WWII ship seen on camera for first time
World War Two ship seen for first time off coast of Australia following underwater search
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Sunday, 10, Jan 2010 02:33
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
The Centaur, an Australian hospital ship which sunk during World War II has been seen for the first time in over 60 years.
A remote-controlled camera captured images of the wreck more than 1.3 miles under the sea, after it was last seen on May 14th 1943.
Some 268 lives were lost when the ship sunk, after it was torpedoed by the Japanese; although Japan has in the past protested this claim.
The ship was found by a search team on December 20th, not far from the Queensland coast. Search director David Mearns told AFP news agency: "Although the wreck is very badly damaged, characteristic markings and features that identify the wreck as the Centaur were clearly visible."
The Australian War Memorial say of the 332 persons on board the Centaur, only 64 survived. These survivors spent 35 hours on rafts before being rescued.
Sister Ellen Savage, the only one of twelve nursing sisters on board to survive, though injured herself, gave great help to the other survivors and was awarded the George Medal for this work.