Horace Cyril Collett

GEDCOM Note

<p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr">14P9 HORACE CYRIL COLLETT who went by the name CYRIL HORACE COLLETT was born at Cairns on 17th March 1916 and was baptised at St John’s Church in Cairns, the son of George and Kate Collett. When he was seven years old his family moved from Cairns and settled in Auchenflower in Brisbane. On leaving school he worked as a labourer and at the age of twenty-four he enlisted for war service and signed on at Kelvin Grove in Brisbane on 26th August 1940. His service number was Q28056 and in just over a year he was promoted to corporal on 20th November 1941.</p> <p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr">Just over three weeks later on 13th December 1941 he was one of the witnesses at the wedding of his younger brother Arthur James Collett (below) at Christ ChurchSt Lucia in Brisbane. The other witness was Ina Kirkland who was a friend of the bride. Cyril was still at Brisbane on 27th April 1942 when he was posted to 7th Field Ambulance Division of 61st Battalion. Three months later he was with the 61st Battalion where they embarked for New Guinea on board the ship the MV Swartenhordt which sailed out of Townsville on 30th July 1942.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr">Tragically one month later he was killed in action and died at Milne Bay in Papua New Guinea on 29th August 1942. He was originally buried at Milne Cemetery (Plot A Row B Grave 3) on 3rd December 1942, but was later moved to the Bomana War Cemetery at Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea where he was finally laid to rest on 29th March 1946 (Plot A2 Row A Grave 19).</p>
<p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr">Historical Note: After the Japanese landed at Lae and Salamaua in March 1942, Port Moresby became their chief objective. They decided to attack by sea, and assembled an amphibious expedition for the purpose, which set out early in May, but they were intercepted and heavily defeated by American air and naval forces in the Coral Sea, and what remained of the Japanese expedition returned to Rabaul.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr">The Japanese then made an amphibious landing at Milne Bay on 27th August 1942. The 61st Battalion was first into action but was unable to hold back the Japanese.The Japanese reached the edge of the airstrip the next day, where they waited to be reinforced. In the early morning of 31st August the Japanese charged the defences manned by the remaining men of the 61st Battalion, who had been strengthened by the 25th Battalion who were now fighting alongside them. The Japanese suffered heavy losses and had withdrawn by dawn.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr">Those gallant men who died during the fighting, like Cyril, are buried in Port Moresby’s 'Bomana War Cemetery' their graves having been brought in by the Australian Army Graves Service from burial grounds in the areas where the fighting had taken place and where they had originally been buried.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;" dir="ltr">For his service to his King and Country, Cyril Horace Collett of the 61st Battalion Queensland Cameron Highlanders was posthumously awarded the following medals;1939-1945 Star, Pacific Star, War Medal, and Australian Service Medal.</p>