Basil Catterns
Encyclopedia
Basil Catterns, MC
(1917 - 30 March 2007) was an Australian businessman, citizen soldier and amateur yachtsman. Born as Basil Wilfred Thomas Catterns in Balmain, Sydney
, the son of an English merchant seaman, Wilfred Catterns, and Emily (née Greenwell). An uncle, Basil G. Catterns, for whom he was named, later became the Chief Cashier of the Bank of England
.
, Catterns joined the staff of the (now defunct) Sydney afternoon daily newspaper, The Sun. On the outbreak of World War II
in 1939 he volunteered for military service and served with the Australian Imperial Force
in the Middle East and North Africa including Tobruk
. When the AIF was brought back to Australia in 1942, he met Nina McKnight and later married her in 1943.
with his infantry unit
where he saw action on the Kokoda Track
winning a Military Cross
and being mentioned in dispatches for acts of gallantry which his battalion commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Cullen, was moved to declare the bravest thing I'd ever seen a man do. Catterns served in New Guinea for the rest of the war, eventually attaining the rank of major.
; sailed the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
on six occasions; founded Offshore Yachting, the magazine of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
; and was one of the longest-serving members of the Sydney Maritime Museum
.
Catterns and his wife lived in suburban Sydney where they raised three children: David, a barrister/QC; Diana, an artist; and Angela
, a well-known radio broadcaster and co-presenter of 'Film First' Sunday movie premieres on The World Movies Channel.
in late April 2010.
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
(1917 - 30 March 2007) was an Australian businessman, citizen soldier and amateur yachtsman. Born as Basil Wilfred Thomas Catterns in Balmain, Sydney
Balmain, New South Wales
Balmain is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Balmain is located slightly west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
, the son of an English merchant seaman, Wilfred Catterns, and Emily (née Greenwell). An uncle, Basil G. Catterns, for whom he was named, later became the Chief Cashier of the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
.
Early years
Educated at Fort Street Boys' High SchoolFort Street High School
Fort Street High School is a co-educational, academically selective, public high school currently located at Petersham, an inner western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
, Catterns joined the staff of the (now defunct) Sydney afternoon daily newspaper, The Sun. On the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in 1939 he volunteered for military service and served with the Australian Imperial Force
Second Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
in the Middle East and North Africa including Tobruk
Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
. When the AIF was brought back to Australia in 1942, he met Nina McKnight and later married her in 1943.
World War II
In September 1942, Catterns, by now a captain, was sent to New GuineaNew Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
with his infantry unit
2/1st Australian Infantry Battalion
The 2/1st Battalion was a battalion of the Australian Army was raised at Victoria Barracks, Sydney, on 16 October 1939 as part of the 16th Brigade of the 6th Australian Division for World War II.-Greece and the Middle East:...
where he saw action on the Kokoda Track
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 between Japanese and Allied—primarily Australian—forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua...
winning a Military Cross
Military Cross
The Military Cross is the third-level military decoration awarded to officers and other ranks of the British Armed Forces; and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries....
and being mentioned in dispatches for acts of gallantry which his battalion commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Cullen, was moved to declare the bravest thing I'd ever seen a man do. Catterns served in New Guinea for the rest of the war, eventually attaining the rank of major.
Post War
After the war Catterns pursued a career in advertising. He produced a film of the Melbourne Olympic Games1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
; sailed the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...
on six occasions; founded Offshore Yachting, the magazine of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, established in 1944 is known as one of Australia's premier yacht clubs, and is acknowledged as one of the leaders in ocean racing in the country...
; and was one of the longest-serving members of the Sydney Maritime Museum
Sydney Maritime Museum
The Sydney Maritime Museum, also known as Sydney Heritage Fleet, is a private not-for-profit museum located in Darling Harbour, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
.
Catterns and his wife lived in suburban Sydney where they raised three children: David, a barrister/QC; Diana, an artist; and Angela
Angela Catterns
-Early career:Catterns began her radio career at Lismore's local station 2LM, followed by several years in Orange working at CBN8 TV.She then returned to her native Sydney after working as a sound recordist on a documentary shot in Papua New Guinea....
, a well-known radio broadcaster and co-presenter of 'Film First' Sunday movie premieres on The World Movies Channel.
Media
The Catterns's story was a major thread in the documentary series Kokoda which was originally aired on ABC1ABC1
ABC1 was a United Kingdom based television channel from Disney using the branding of the Disney owned American network, ABC.The channel initially launched exclusively on the British digital terrestrial television platform Freeview on 27 September 2004. On 10 December 2004 it was launched on...
in late April 2010.
External links
- Oral History, Catterns describes action on the Kokoda Track
- Australian War Memorial entry
- Obituary Sydney Morning Herald
- Kokoda - ABC interactive program site