| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P07597.002 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1943 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of PM7168 Ordinary Seaman (OS) Richard Southey Hookins, HMAS Australia, of ...
Description
Studio portrait of PM7168 Ordinary Seaman (OS) Richard Southey Hookins, HMAS Australia, of Elsternwick, Victoria. An insurance clerk prior to enlistment, Hookins enlisted on 9 November 1943. On 21 October 1944, after bombardments in Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, HMAS Australia was hit by a Japanese suicide plane. Six officers and 23 ratings were killed, and her Commanding Officer, Captain E.F.V. Dechaineaux DSC, later died of wounds. OS Hookins was among the wounded and died the following day on 22 October 1944, aged 18. He was buried at sea.