Tomahoko Maru

Discussion in 'Australian' started by Pauline Hortle, Aug 9, 2021.

  1. My Uncle lost his life when the Tomahoko Maru was torpedoed by submarine USS Tang on 24th June 1944. I have a death certificate issued by Japan which is extremely hard to read and no other documentation at all. I would like to find out what his movements were during the war and after he was taken prisoner. Is anyone able to help with any documentation or information please?
    Service Number TX2688 Hugh (Hughie) Ronald George Fletcher. Enlisted Australian Army 24th June 1940 in Hobart, Tasmania.
    Many thanks - Pauline

    Casualty Details | CWGC
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    There are 14 pages of his service record available at NAA - https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/Sea...eports/ItemDetail.aspx?Barcode=6371527&isAv=N

    FLETCHER HUGHIE RONALD GEORGE : Service Number - TX2688 : Date of birth - 18 May 1911 : Place of birth - HOBART TAS : Place of enlistment - HOBART TAS : Next of Kin - FLETCHER LALLIE

    Four of the 14 digital images on his service record are here
    ShowImage (58).jpg
    ShowImage (59).jpg
    ShowImage (60).jpg
    ShowImage (61).jpg


    The link above is time sensitive but the page it shows has this line

    To start an active session, you can search as a guest

    If you select guest, then select 'Name Search' add his surname, followed by his forenames, then in the third box select World War II, following this a box appears fro his service number - insert it, then select 'Search' in the bottom left hand corner
     
    Last edited: Aug 9, 2021
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  3. Temujin

    Temujin Member

    Pauline, I have download the USS TANG - Second War Patrol Report, a copy of the Japanese ship recognition manual that the Commander of the USS TANG refers to in his War Patrol Report, and a photograph of the Tomahoko Maru.

    If you would like this information, I will send it to you by Private Message on this website. Only if you wish to have all of this. Just let me know.
     
  4. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    First name(s) Hughie Ronald George
    Last name Fletcher
    Death date 24 June 1944
    Place of death East China Sea, Pacific Ocean
    Service number TX2688
    Rank Private
    Unit or regiment 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion
    Source Australian War Memorial Roll Of Honour
    Service branch Australian Army
    War Second World War, 1939-1945
    Conflict Second World War, 1939-1947
    Cause of death Died at sea (Tamahoko Maru)
    Cemetery or memorial Singapore Memorial, Singapore
    URL Hughie Ronald George Fletcher
    Source (original) AWM147 Roll of Honour cards, 1939-1945 War, 2nd AIF (Australian Imperial Force) and CMF (Citizen Military Force)
    Record set Australia, Military Commemorative Rolls & Rolls Of Honour
    Category Military, armed forces & conflict
    Subcategory Medal Rolls and Honours
    Collections from Australasia, Australia

    Hughie Ronald George Fletcher | Australian War Memorial (awm.gov.au)


    Transcript of H R G's record
    First name(s) H R G
    Last name Fletcher
    Name as transcribed FLETCHER H R G
    Service number TX2688
    Rank Private
    Unit/Regiment 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion
    Fate Missing believed deceased
    Camp location Java, Netherlands East Indies
    Theatre of war Timor
    Record set Australian Military Forces WW2 Missing And Prisoners Of War
    Category Military, armed forces & conflict
    Subcategory Other Wars & Conflicts
    Collections from Australasia, Australia
     
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  5. Many thanks, I have downloaded the service record now, much appreciated.
     
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  6. Thank you very much for sharing this with me. My dad, who was in Papua New Guinea during WW2, was never aware of where his brother was.
     
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  7. I would very much like a copy. Thank you for offering.
     
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  8. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Japanese POW list;
     

    Attached Files:

  9. Temujin

    Temujin Member

    I’ve sent all the information by PM on this site, to you.
     
  10. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    I can't find a specific file for the vessel at Australian Archives, but there is a file at Kew, WO 361/775, and at NARA:

    :Area Case Files: Tr-61, "Tamahoko Maru", Singapore to Nagasaki, 3 June - 25 June 1944
    This File Unit contains records, some of which may not be available online.
    To obtain a copy or view the records, please contact or visit the National Archives and Records Administration location(s) listed in the Contact information below.
    Additional Information About this File Unit
    National Archives Identifier: 321515
    Creator(s): Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Legal Section. Administration Division. 10/2/1945-4/28/1952 ? (Most Recent)
    From: Series: Area Case Files, 1945 - 1948
    Record Group 331: Records of Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters, World War II, 1907 - 1966"

    Have sent a PM to the OP.
     
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  11. Thank you very much for that record, greatly appreciated.
    Pauline
     
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  12. So wonderful to be able to 'put a picture together' of my uncles movements during the war years. Thank you very much for your help.
    Pauline
     
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  13. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    As is often the case with Japanese names, there are variations on the name of the ship, "Tamahoko", "Tamahoku", "Tamaboko", but there may be more.

