The Soldier's Details

Review WX3336 Richard Hamilton‘s military records held at NAA.

 

 

On 24 June 1944,  at 11:50 pm, in the Koshiki Straits 40 miles SW of Nagasaki, the ‘Tamahoko’ Maru with 772 POWs on board was torpedoed by USS Tang, sinking in less than 2 minutes. (32-24N, 129-38E)

Japanese transport ship ‘Tamahoko’ Maru, with 772 POWs aboard, was sunk by the submarine USS Tang off the coast of Nagasaki. Only 72 of the 267 Australians on board survived. (USS Tang would go on to sink a record number of Japanese vessels before being struck by a circular run of her own torpedo on 24 October 1944, and in turn sinking with great loss of life.) In all, some 22,000 Allied POWs died in Japanese transport ship disasters, 19,000 of them as a result of “friendly fire” incidents. In fact, more Allied prisoners of war were lost on the hellships than died on the Burma-Thailand Railway.

 

On 19 May 1944 800 POWs, including Hamilton departed Java on Kiska Maru to Singapore arriving 21 May 1944.  POW group consisted of 194 British, 258 Australian, 42 American, 306 Dutch.

POWs were glass rod tested at Havelock Road Camp.  One Australian and four Dutchmen were removed from Party.  795 POWs embarked on Miyu Maru.

Japan 1 formed a convoy of 12 ships and four escorts known as H0-02 as well as Bauxite Convoy. 4 cargo ships carried POWs:

Miyo Maru (795 POWs from Java Party 20)

Hozan Maru (451 POWs as well as carrying bauxite)

Hiyoki Maru (450  POWs and bauxite)

Kokusei Maru (456 POWs and Bauxite)

3 June 1944 H0-02 convoy sailed from Singapore to Japan via Philippines.

6 June 1944 160 miles E.S.E. Cape St Jacques, French Indo-China, USS Raton (SS 250) attacked the convoy. At 2225 hours an escort was sunk and USS Raton received damage.

11 June 1944 Arrived Manila where Tamahoko Maru loaded 7,500 tons copper ore into her holds and joined the convoy.

14 June 1944 sailed from Manila in a convoy of six ships.

15 June 1944  the convoy ran into a typhoon, causing damage to Miyo Maru.

18 June 1944 Convoy reaches Takao, Taiwan.

POWs on Miyo Maru were transferred into two holds on the Tamahoko Maru.

20 June 1944 Convoy H0-02 sailed out of Takao, Taiwan accompanied by escorts.

21 June 1944 Stopped over at Keeling, the convoy then headed for Japan.

24 June 1944 three US submarines Tang, Tinosa and Shark II attacked the convoy off the Japanese coast, 40 miles S.W. Nagasaki.  The Tamahoko was hit and sank with the loss of 560 POWs out of 772 POWs on board.

25 June 1944 200 survivors of the sinking were taken to Fukuoka 14B Camp.

Tamahoko Maru Survivors from Western Australia included:

WX5300 JOHNSTON, Gervase Clifford

WX5300 LECKIE, John Henshaw

WX9911 McDONALD, Gordon Stanley John

WX18552 MONTEFIORO, Arthur Eric

WX2844 PARKIN, Charles Owen

WX11771 ROSS, Gordon

WX9943 TICKLE, Horace James  (later died illness)

Western Australians who Perished:

WX10551 DORAN, Edward John

WX12070 GLEADALL, John Alfred

WX3336 HAMILTON, Richard

WX6228 NORMAN, William George

WX14456 McCURDY, David Vincent