Jacob Lewis Rosen was born on 3 November 1891 in Redfern, Sydney, the eldest of nine children of Rebecca (née Isaacs) and Samuel Rosen, a dealer. Jacob, known as Jack, was a carter and in 1918 married Flora at Bankstown Synagogue, founded five years previously by her father, Samuel Davis. Jack then worked on merchant ships, sailing the Pacific, East Indies and China.

On 18 August 1939, two weeks prior to the outbreak of WWII and aged 47, Jack was posted as Chief Steward on the Burns Philp Line’s MV Neptuna. Soon all six Rosen brothers had enlisted in service. The Neptuna was a 6,000 ton, 120m long passenger-cargo ship with 123 crew. In November 1941, she sailed from Hong Kong via Manila and Rabaul bringing evacuees to Sydney. Neptuna left Sydney in January 1942 with a cargo of stores, high explosives, 200 depth charges and ammunition for Darwin, and when she arrived on 12 February the port was crowded with 65 vessels, including the USS Houston and USS Peary.

On 19 February 1942 at 8:30am, HMAS Swan came alongside Neptuna and sailors started loading shells, while wharf labourers unloaded general cargo. At about 10:00am, a sailor noticed aircraft flying over in formation and yelled out: "The Yanks had at last arrived!" Suddenly a huge explosion on board Neptuna made them realise that these were Japanese aircraft dropping bombs in a surprise attack. Swan manoeuvred full astern while firing her anti-aircraft and machine-guns at the Japanese planes. Several more bombs struck Neptuna, another blew a hole in her side, and she began taking on water. While the crew were abandoning her, many jumping into the fuel slick-covered harbour, the fire entered the forward hatches and the hundreds of depth charges exploded, blowing Neptuna apart. Flames, smoke and debris arose in a mushroom-shaped cloud over 100 metres in the air, and she settled on her side.

Nine wharf labourers and 36 crew members died on board Neptuna, including Chief Steward Jack Rosen, and many others were seriously injured. Eight ships were sunk and 15 damaged, while 88 of the USS Peary’s crew were killed. Another air-raid by 54 Japanese bombers later that day saw more bombs dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbour: allied casualties totalled 243 killed and 300 to 400 wounded. The Japanese bombing of Darwin was the first of more than a hundred air attacks on northern Australia from 1942 to 1943.

As he has no known grave, Chief Steward Jacob Lewis Rosen’s name is engraved on the Northern Territory Memorial, Adelaide River NT, Australia.

Tragically a few months later, Jack’s brother, Henry Rosen, was also Killed in Action in an air attack on a merchant ship, in Port Moresby on 18 June: see his separate entry. The surviving four Rosen brothers returned from the war: Lt Albert served at Tobruk, Pte Woolfe was a commando in 2AIF, Flt Sgt Emmanuel served in the RAAF, while Alf Rosen apparently was awarded a DSM during WWI and went missing for two years during WWII, serving with the British Army. 

Jacob Lewis Rosen was born on 3 November 1891 in Redfern, Sydney, the eldest of nine children of Eva Rebecca (née Isaacs) and Samuel Rosen, a dealer. By 1913 Jacob, known as Jack, was a carter and then an Indent Agent in 1918 when he married Flora (née Davis) at Bankstown Synagogue. Her father, Samuel Davis, was one of the founders of the shul, that had opened only five years previously. It seems that Jack began working on merchant ships around this time, sailing to the Pacific Islands, East Indies and China, becoming an officer in the Merchant Navy.

Aged 47, Jack Rosen was posted as Chief Steward on the Burns Philp Line’s MV Neptuna on 18 August 1939, two weeks prior to the outbreak of WWII. Soon, all six Rosen brothers had enlisted in a service. The German-built Neptuna was a 6000 tons gross, 120m long passenger-cargo vessel, and Jack was one of eighteen Australian Officers, four Cadets and crew of more than one hundred Chinese sailors. Two weeks before the Japanese attacked Hong Kong and Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, the Neptuna had left the British colony on 24 November 1941. She sailed via Manila and Rabaul to collect more evacuees, and arrived in Sydney Harbour on New Year’s Eve. Neptuna departed Sydney in late January 1942 with a cargo of stores in the forward holds and high explosives and ammunition in the aft holds, including 200 depth charges. She was escorted by a corvette until the Gulf of Carpentaria, where the escort left to investigate a submarine sighting, and the Neptuna arrived in Darwin on 12 February. The port was crowded with some 65 vessels, including the USS Houston, USS Peary and HMAS Swan. The Neptuna berthed alongside the main wharf at Stokes Hill and took the opportunity to undertake maintenance of her engines.

On 19 February 1942 at 8:30am, the Swan came alongside Neptuna and started loading high explosive anti-aircraft shells, while wharf labourers unloaded general cargo. At about 10:00am, a sailor noticed some aircraft flying over in formation and he yelled out: "The Yanks had at last arrived!" Another sailor said he thought they were dropping leaflets. Suddenly a huge explosion on board Neptuna made them realise that these were Japanese aircraft dropping bombs on them. The Swan cast her lines and manoeuvred full astern, while firing her anti-aircraft and machine-guns at the Japanese aircraft: 188 had been launched from four aircraft-carriers in the Timor Sea.