    "Tamaboko" finds this file at Australian Archives:

    Title
    Japan 26: Six bodies found on O-Shima Island, Nagasaki - Ken Japan [believed to have been Australian or British soldiers from sunken Japanese transport ship TAMABOKO sunk 20 June 1944, Item consists of 2 components]
    Contents date range
    1947 - 1947
    Series number
    MP742/1
    Click to see which government agency or person created this item.
    Control symbol
    336/1/1309
    Citation
    NAA: MP742/1, 336/1/1309
    Item ID
    799579


    I have found three files at Australian War Memorial, returned in an advanced search in Australian Archives:

    AWM54 779/1/10 [Prisoners of War and Internees:] An account of the torpedoing of one of the drafts [Tamahoko Maru] of prisoners of war from Java to Japan. Also summary of conversation with Air Cmdr C O F Modin (Sep 1945)
    Access status: Open Location: Australian War Memorial
    1945 - 1945 474053

    AWM127 69 [Miscellaneous records transferred by Central Army Records Office] Loose leaf death certificates mostly in Japanese of Australian prisoners of war who died after the Japanese transport, Tamahoko Maru was torpedoed off Nagasaki by a US submarine - 24 June 1944
    Access status: Open Location: Australian War Memorial
    1944 - 1944 541514

    AWM54 554/12/3 [8th Division in Captivity - Japan (excluding "C" Force, "J" Force, "G" Force):] Japanese Transport [Tamahoko Maru] sunk near Nagasaki, 24/6/1944
    Access status: Open Location: Australian War Memorial
    1944 - 1945 467215

    IWM has a book, a sound archive, and some private papers.

    OBJECT TITLE
    Private Papers of P McGrath-Kerr
    Documents.4027
    OBJECT CATEGORY
    Private papers
    PRODUCTION DATE
    Unknown
    CREATOR
    McGrath-Kerr, Peter
    Content description
    Photocopies of papers relating to his service with the 2/40th Australian Infantry Battalion 1941 - 1946, including: ms calendar (2pp) of the fighting during the Japanese invasion of Timor, his capture there and his moves through Java, Singapore, Manila and Japan; ms and printed accounts (8pp) of the sinking of the TAMAHOKU MARU on 24 June 1944 taking him and other prisoners from Manila to Japan, including lists of survivors; printed accounts (7pp) of his experiences as a prisoner in Fukuoka 14 camp, Nagasaki at the time of the A Bomb (9 August 1945) with lists (8pp) of prisoners in the camp before and at that time.

    OBJECT TITLE
    Cranefield, Philip Garton (Oral history)
    6192
    OBJECT CATEGORY
    Sound
    PRODUCTION DATE
    1982-04-28
    CREATOR
    IWM (Production company) Wood, Conrad (recorder) Cranefield, Philip Garton (interviewee/speaker)
    Object description
    British officer served aboard HMS Berwick in Mediterranean and Atlantic, 6/1940-2/1941; served aboard HMS Exeter in GB coastal waters, Indian Ocean and Java Sea, 3/1941-3/1942 including sinking in Sunda Strait, 1/3/1942; POW in Makassar and Poemalla Camps, Celebes Islands, Dutch East Indies, 3/1942-9/1943, in Bicycle Camp, Batavia, Java, Dutch East Indies, 9/1943-5/1944; survived sinking of SS Tamahoko Maru in Koshiki Straits, off Japan, 24/6/1944; in Fukuoka No 14-B Camp, Nagasaki, Japan, 6/1944-4/1945 and Mukden Camp, Mukden, Manchuria, 4/1945-8/1945
    Content description

    OBJECT TITLE
    Heroes at sea
    LBY 96 / 1302
    OBJECT CATEGORY
    Books
    PRODUCTION DATE
    1991
    CREATOR
    WALL, DON (Author) D. Wall (Publisher)
    Associated people and organisations
    [ Rakuyo Maru]
    [ Montevideo Maru]
    [ Tamahoko Maru]
    [ Barb]
    [ Queenfish]
    [ Pampanito]
    [ Sealion]
    [ Van Waerwijck]
     
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  14. So much information and very much appreciated. Many thanks for your help. Every little bit of information is helping me with a timeline of events.
    Pauline
     
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  15. Kevin Dyos

    Kevin Dyos New Member

    My father was on HMS Exeter, when it was sunk, he was captured and spent most of his time at a camp called Maros. Does anyone have any information on this please, it was near to Makassar? Thanks He was a Royal Marine
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 4, 2022
  16. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    PM sent with some advice to create a new thread and add more. Does not appear to be linked to this ship being sunk.
     
  17. Kevin Dyos

    Kevin Dyos New Member

    Thanks new to this
     
  18. papiermache

    papiermache Well-Known Member

    Kevin, welcome to the forum. For an account of a POW who was a survivor of the sinking of HMS Exeter and who was at "Maros" camp go to this link:

    The Celebes | COFEPOW

    Not to be confused with the case of the "Maros Maru", otherwise known as the " Haruyoshi Maru". A war crimes case involving Far East POWs: the case file is at Kew under reference WO 235/886. Details can be found on the Singapore War Crimes website and at the International Criminal Court website.

    This site does not have a thread devoted to HMS Exeter, but the ship has been referred to in other threads.

    John
     
  19. Kevin Dyos

    Kevin Dyos New Member

    Many thanks for your help.
     

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