Jack Atkins

Australian rules footballer

Jack Atkins
Personal information
Full name	Ernest John Atkins
Date of birth	(1916-12-19)19 December 1916
Place of birth	Toorak, Victoria
Date of death	1 March 1942(1942-03-01) (aged 25)
Place of death	HMAS Perth, Sunda Strait, off Java
Original team(s)	Old Melburnians
Height	184 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	89 kg (196 lb)
Position(s)	Full back
Playing career¹
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
1940	Melbourne	4 (1)
¹ Playing statistics correct to the end of 1940.
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Ernest John Atkins (19 December 1916 – 1 March 1942) was an Australian rules footballer who played with Melbourne in the Victorian Football League (VFL).

He was an able seaman on HMAS Perth; and he died during World War II when HMAS Perth was hit by a Japanese torpedo during the Battle of Sunda Strait. His service number was PM2929.

Family

The son of former University footballer, Ernest Faram "Ernie" Atkins (1890–1972), and Vera Ethel Atkins, née Clendinnen, Ernest John Atkins was born on 19 December 1916.

Sources

Holmesby, Russell & Main, Jim (2007). The Encyclopedia of AFL Footballers. 7th ed. Melbourne: Bas Publishing.
Main, J. & Allen, D., "Atkins, John", pp. 207–208 in Main, J. & Allen, D., Fallen – The Ultimate Heroes: Footballers Who Never Returned From War, Crown Content, (Melbourne), 2002.
Taylor, Percy, "Melbourne are Proud of their Great War Record", The Australasian, (Saturday, 24 June 1944), p.23.
Roll of Honour: Able Seaman Ernest John Atkins (PM2929), Australian War Memorial.
World War Two Nominal Roll: Able Seaman Ernest John Atkins (PM2929). Archived 27 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine
World War Two Service Record: Able Seaman Ernest John Atkins (PM2929), Australian National Archives.