Remembering Today Casualty Lieutenant ELLERSHAW, JOHN WINSTON Died 11/04/1943 Aged 33 H.M.A.S. Pirie, Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve Son of Frederick and Alice Ellershaw; husband of Ruth Ellershaw, of Grange, South Australia. Commemorated at PLYMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL Location: Devon, United Kingdom Number of casualties: 23228 Cemetery/memorial reference: Panel 84. Column 2.
HMAS Pirie attacked by Japanese aircraft off Oro Bay, Papua New Guinea on 11/4/43. The Gunnery Officer and six ratings were killed. Lt Ellershaw must have been the Gunnery Officer. HMAS Pirie (I) | Royal Australian Navy Edited to add: From a report on the action by Lt Cdr Mills, CO HMAS Pirie: The bomb which struck the bridge.................... struck and instantly killed my Gunnery Officer, Lieutenant J W Ellershaw, RANVR. ranca-nsw Tim
From Second World War Official Histories - Volume II – Royal Australian Navy, 1942–1945 (1st edition, 1968) p.280 Footnote: The others killed: OD A. E. Catley, AB V. J. Cremer, AB F. G. Delaney, OD M. D. Gladman, AB J. I. Keeling, OD V. G. Ross. Mark
"She experienced six very close misses and one direct hit which struck the bullet proof canopy over the bridge, penetrated it, glanced off the helmsman's protective apron, struck and killed instantly the Gunnery Officer and then striking the upper deck, exploded killing six ratings and wounding four others" Thats some apron to have a bomb glance off it TD
Name: John Winston Ellershaw Spouse Name: Ruth Mcneil Marriage Date: 30 Jan 1937 Marriage Place: South Australia Registration Place: South Australia Name: John Winston Ellershaw Gender: Male Electoral Year: 1939 Subdistrict: Hindmarsh State: South Australia District: Hindmarsh Residence Address: 730 Seaview Grange Occupation: Accountant Australia, World War II Military Service Records, 1939-1945: Name: John Winston Ellershaw Birth Date: 1 Feb 1910 Birth Place: Hyde Park Sa Year Range: 1939 - 1948 Enlistment Place: Port Adelaide Spouse: Ruth Ellershaw Series Description: A6769: RAN, Navy Officers
