Person:Mary McFarlane (2)

1 NOTE !Death: Drowned when hospital ship "Centaur" was sunk. For anaccount of the sinking see: 'Australian Women at War' by PatsyAdam-Smith, Nelson 1984. Particularly p154 and Ch.15.ISBN 0 17 006408 5 In a statement on the circumstances of the sinking, Mr Curtinsaid: 'The Centaur was at 4 a.m. on Friday, May 14, a shortdistance off the Queensland coast. Weather was fine andvisibility good. The ship was brightly illuminated, inaccordance with the Geneva Convention. Illuminations, inaddition to the usual navigation lights, consisted of redcrosses on each side of the hull, red crosses on the poop, androws of brilliant lights along the side of the hull toilluminate the characteristic green painted band - in this case5 feet wide - which encircles hospital ships. 'On board the Centaur were 363 persons, consisting solely ofship's crew and medical personnel, including 12 nurses. Therewere no wounded on board. In all there were only 64 survivors,including one nurse. The remaining 299 persons, includingmembers of the ship's crew, nurses, and other medical personnel,lost their lives.'