It is with great sadness that we report of the passing of Norm Furness one of the few survivors of Lark Force and the fall of Rabaul.
At 1:00 am on 23 January 1942, 5,000 Japanese troops came ashore at Blanche Bay, vastly outnumbering the 1,396 soldiers of Lark Force awaiting them. Resistance lasted only a few hours before Lark Force commander, Colonel John Scanlan (1890 - 1962), ordered the men to disperse in an 'Every man for himself' withdrawal. No contingency plans were in place for retreat, chaos ensued and Lark Force disintegrated.
Norm managed to survive the horrific conditions that befell the members of Lark Force from the invading Japanese. He was one of the lucky ones to escape East New Britain by boat and return to Australia to tell the story. You can listen to Norm recall his escape by clicking here.
Norm has been committed for over seventy years to looking after the widows and families of the 2/22nd Battalion/Lark Force Association. He was also committed to the few survivors of the battalion, despite them being spread all over Australia.
In the 1960s and 1970s he was involved in raising funds to build three units at RSL Care, Frankston, for widows of the 2/22nd Battalion.
Norm was a Welfare Officer for the East Malvern RSL which earned him a Life Membership of the RSL. In 2012 he was awarded the Shrine of Remembrance Medal for outstanding contributions to the veterans community. In 2016 Norm was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal again for his commitment to the veteran community and for keeping the story of Lark Force alive.
In the post-war years Norm was instrumental in commemorations for Lark Lark Force and the Montevideo Maru. Including raising money for and dedicating memorials in PNG, Australia and the Philippines.
Norm will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Lest We Forget
******UPDATE*****
There will be a funeral service held tomorrow, Tuesday September 8 at 10.45 a.m. in Blair Chapel at Springvale Crematorium. Due to current Stage 4 restrictions in place only immediate family are able to attend. However the service will be live streamed for those who would like to join the service. If you click on the link https://vimeo.com/event/279261
Our sincere condolences and love go to his loving family at this sad time. He was such a special gentleman.
