Gunner Bernard Manders SEXTON was born on 16th October 1915 in Auckland, New Zealand to parents Duncan David Sexton and Isabelle Hill.

Bernard and his family immigrated to Australia and settled in Brisbane. Bernard enlisted in the Militia Forces on 07 November 1938 in Brisbane (Army No 401363) and was allotted to the 13th Field Battery,5th Field Brigade and was discharged the following year on 18 September 1939. On 03 July 1940, Bernard enlisted with the Australian Army at Kelvin Grove in Brisbane and was a Gunner in the 2/10 Field Regiment (SERN: QX13955).

On 04 September 1944, Bernard along with 1,318 Prisoners of War (including 718 Australians), who were all survivors of the Burma-Thailand Railway, embarked from Singapore on board the Japanese transport Rakuyo Maru. The ship was part of a convoy of 13 ships which included other PoW ships. At 2am on the 12 September, the convoy was attacked near Haanan Island by the submarine US Growler and an escort ship was sunk. At 5.30am the convoy was again attacked, this time by submarine US Sealion who torpedoed a tanker, a freighter and the ship that Bernard was aboard – the Rakuyo Maru. The Rakuyo Maru was hit in the front and in the engine room but did not sink. The PoW’s on board, jumped over the side into the sea while the Japanese on board evacuated, taking the ship’s life boats.

At 6.15am, the convoy was again attacked and depth-bombs were exploded in the water near the Rakuyo Maru and the PoW’s floating nearby. At 7.10am some of the PoW’s who had jumped into the water returned to Rakuyo Maru which was still afloat. By 5.30pm, the ship was near sinking and all the PoW’s left the ship.

It is estimated that nearly 1,160 POW’s died with the sinking of the Rakuyo Maru. Bernard Manders Sexton was one of the soldiers lost at sea on that day. His date of death is recorded as 12 September 1944.