I am trying to find out more about a relative, George Norman Teasdale 941699 who was in the RAF volunteer reserve and captured in Singapore. We believe he died on one of the Japanese boats transporting prisoners. Does anyone know how I can find out more details. Thank you
Many men lost their minds and crawled about in the absolute darkness armed with knives, attempting to kill people in order to drink their blood or armed with canteens filled with urine and swinging them in the dark. The hold was so crowded and everyone so interlocked with one another that the only movement possible was over the heads and bodies of others. As Allied forces closed in, the Japanese began transferring POWs by sea. Similar to conditions on the Bataan Death March, prisoners were often crammed into cargo holds with little air, food or water for journeys that would last weeks. Many died due to asphyxia, starvation or dysentery. Some POWs in the heat, humidity, lack of oxygen, food, and water became delirious and unresponsive to their environment. Unlike weapons transports which were sometimes marked as Red Cross ships, these prisoner transports were unmarked and were targeted by Allied submarines and aircraft. The Junyō Maru was the worst of these, where 5,640 out of 6,520 POWs died after being sunk.- -The Gist of it, All from Wikipedia And then they went to Japan or other labor camps, usually dying there. The hellships were one of the worst things the Japanese did.
Hello Olgadp, Looking at his CWGC entry he died on the 29th of November 1943. CWGC :: Casualty Details Using that date and looking at the list of Hellship sinkings on Ron Taylor's excellent Roll of Honour website - Roll of Honour it appears he died in the destruction of the transport ship the Suez Maru when sunk by the American submarine USS Bonefish. A Japanese minesweeper picked up the Japanese survivors but tragically the Japanese massacred the survivors in the water by ramming life rafts and machine gunning those in the water. There were no POW survivors of the 547 pow's who were being transported in the Suez Maru. George Norman Teasdale is listed in the ships roster HERE Derek.
My Uncle was William Forbes Petrie Brodie, 993595 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve .......... he also perished on the Suez Maru :-( Heather
My condolences to you Heather and olgadp. I'm sure both men were brave and courageous and I'm sorry they suffered at the hands of the Japanese. May the rest in peace.
