Searching Searching Searching - is the chase more fun than the writing?

The chase for documented fact is indeed so interesting, exasperating, diverting and absorbing. Just one little phrase sparks an A Ha moment and another alley - blind or revealing - to chase down. I now know, (after many emails and phone calls and answers from efficient, thoughtful and kind people in schools and South Australian government records),  which schools he didn't go to. Based on those facts and the deductions we have made from the geography of his youth and close association with the Church of England I have placed him at St Paul's day school in Port Adelaide to begin, then to Pulteney Grammar School for his middle and senior school years. 
Visit to Adelaide will include time with the  PGS archivist to find real school events to weave into Ridley's story. St Paul's gets quite a few mentions in newspapers - Trove is a treasure for collecting them. 

A line of inn-keepers

Greyfriars Tower In Richmond, Yorkshire, UK

Richmond Castle, Richmond, in Yorkshire UK, Ridley's Father's birthplace

http://www.docbrown.info/docspics/dales/P3142260.jpg

Copy and paste the URL's into your browser or click on them and see what an enchanting English village William James Reed the Elder hailed from.
William's Mother's name was Mary Ridley, a name he and Catherine gave to their youngest daughter. Ridley was always known to his friends as "Ridley" but was baptised Arthur Ridley. A forbear, Elizabeth Ridley, was born in 1775.

So it's been a while but I have been busy AND productive

Staring at screens, buying a small "Pay to View" account with Ancestry.com, writing to Port Adelaide-Enfield Council and SA Museum, Irwin District Historical Society in WA, tracking through Electoral rolls, a Google search, taking a punt on a name in Whitepages and Hey Presto!! On Thursday I talked to the Great-nephew of Ridley. His mother was the daughter of William James, Ridley's brother,  and died only in 2008. She was herself very interested and, as I understand, active in family history researching. I will be ringing him again next Wednesday and will talk more - the hope is that he has a bit more in tangible evidence. No matter if he doesn't, the thrill of "closing a circle" extending over 125 years is worth it.  Maybe too he will have information about Dora Reed, Ridley's older sister, and Mary Ridley Watson (nee Reed), his younger sister. Trove has produced articles listing Dora's Music Theory examination results and that she came second in the telegraph operators examination for the Commonwealth Public Service, through Muirden's College in Adelaide. From Trove also, descriptions of weddings and what the bride wore are entrancing. The Shell-pink georgette over silver tissue, the silver shoes, gold moracain, "autumn tints" bouquets and black velvet cloche hats of the 1920's seem so much more inventive and interesting than the current standard of strapless white!!
Recently spent two days in the War Museum in Canberra reading accounts of the experiences of civilians and soldiers in Rabaul after the invasion by the Japanese. Escapes and POW life - of course they are horrific but I have no means of deeply feeling what they were like - it is an intellectual exercise and how glad I am that is all it can be.

War report of the USS Sturgeon

War report of USS Sturgeon

  Attack on MV Montevideo Maru

  (Typed, the “a” was wearing and not making a clear strike).

 

“30^th June 1942

Patrolling North-West of Bojeador as before. Dove at dawn, surfaced at dusk. At 2216 sighted a darkened ship to southward. At first, due to bearing on which it was sighted, believed him to be on northerly course, but after  few  minutes observation it was evident he was on a westerly course, and going at high speed. He quite evidently had stood out of Babuyan Channel, headed for Hainan. Put on all engines and worked up to full power, proceeding to westward in attempt to get ahead of him.  For an hour and a half we couldn’t make a nickel. This fellow was really going, making at least 17 knots, and probably a bit more as he appeared to be zig-zagging. At this time it looked a bit hopeless, but determined to hang on in the hope he would slow or change course towards us. His range at this time was estimated at   around 18,000 yards. Sure enough, about  midnight he slowed to about 12 knots. After that it was easy.

1^st July 1942

Proceeding to intercept target as before. Altered course to gain position ahead of him, and dove at 0146. When he got in periscope range, it could be seen that he was larger than first believed, also that his course was a little left of west, leaving us some 3000 yards off the track. Was able to close some 1000 yards of this , and then turned to fire stern tubes as:

1.     Only 3 tubes available forward, and at this range and with large target 4 fish spread desirable

2.     After tubes had 700(indistinguishable) heads), while heads forward were small ones.

At 0225  fired four-torpedo spread, range 4000 yards, from after tubes. At 0229 heard and observed explosion about 75-100 abaft stack. At 0240 observed ship sink stern first. 0250 surfaced, proceeded eastward, completing battery charge. Ship believed to be Rio de Janeiro Maru, or very  similar type, although it is possible it was a larger ship ; he was a big one. A few lights were observed on deck just after the explosion, but there was apparently no power available, and his bow was well up in the air in 6 minutes.  Dove at dawn. No further contacts.

Again the advantage of  a straight shot was demonstrated. I can honestly say that, even  at the long range at which these torpedoes were fired, everyone felt perfectly confident, at the instant of firing, that we would hit. In fact, immediately after firing, I turned with full rudder in order to bring the bow tubes to bear in case of a miss. The T.D.C operator (Lt. Nimitz) remarked as the torpedoes were still running , “We won’t have to use any more. One of those will get him”. It was also noted (as it was also on 25 June) that at least some of the torpedoes explode as they sink. Two were about six minutes after firing. It would seem that explosion occurs, however, before the torpedo reaches the bottom, as water was very deep. It may occur as the head crushes. Torpedoes were heard running by second operator. Sketch of pursuit is included in enclosure (A2).

Launching of USS Sturgeon



     USS 187 "Sturgeon" of the Salmon class,  

                              Captained by William Wright at                               

time of Montevideo Maru sinking

The simple language, casual, slangy almost, describing an event which was so momentous for so many. Over 1000 Australians died but so did most of the  Japanese crewmen. The Americans had no idea what had just been achieved.

Port Adelaide

Fascinating what you find in old maps and can therefore plot the changes in a suburb.

Right at the spot C/4.2 on 1 Santo Parade is the spot where the Colac Hotel stood in 1929 on the wharves of the South Australian Company Basin. It still stands in the same place but the basin is radically changed in shape and there is no longer a bridged creek across St Vincent's Street. The basin from the Gawler Reach is a long rectangle which now laps Ocean Steamers Road, as that part of St Vincent's Street is now called.

The Colac belongs to the Labour Party in South Australia. It has had a long, long association with working men and women in Port Adelaide. The ALP Trades Union has closed the hotel for trading.

Siblings

Ridley was born in the Colac Hotel in December 1895. His brother William was born two years later. William and Catherine were married in 1888 and Ridley's prayer book lists a Doris Mary Reed in the lists of names where it had been used. This was before he was born, so the  initials "A.R.R." in the leather cover of the book were punched in later. Doris may have been a first-born sister who died as an infant.  Given in the time between marriage and Ridley's birth it is possible that Catherine and William had a still-born child before Doris.

Image from website http://www.weddingsa.com/churches

Ridley and William were both baptised in St Margaret's on Port Road, Woodville.

First go at a beginning

"Ridley did not die peacefully, drowning in the sinking hull of the MV Montevideo Maru in company with over one thousand Australians. A United States submarine had inadvertently torpedoed the unmarked ship, loaded with prisoners of war from Rabaul, in July 1942. Ridley lived 47 years set against mundane and momentous events in the 20th century. He left no heirs and passed into memory and a mystery."


Well! that sounds like nothing wonderful but the beginning is always the hardest, then ending properly...........