Several more bombs struck Neptuna, some exploding in her saloon and engine room, causing the ship to catch on fire. A near-miss bomb blew a hole in the ship’s side and she began taking on water. Meanwhile, the main fuel line to the wharf had been broken, so fuel was flooding onto the harbour and had caught fire, gradually surrounding the wharf. The SS Barossa, tied up on the other side of the wharf and parallel to Neptuna, had also caught fire, its smoke and noise adding to the turmoil. Some of its crew cast off mooring lines to let her drift free before the Neptuna could explode. While Neptuna’s crew were abandoning her, some via a makeshift gangway and many jumping into the slick-covered harbour, the fire entered No. 3 and No. 4 hatches and the hundreds of depth charges exploded, blowing her apart. Flames, smoke and debris arose in a mushroom-shaped cloud over 100 metres in the air, and she settled on her side. Chunks of red-hot metal from Neptuna showered down, and fires broke out on Barossa’s decks, although she and Wato survived the massive explosion. The crew of HMAS Tolga fought the fires on Barossa and brought them under control. Due to these prompt actions, no lives were lost onboard SS Barossa.

In Jewish Anzacs, Mark Dapin quotes an eye-witness, Melbourne-born Jewish Lieutenant Zelman Cowen of the Royal Australian Navy (later Governor General of Australia): “There was an unearthly quiet after all of that tremendous noise, followed very suddenly [by] the mother and father of all explosions. The Neptuna had been tied up at the wharf and she had a cargo of explosives, but the fire got to the explosives. The ship blew high into the air. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a noise like that in my life. It was appalling.” Men took cover among the foreshore rocks as shrapnel and debris from the explosion showered the harbour. Most of the surviving ship’s company were rescued from the wharf and the harbour, and taken aboard HMAS Platypus, a depot ship being used as a casualty clearing station. Nine wharf labourers and 36 crew members died on board Neptuna, including her Master, Captain William Michie and Chief Steward Jack Rosen, aged 50, while many others were seriously injured.

Of some 55 ships in Darwin Harbour on the day of the surprise Japanese attack, 19 February 1942, eight ships were sunk and 15 were damaged. In Darwin itself, the wharf was badly damaged and the police station, police barracks, post office (killing nine employees) and Administrator’s office were all destroyed. The hospital ship Manunda was also bombed, resulting in the loss of 12 people. The largest loss of life occurred aboard the USS Peary, with 88 of her 144 crew killed in the bombing. The Peary still lies at the bottom of Darwin Harbour, but Neptuna’s smoke plume became the iconic image of that morning. Another raid conducted by 54 land-based Japanese army bombers later the same day inflicted further damage on the town and RAAF Base Darwin, including the destruction of 20 military aircraft. More bombs were dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbour and allied casualties totalled 243 killed with between 300 and 400 wounded, the majority of whom were non-Australian Allied sailors. Only four Japanese aircraft (all navy carrier-borne) were confirmed to have been destroyed by Darwin's defenders. It was the first of more than a hundred Japanese air attacks on the northern Australian mainland from 1942 to 1943.

As he has no known grave, Chief Steward Jacob Lewis Rosen’s name is engraved on Panel 12, Northern Territory Memorial, Adelaide River NT, Australia. His name is also on the Fremantle Memorial for Merchant Ships.

Jack’s brother, Henry Rosen, also served on merchant ships as Chief Saloon Waiter. Tragically, a few months later, he too was Killed in Action, when MV Macdhui was attacked in Port Moresby on 18 June 1942: see separate entry. Their surviving four brothers returned from the war: Albert, who previously held a commission in the militia, rose from Private to Lieutenant with the 2AIF at Tobruk (died 1953 in a tram accident in Brisbane), Emmanuel was a Flight Sergeant in RAAF (d. 1967) and Private Woolfe was a commando in 2AIF (b. 1911 - died 4 October 1947 from malaria and leukemia, buried Rookwood). The Hebrew Standard reported in 1943 that another brother, Alf (i.e. Ephraim Manny) Rosen, was awarded a DSM (?as Lt Wilfred Rosen of the London Regiment?) during WWI and went missing for two years during WWII whilst serving with the British Army (b. 1894 - died 2 April? 1947).

In August 1942, Rebecca Rosen applied for a ‘Mothers and Widow’s Badge.’ Samuel died on 8 July 1948 (predeceased by four of his six sons) and Rebecca died on 20 November 1955, leaving one surviving son, Emmanuel, and two of three daughters, Kitty and Vera (Rae aka Rose d. 1951).

MV Neptuna and other ships were salvaged from Darwin Harbour in 1959-60 by the Fujita Salvage Company of Japan.