GLEESON, Lorraine Elizabeth
| Service Numbers: | Not yet discovered |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 June 1939 |
| Last Rank: | Not yet discovered |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, 1901 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Steward |
| Died: | She died of a strangulated Hernia while interned in the former French-Canadian convent at Fukushima, Fukushima, Japan, 7 April 1945 |
| Cemetery: |
Yokohama War Cemetery Aust. Sec. E. D. 6. |
| Memorials: | Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 21 Jun 1939: | Enlisted Merchant Navy | |
|---|---|---|
| 21 Jun 1939: | Enlisted |
Help us honour Lorraine Elizabeth Gleeson's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoffrey Gillon
She was a Stewardess [Australian Merchant Navy] on the Nankin, a 6,853 GRT steam Passenger/ cargo ship that was attacked on 10 May 1942 by German raider Thor. The Captain of Nankin ordered the ship to be abandoned and an attempt was made to scuttle her but this was not successful and a boarding party managed to repair her. She was taken as a prize and renamed Leuthen and travelled to Japanese-held ports. She was blown up with two other ships on 30 November 1942 whilst in Yokohama harbour during a bunkering operation - possibly sabotage.
The widely varying dates of deaths of the six Australian Merchant Navy casualties suggests they died whilst POW’s.
She was the daughter of Thomas Devlin Gleeson and Agnus Gleeson; wife of M. J. Gleeson of Willoughby New South Wales Australia.
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