HMS Encounter

On that note, I found another thread on there yesterday entitled “Sinking of HMS Encounter”.

Tully's Port - Login

Somehow, even that thread became all about Exeter. Again.

I know I’m biased, and it shouldn’t annoy me, but strewth. I did think about posting on it about that, but it’d only cause a kerfuffle.

 

Good Day Wobbler,

I thought/hoped that you would find the 'Sinking of HMS Encounter" thread on the Tully's Port website - once you had joined the site. Please don't be overawed with the detail on some of the threads on the site. Deep naval research is the 'bread and butter' of many of the fellow members of the TP site. I consider some of them to be absolute authorities on their subjects. Although some of the posts have been voluntary removed from the thread in question you found - remaining posters have utilised much Japanese sources to gain their quite accurate information.

I chose not to contribute to this thread - since I could not add anything definitive outside the Japanese sources which I have rarely dipped into (English translations). Where I can add depth to the Encounter story is -- from the moment the 'Abandon Ship' order was given by her C.O. (Rattler Morgan) to the time of the crew's rescue by IJN Ikazuchi, and then their PoW incarceration that followed. Much of this depth I obtained by extensive interview time in the 2009-12 period with then surviving crewmembers of HMS Encounter plus extensive research at the UK National Archives at Kew. One of the men I spent considerable time with was the former Chief Gunnery Officer of HMS Encounter. He was absolutely convinced, from his position on the gunnery tower, that HMS Encounter faced 10 IJN foes at her loss (4 x cruisers and 6 x destroyers). As you will appreciate, history is generally recorded by the victors - hence I did not input this to the thread that you referenced, in your words, to avoid the 'kerfuffle'.
However I did impart the viewpoint of 10 ships to the Editor of the site in a private communication set of exchanges.

This research formed the basis of the thread at Tully's Port - Login
As you may have seen - It attracted only one response, disappointing with regard to the hours I put in at the N.A.
I used to post 'Encounter' stuff on the excellent (IMHO) World Naval Ships Forum (ceased operating in about 2018). There was certainly interest in the ship there, As you surmised much of Encounter's history post December 1941 history is inexorably tied in with that of HMS Exeter (68). I have a great affinity with the latter ship - and have given talks on her active life at quite a few venues over the last eleven years. The next one, constantly updated each time with further found info, is planned for Portsmouth in early 2027. HMS Encounter features.

Martin -- I still have much on HMS Encounter that I have yet to impart. We liaised 4 years ago and hopefully our paths will actually cross sometime. The video info I have is unique.

My thanks to Timuk who is showing interest/adding good inputs to this thread.
Regards
Rattler

 

Good morrow Rattler.

I looked at your “survivors” thread and it is strange that it attracted no other responses other than Kevin’s (is it Kevin who found Encounter?) and he too expresses surprise at the lack of others’ input. The time of Covid, of course, but still, you’d expect someone else to have replied to your excellent and very detailed and informative post. Your case seemed a very solid one, especially given your sources - how many others can claim the personal sources you had. Not sure why it was ignored.

39 of the survivors lost in captivity too, nearly 25%. Struck home again that.

I now have Sam Falle’s book, as you recommended to me, but am ashamed to admit I have yet to read it. I must put that right, I’m sure it will be a most interesting and informative read. I don’t read as quickly as I used to!

I also now have this, yet to put it together though, been so long since I put a kit together. The irony of the manufacturer is not lost on me :



I also found these, which I can only assume to be the right colour scheme to use for the period, although not sure if that’s a black and white dazzle scheme or, in fact, light grey/dark grey paint.







Some or all of those three images may have come from your good self, I cannot recall.

 

Hello again Wobbler,

Yes -- the last two pictures you show were sent by me to you about 4 years ago. I confirm that she did have a camo scheme based on shades of grey. The line drawing was done by the Ship's M.O. (Surg. Lt. Deryck Syred) when Encounter was at Singapore. The plain grey colour scheme in the model picture you show is from an earlier period.
Yes also -- it is Kevin who found both HMS Exeter and HMS Encounter in the 2007-8 period. We have been in regular contact since then (but not for about the last 10 weeks).
Also, it is HMS Exeter in the background of the painting. Their wrecks, prior to their complete plunder in ca 2016, were less than 2 nm miles apart.
Regards
Rattler

 

That last wireless signal quoted there by Deryck Syred would appear to confirm your ten enemy ships. Only just noticed that. Slow on the uptake me.

 

I received Eric’s service record today, just over a month so another great turnaround from the Royal Navy for me!

As you can see in Eric’s medal entitlement, the Burma Star is ticked. His record between November ‘41 and March ‘42 is no different to my cousin William’s - one the Burma Star, t’other the Pacific. Oh well, it is what it is…

Thinking, however, I may well now go to the Medal Office with both records and ask them to have a look. I mean, should Eric have the Pacific Star or, at the very least, the clasp? I’m also going to send Eric’s record to Noonan’s so they can send on to the buyer of his group, if they don’t have it - if the Medal Office reply that he should have received something “Pacific”, I can pass that on too, just for completion.

William:



Eric:

 

Well,I’ve been reading Sam’s book and I am very disappointed, angry to be honest, that in the introduction he writes, quote:

“My shipmates and I miraculously survived Japanese prison camp…”. Unquote.

Now, I’m sure Sam was a lovely chap, but really?? 39 of his shipmates did not “miraculously survive” the Japanese camps, so why write that?

Does not sit well with me, but, as I’ve said before, I am rather biased here.

 

My grandad, Able Seaman Harold Charles Wright was on the Encounter. I have a "Campaign Stars, Clasps and Medals" document that has the Burma Star with a cross against it. I have a number of documents including a copy of the Sunday Pictorial that has a picture of the Encounter. A number of photographs of ships I need to identify. I'll have to join that forum to see the thread.

 

C/JX 143483 Able Seaman Harold Charles Wright.




Welcome aboard Jonathan.

 

Jonathan,
Welcome to this Forum.

In case you do not have it, AB Harold Charles Wright had the Service No. C/JX 143483

Rattler

 

Snap!

 

Well done Wobbler - you beat me to it!

Best
Rattler

 

Nip and tuck, Rattler, nip and tuck.

 

It was by one minute -- I must learn to upgrade my typing - from one finger to two!
But Mrs Rattler says -- that is something called multitasking ...... beyond me apparently .... but the cat disagrees.

 

Many thanks for that - I'm not sure we had it. That was my Grandad's handwriting. This is part of his miltary record. As far as I can see it doesn't say Encounter before POW - is there a reason for that? And apologies if this is off topic, I can repost elsewhere.

 

As you know, of course, you can read “(Encounter)” after each of the last six words above the last POW line.

Each word that precedes (Encounter) are locations, - see my post #8 in my thread here:

C/JX172488 William Ernest GATTY, Royal Navy, HMS Encounter: 27/02/1945

For example, Cochrane 2 is Rosyth, Cormorant is Gibraltar, Nile is Alexandria, Lanka is Colombo, Sultan is Singapore… Apologies if you already knew that!

You can see on my cousin’s record here the same wording, maybe a bit clearer:



Why “Pembroke” precedes POW, as it does on William’s record too, is explained by Tim in post #9 of that other thread (you will see I asked the same question).