BOOK - BIBLE ILLUSTRATED ARMADALE SUNDAY SCHOOL

This illustrated Bible was owned and used by Ricky Devereux when he lived in Armadale in the 1930s. Eric 'Ricky' Gordon Devereux was born in Armadale on 7 September 1921 to Gordon and Eleanor 'Ellie' Devereux. He was their second child after Joan who was born in 1920. The family were members of the Armadale Congregational Church which was located across the road from their home on the corner of Church Avenue and Third Road. This bible was awarded to Ricky for his 'outstanding attendance' at Sunday School. This was probably made easier thanks to his close proximity to the church. The Bible was presented to Ricky by the president, Mr Henry Allan Beard and the secretary, Miss Daphne Saw of the Armadale Congregational Congregation on 31 March 1935.
As a child Ricky also worked as a paper delivery boy for Mrs Knight's Newsagency a little bit down the road on the corner of Third Road and Jull Street. On 21 June 1935 the newspaper The Swan Leader reported on an accident Ricky was involved in, when he was on his way to the Armadale railway station to pick up the newspaper from the morning train. Ricky collided heavily with a pedestrian and received 'several facial injuries and a deep cut over the eye necessitated several stitches being inserted.' Those scars were still visible as they were recorded when he enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 1938. On leaving the paper delivery job Ricky received a glowing reference from Mrs Knight who stated she had always found him energetic, trustworthy and reliable and of very good behaviour!"
Ricky left school at the age of 15 and got a job at Curtis's sawmill in Bedfordale. Each day Ricky would ride his bike and down the hill to get to work and then home to Armadale. He was also a member of the Armadale Amateur Cycling Club. Ricky stopped riding his bike in 1938 when he enlisted with the Royal Australian Navy age 16. He did his naval training in Victoria and then joined the crew of HMAS Sydney II in February 1939. In November 1941 HMAS Sydney II stopped off at Fremantle and Ricky was able to get shore leave and visit his friends and family in Armadale. On 11November Ricky almost didn't make it in time to get back on board HMAS Sydney before it set sail, but thanks to some quick driving by a friend of his who owned a car he made it back to the ship on time.
HMAS Sydney II steamed out of Fremantle in search of the German raider the Kormoran which was though to be operating off the coast of Western Australia. Eight days later HMAS Sydney II and the Kormoran would engaged each other in battle, 200km west of Shark Bay. Both ships received catastrophic damage and both would sink. HMAS Sydney II would sink with all 644 hands on deck, including Able Seaman Eric 'Ricky' Gordon Devereux.
For a long time no one knew what happened that night and for the rest of Ricky's parents lives they did not know what actually happened to their son. In 2008 after extensive searching the final resting place of HMAS Sydney II and its crew was found in 2468 meters of water, 200km off Shark Bay. Ricky's niece Jan Krammer was able to represent the family when she and 300 other relatives of HMAS Sydney II crew members visited the site and participated in 'at sea' service.