Answer to: What were British Pow's doing in the Philippines?

Sometime back, someone questioned why there were British POW's in the Philippines. They were there because they were the survivors of the Japanese transport "Hofuku Maru" which was sunk on the 21st of September 1944 off the coast of the Philippines on their way to Takao, Formosa. The Jap freighter was carrying 1289 British POW's when attacked by aircraft from an American Aircraft Carrier. The Hofuku Maru was unmarked and the aircraft had no knowledge of any POW's aboard. 1047 of the 1289 British POW's were killed and the survivors were picked up by Jap warships and taken to the closest destination (Manila). There the British were taken to either Bilibid Prison in Manila or Cabanatuan pow camp to the north where they were liberated in the "Great Raid" by American forces. All were eventually destined to be sent to Japan as slave laborers on "Hellships". Their names can be found on my database @ bob1

Robert Hudson

 

British POWs in the Philippines you may find this thread to same question, re pow's and phillipines, of use..