed, sources suggest an estimated 845 military personnel and up to 208 civilians lost their lives in the tragedy.
The exact location of the Montevideo Maru wreck was unknown until April 2023 after Silentworld Foundation, alongside Dutch company Fugro and with support from the Department of Defence, successfully identified the ship using state-of-theart technology, including an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) with in-built sonar.
Gayle Thwaites is an entrepreneur, author, and the proud great-great niece of Jock and Neil Olney. Gayle has been a volunteer with the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society for nearly a decade.
