| Place | Oceania: Australia, Queensland |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | REL/00094 |
| Collection type | Technology |
| Object type | Maritime vessel or watercraft |
| Physical description | Alloy, Brass, Chrome-plated brass, Glass, Wood (painted red) |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Place made | Australia |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
Life raft light float, hospital ship Centaur : Lieutenant Colonel L M Outridge
Description
Red funnel-shaped wooden float with a light fitting. The float tapers at the end and finishes with a brass weight that has been screwed into the end to ensure that the float remains upright in the water. The weight has a hole through the middle. The top of the float features a 40mm diameter tube, 85 mm high, which serves as a battery compartment, to which is fitted a globe and a nickel or chrome plated frame for the missing glass cover. Approximately 34 mm from the top of the float is a 52 x 34mm alloy mounting plate (screwed in) with a key-hole shaped cut out, designed for mounting the float when not in use.
History / Summary
Life raft distress light float from the hospital ship "Centaur". The float was recovered by the donor's husband, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie MacDonald Outridge, 2/2 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, who was the only surviving doctor from the ship after it was torpedoed and sunk off the Queensland coast near Cape Morton on 14 May 1943 by Japanese submarine, I-177, commanded by Lieutenant Commander Nakagawa. Of the 332 people aboard the Centaur, only 64 survived, clinging to wreckage.