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872149
Gunner
John Crosse
Known as Jack
Royal Artillery
22/3 HAA
Japanese PoW
PoWs Transported to overland to Thailand
PoW No. IV 13670
PoWs from the Thailand-Burma Railway were transported overland to Singapore, to be shipped to Japan
New PoW No. 40933
The Japan Party 3 consisted of 2,250 prisoners, 1,500 were British the remainder Australian, the number who actually sailed with the convoy was 2,217. The Kachidoki Maru held 900 PoWs (all British) and The Rakuyo Maru a further 1317 (Australian and British).
1944/09/04 - The two ships joined convoy HI-72 and sailed from Singapore.
USS Pampanito
1944/09/12 - The convoy was attacked by US submarines and both the PoW hell ships were hit. The Kachidoki Maru was hit by a torpedo from the US submarine Pampanito.
Three torpedoes were fired at the Kachidoki Maru at 22.40, the target was 3,700 away, two hitting the ship, one at the stern and the other amidships. Both blew holes in the hull plates, flooding the entire aft end of the ship.
Most of those rescued from the Kachidoki Maru were picked up by Japanese trawlers and continued their journey to Japan on the Kibitsu Maru.
Those who were rescued jumped overboard within the first 10 minutes of the ship being hit.
John was not picked up.
Died
Age 28
1944/09/12
North East of the Hainan Island off China coast
Loved Ones
Son of Patrick and Ann Crosse, of Tipperary, Irish Republic
Memorial
Column 16.
SINGAPORE MEMORIAL
Information
‘Return From the River Kwai’ by Joan and Clay Blair
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
KEW:- WO 361/2005, WO 361/1742, WO 361/2057, WO 361/1987, WO 361/2169, WO 392/23, WO 361/2184, WO 361/1987, WO 361/2169, WO 361/2058
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