C. 1944. Studio portrait of Winston Hildreth Turner, a Sydney Sun newspaper journalist in the ...

C. 1944. Studio portrait of Winston Hildreth Turner, a Sydney Sun newspaper journalist in the uniform of a United States Navy war correspondent. Representing Associated Newspapers NSW, Turner was accredited to the United States Navy, spending time in the South Pacific during the Second World War, particularly in Guadalcanal and New Georgia. Turner left Australia on 30 January 1940 and was in Java, when, because of the advancing Japanese, he became trapped in Bandung, making an overnight escape to Tjilatjap, a coastal town where he obtained a passage on the KPM Janssens. The Janssens, overcrowded with 500 on board, left with four other vessels which were sunk. She pulled into a Javanese harbour and Captain G. M. Press announced his intention to attempt to sail to Australia, allowing those who wished to surrender to disembark. The remaining 200 or so helped repair the vessel which reached Australia, using a map of Australia and the Indian Ocean which had come from a copy of National Geographic magazine from Winston Turner's kit. The Captain and Chief Engineer J. Klaveren and Assistant Engineer V. Croin were all decorated for their courage and seamanship. US Navy Doctor Commander Corydon M. Wassell was also on board the Janssens, electing to remain on the ship with twelve badly injured US seamen. His story was made into a movie 'The Story of Doctor Wassell' and starred Gary Cooper. (Donor H. Turner)