Apologies for muddying the waters earlier regarding the loss date, but I have now used the 24th June date and there are 183 Australian deaths on 24th June commemorated on the Singapore Memorial which would tie in with the sinking of the Tamohoku Maru. There are also Reports into the sinking:- see here:- Survivors' Report: The sinking of the Tamahoku Maru which give more details. Hopefully the List is attached should anyone need it...
Hi Kevin, thanks heaps for your help. The report on the sinking is very interesting. I might have confused you though by saying I was getting the Aust war memorial details on the sinking. Tom was british, he was welsh. I thought the Aust casualty list might be the full list showing british casualties as well. As you say the date ties in. Do you know if there is a list of british casualties of the sinking of the Tamahoko Maru? Did you see the attachment Geoff sent me earlier showing him missing on board ship, that was interesting but pity it didn't say what ship. thanks pam (I was born in sheffield, england, my mother was english but my father was welsh, I am now Australian as well after taking citizenship out after being here for almost 40 years.)
Try this site: B Reports appear to state that about 560 men died, including 13 from an American ship "American Leader". I have about 93 British, 183 Australian, 13 US and the rest must be Dutch (and no doubt some Japanese/Korean sailors and guards) ..... I don't think record keeping was a high priority so that's probably about as good as I can find....
Hi everyone, haven't posted for a while, thanks heaps for everyones help, I am still researching my uncle Tom Bartlett who died in ww2. He died at sea on the 24th June 1944. On the 24th June the other day I was thinking of him and listening to the radio. They were reporting on Wimbledon and the reporter said this is Tom Bartlett reporting from Wimbledon. I thought that was quite a co-incidence.
Hi Pam The fact that your uncle was taken prisoner on 8 March 1942 almost certainly means that he was captured on the fall of the Dutch East Indies. Unfortunately, my father's list of names only covers those who were captured at Singapore, and so I'm afraid it will not include your uncle. However, do you know whether the number you have given for him - No 867420 - is his regimental number or his POW number? The reason I ask is that I am in touch with a man who has done an enormous amount of research in trying to track the movement of FEPOWs during this period by reference to their POW numbers. I'm sure he's a very long way from completing the jigsaw (nobody's managed that yet!) but he is certainly working on it. I'd be happy to put your information to him if you are happy for me to do so, although (for reasons I won't bore you with) I wouldn't be able to do this until early September. If he does have any information it would probably be most sensible for him to deal with you direct. Richard
Hi Richard and everyone, thanks heaps for all your help. I have had lots of help from everyone on the forum but seem to have come up against a brick wall. Any help you could give me would be very much appreciated. The number 867420 was his gunner number. He was in the 240 bty 77 haa regiment. From what I have found out so far he was captured in March 42 and then the only thing I can find is what has been mentioned, his date of death 24th june 44 at sea. He had another brother (not my dad) who was in the 239 battery same regiment. He survived the war(now deceased) but never saw Tom after they were captured in march 42. Our family would really love to know what happened to Tom after capture, eg which camps he was in and also which ship he went down on. I agree the world released is a puzzle, the theory that another prisoner wrote it is interesting, maybe if ever I get to the archives at kew I can ask them. I have written to the international red cross but haven't had a reply yet. I keep coming up with the tamahoko maru but can't find a list of casualties. I have also found three other possabilities on the same date, the tainan maru, nasusan maru and the kennicdhi maru but can't find a casualty list for these either. Let me know if you need any other information, thanks Pam
Hi everyone, just catching up to say thanks to everyone for their help. I am following up on all the information and will post when I have more news. Hopefully I am getting closer to finding out what happened to my uncle in ww2. Pam
Pamela, I come across a few accounts of the sinking in books, but like yourself never found a casualty list. There appears to be one in the Australian archives, I have not looked into how to acquire a copy though. Australian War Memorial - Information sheets I hope this helps. Derek.
