CADGE, Frank William George


No.18324, Petty Officer, Frank William George CADGE
Aged 41


H.M.A.S. Perth, Royal Australian Navy
Died of Illness in captivity on Tuesday, 31st March 1942


Born on 9th February 1901 (1st qtr Bury St.Edmunds 4a:937) son of Samuel Israel and Mary Ann CADGE (née CLARKE). Husband of Ada D.I. CADGE.

1901 census...Aged 1 month he was at 79 Out Westgate, Bury St.Edmunds with his father Samuel Israel CADGE [30] foundry labourer born Hartest, his mother Mary Ann [27] born Walsham le Willows.

1911 census...Aged 10, he was still at 79 Out Westgate with his parents; brothers JohnE [7] and Henry J [3]; sister Charlotte E [5]

He sailed from London on SS Barrabool for Melbourne, Australia on 6th September 1923.

He enlisted in Melbourne in the Royal Australian Navy for 12 years on 31st March 1927. Much of his service record is too faint to read. His next of kin was Ada D.I.CADGE , his wife of North Sidney, New South Wales. 5 feet 8 inches tall, hazel eyes, dark brown hair, Church of Egland. His trade was cook and he was promoted to Petty Officer 9/8/1935.
He served on the cruiser HMAS Australia in 1929, then on heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra from 19/12/1929 to 6/6/1940 and finally the light cruiser HMAS Perth from 7/6/1940.

Noted on his records is mention of a report from CinC Far East Land Forces that his body was recovered from Serang European Cemetery and re-buried in BC Section of the Batavia (Kentang Sulao) Dutch War Cemetery and his widow informed. So he was one of the survivors of the sinking and imprisoned but succumbed to dysentery on 31st March 1942, being buried in Serang Cemetery, Java.

There are only two pages of his records on line and sadly much is too faint, including his medals. Represented here is just a surmise of his entitlement.

HMAS Perth was one of three modified Leander-class light cruisers used by the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) during the early part of World War II. She was built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s and was commissioned as HMS Amphion in 1936. The ship spent the next several years as flagship of the Commander-in-Chief, Africa before she was transferred to the RAN in 1939 and renamed as HMAS Perth.
After some time on duty in the Mediterranean, she returned to the Pacific at the fall of Singapore and was sunk in the Battle of the Sundra Strait on 1st March 1942. Over half her crew were killed, and only two thirds of the survivors survived their captivity with the Japanese.



not sunk in battle of Java Sea, but battle of Sundra Strait






photo C.W.G.C.


Frank Cadge is buried in Jakarta War Cemetery, Indonesia 5:H:6
and commemorated on the Roll of Honour in North Sydney, and panel 5 of the Australian War Memorial

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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