Ernest John Atkins (19 December 1916 – 1 March 1942) was an
Australian rules football
Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...
er who played with
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
in the
Victorian Football League
The Victorian Football League (VFL) is an Australian rules football league in Australia serving as one of the second-tier regional semi-professional competitions which sit underneath the fully professional Australian Football League (AFL). It ...
(VFL).
He was an able seaman on
HMAS ''Perth''; and he died during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
when HMAS ''Perth'' was hit by a Japanese torpedo during the
Battle of Sunda Strait
The Battle of Sunda Strait was a naval battle which occurred during World War II in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Java, and Sumatra. On the night of 28 February 1 March 1942, the Australian light cruiser , American heavy cruiser , a ...
. His service number was PM2929.
Family
The son of former
University
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
footballer,
Ernest Faram "Ernie" Atkins (1890–1972), and Vera Ethel Atkins, née Clendinnen, Ernest John Atkins was born on 19 December 1916.
See also
*
Sources
* Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
* Main, J. & Allen, D., "Atkins, John", pp. 207–208 in Main, J. & Allen, D., ''Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War'', Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.
Taylor, Percy, "Melbourne are Proud of their Great War Record", ''The Australasian'', (Saturday, 24 June 1944), p.23.Roll of Honour: Able Seaman Ernest John Atkins (PM2929), ''Australian War Memorial''.World War Two Nominal Roll: Able Seaman Ernest John Atkins (PM2929).World War Two Service Record: Able Seaman Ernest John Atkins (PM2929), ''Australian National Archives''.
External links
*
DemonWiki profile''Boyles Football Photos'': Jack Atkins
1916 births
1942 deaths
Australian rules footballers from Victoria (Australia)
Melbourne Football Club players
Old Melburnians Football Club players
Australian military personnel killed in World War II
Royal Australian Navy personnel of World War II
Royal Australian Navy sailors
Deaths due to shipwreck at sea
Military personnel from Victoria (Australia)
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