Hi Pamela. Don't know if you are still looking. I came across this today while searching for details on one of my relations - POW It contains a list of British POWS that died on the 24th June 1944 on the TAMAHOKO MARU and a detailed account. My relation is listed on there along with BARTLETT, Thomas Henry; Gnr; 867420; 240th Battery, 77th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA; Aged 25 Hope this helps. I know I've resurrected an old post but I to have been looking for confirmation over the years that he died on that ship. I've always had suspicions but nothing ever detailing names. I've got more info now and can maybe start to trace things backwards and find out more about his movements prior to his death. Who knows they could have known each other and been through everything and died together. Thanks
Hi Pamela. Don't know if you are still looking. I came across this today while searching for details on one of my relations - POW It contains a list of British POWS that died on the 24th June 1944 on the TAMAHOKO MARU and a detailed account. My relation is listed on there along with BARTLETT, Thomas Henry; Gnr; 867420; 240th Battery, 77th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA; Aged 25 Hope this helps. I know I've resurrected an old post but I to have been looking for confirmation over the years that he died on that ship. I've always had suspicions but nothing ever detailing names. I've got more info now and can maybe start to trace things backwards and find out more about his movements prior to his death. Who knows they could have known each other and been through everything and died together. Thanks Hi hoppo1 Thanks for this. I know that Pam will appreciate it enormously, as I've been in touch with her quite a bit since she posted the query about her uncle back in 2010 and I don't believe that she's seen this list until now. I've sent her an email drawing her attention to your reply above, just in case she didn't set things up so as to receive an automatic email notification alert. Congratulations on tracking down this information. It's a shame in a way that your worst suspicions have been confirmed. However, now that you have this information, very best of luck in finding out more. Best regards Richard
No probs, Been looking for info for years now and every now and then have another go at finding stuff. I have emailed the site to see if they can provide anything else or any info on where the list of names came from as I have never been able to 100% confirm he was on board that ship. I'll post anything I get on here.
On the 24th June the other day I was thinking of him and listening to the radio. They were reporting on Wimbledon and the reporter said this is Tom Bartlett reporting from Wimbledon. I thought that was quite a co-incidence. I've had so many coincidences like yours during my research that they always make me smile! And they often indicate that 'something is about to turn up'... As it has
Hi, I hear that this book - A doctors War may have details on the sinking of the Tamahoko Maru. It is based on the memoirs of Aiden MacCarthy who was a POW and was being transported to Japan when his ship was sunk. He was later picked up by a fishing boat and taken to Nagasaki where he remained until the end of the war surviving the atom bomb in 45. It's possible that he was on the Tamahoku Maru or another ship in the same convoy but I can't be sure on that. The book looks a bloody good read anyway and should give an insight into the horrors these POW's endired during captivity. I'm certainly going to buy it to read and will post back anything of interest. Phil.
Hi hoppo 1 Thanks for the information on the site. I hadn't seen it but Richard sent me a message to let me know. I didn't realise that I could set up an alert about new messages. I have also emailed them to ask where they got the list of british casualties of the tamahoko maru as I haven't been able to find a list and I've been researching for a couple of years. Good luck with your research regards pam
Hi, by the way phil I never managed to find out for sure tom was on that ship until I got his japanese prisoner of war card from the archives in kew. I spent many hours researching and everything pointed to the fact he was on the tamahoko maru but I never found a british casualty list. I managed to order his card online and they posted it. I don't know how I managed to do it because the archive website is a nightmare. When I got it it was mostly in japanese (obviously) and I got it translated. It gave the name of the ship, the date it went down and the lattitude and longtitude details of the sinking. It will be interesting to find out where the new website got their information from, regards pam
Hi Phil I will have a look back through my notes to see how I got his pow card. I know I managed to order it online, it only cost me 90p but about ten pounds your money to post it out to Aussie. I never thought about getting it sent by email. It was a photocopy of the front and back of the card. Until you sent me the new site the other day it was the first confirmation my uncle was on that ship. I have also sent for my uncles army record from glasgow but they have advised me that because of the large number of requests from servicemen themselves and their spouses that next of kin enquiries may take up to twelve months. Was your relative in the same regiment as my uncle? I have had a lot of help on this forum I don't know if any of the links I have been given might help you in your search but it might pay to have a look back through the previous pages. I had an email back from the website and I think you may have too to say that he doesn't know where he got the list of british casualties from which is a pity as it could have helped us out. Will get back to you soon Pam
Hi Phil re pow card The fepow site www.fepow.community.org.uk research page shows a list of the box numbers for pow cards. It is WO 345/3 for my uncle whose surname was bartlett. Depending on what surname you are looking for it will be WO 345/? The site also gives the national archives website address Hope this helps Pam
