YouTube, ABC News (Australia)Siblings, although they often fight or argue, cannot deny that they will always have each other’s backs no matter what.
A Tragedy
YouTube, ABC News (Australia)In 1942, the SS Iron Crown was attacked by the Japanese with a torpedo about 100 kilometers off the south coast of Victoria, Australia.
Lives Were Lost
Unsplash39 people passed away from the shipwreck, including 64-year-old Frank Stewart.
His Family
UnsplashHis passing caused his two kids, Bill and Beryl, to become orphans because his wife had already passed away several years before he did.
They Got Separated
UnsplashBill and Beryl were already living at an orphanage while Frank joined the merchant navy after his wife passed. But after his passing, Bill was sent to the Boys’ Home in Adelaide, while Beryl was adopted by a family.
A Painful Goodbye
UnsplashDuring that time, it was believed that children needed a “clean break” from their biological families when adopted so authorities would block siblings from contacting one another. Bill told ABD News Australia, “The two of us put our arms around each other and cried our eyes out. I was told to leave the room and I never saw Beryl again.”
Years Of Searching
YouTube, ABC News (Australia)Beryl spent years trying to find Bill but she never did. She said, “I gave up and started thinking perhaps he’s dead, but in my mind, I always thought one day we would find one another.”
A Memorial Event
UnsplashAfter 80 years, a memorial was held when the location of the sunken SS Iron Crown was discovered. More than 50 relatives of those who passed away onboard attended the event, and Bill got connected with a distant relative named Kylie Watson who attended the memorial.
They’re Reunited
YouTube, ABC News (Australia)Kylie immediately started looking for Beryl and put out an ad in the Sunday Mail edition of The Advertiser. Beryl saw the ad and contacted Kylie, and was overjoyed to hear the news that her brother was alive.
Emotional Reunion
YouTube, ABC News (Australia)Bill and Beryl talked on the phone immediately and when the day finally came when they got to meet each other in person, the two siblings couldn’t let each other go from a tight hug.
Watch Bill and Beryl’s amazing story of how they found each other again after eight decades in the video below.
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