Sinking of the Suez Maru by USS Bonefish

Hi everyone,

I have recently discovered that my uncle (RAF POW) went down with the Japanese ship Suez Maru, sunk by the USS Bonefish. I have done a little research on the www but, having just discovered this Forum, I wondered whether any members could give personal insights into this event. I am eager to learn as much as possible and any help will be very much appreciated. Heather

 

Welcome to this great forum.

i did a quick search and was wondering if you came across this link http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/books_suez_maru_atrocity.htm
A book about that very ship.
Also found this from http://members.iinet.net.au/~gduncan/maritime-2a.html
SUEZ MARU (November 29, 1943)

On the islands of Ambon and Hasuku in the Moluccas, Allied prisoners were dying daily through starvation, disease and beatings by their guards. In the past six months almost 400 had died and around 700 were too sick to work. The Japanese then decided to send the sick back to Java. A total of 640 men, including a number of Japanese sick patients, were taken on board the 4,645-ton passenger-cargo ship Suez Maru. In two holds, 422 sick British (including 221 RAF servicemen) and 127 sick Dutch prisoners, including up to twenty stretcher cases, were accommodated. The Japanese patients filled the other two holds. Escorted by a minesweeper W-12, the Suez Maru set sail from Port Amboina but while entering the Java Sea and about 300 miles north-east of Kangean island, the vessel was torpedoed by the American submarine USS Bonefish commanded by Cdr. Tom Hogan. The ship started to list as water poured into the holds drowning hundreds. Hundreds more, Allied and Japanese, managed to escape the holds and were struggling in the water. The Japanese mine sweeper started to pick up survivors, but only their own nationals, leaving the British captives behind. Between 200 and 250 men were floating in the sea. The minesweeper then made several slow circles around the survivors and minutes later machine-gun and rifle fire were directed towards the defenceless swimmers. Empty rafts and lifeboats were then rammed and sunk by the W-12. The minesweeper then picked up speed and sped off towards Batavia (Jakarta). They had rescued 93 Japanese soldiers and crewmen and 205 Japanese sick patients. Sixty-nine Japanese had died during the attack. Back at the site of the sinking only floating wreckage and an oil spill was all that was left of the Suez Maru. Of the 546 British and Dutch prisoners, there was only one survivor, a British soldier, Kenneth Thomas, who was picked up twenty-four hours later by the Australian destroyer HMAS Ballarat.

Over 90 percent of P.O.W. deaths at sea was the result of 'friendly fire'.

 

Thank you 'camz', for taking the trouble to respond. I think I may have posted in the wrong section - with you being my only 'taker' I'll be back ....... Heather

 

it is all so unfortunate that so many POW's died when the ship they were being transported in, was torpedoed or bombed by Allied forces who could have no way of knowing.