To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

Royal Artillery-tn

847699

Gunner

Victor Percy Hopper

jcross

1916/08/19 - Born Dover, Kent

To Percy (born 1895) and Alice (nee Flack) Hopper

(Percy and Alice were married 1913)

1935/07/02 - Victor Enlisted

Royal Artillery

88 Field Regiment

 

1942/02/15 - WO 417/41, Reported Missing

WO 417/67, Previous reported missing now confirmed a PoW

WO 417/99, Confirmed a PoW in Malaya

 

Japanese PoW

PoW No. 1266

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Hopper-Victor-2

(15 Spring Road, Berks is not where he was borm)

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

Hopper-Victor-3

1943/03/20 - transported to overland to Thailand in ‘D’ Force, train 54

Train 6 in ‘D’ Force Group

New PoW No. IV 10647

New PoW No. IV 42337

1944/06 - Transported back to Singapore

Commander Captain Wilkie

1944/09/04 - Transported to Japan in Rakuyo Maru, part of Japan Party 3

Commander Captain Wilkie

Ryukyu Maru

1944/09/12 - Rakuyo Maru attacked and sunk by American submarine USS Sealion

It is estimated that 1159 PoWs died in the Rakuyo Maru sinking

Survival -1tn

57 survivors of Rakuyo Maru and 520 survivors from Kachodoki Maru were rescued by Japanese and taken to Yulin, Hainan.

1944/09/16 - Departed Yulin in the Kibitsu Maru stopping at Keelung, Taiwan

1944/09/25 - Kibitsu Maru departed Keeling for Moji, Japan

1944/09/28 - Arrived Moji, Japan

1944/09/30 - Fukuoka 25B - Shinkai-Machi, Omuda-Shi Fukuoka-Ken

PoW No. 14264

1944/09/31 - Fukuoka 25B Established with 289 men; 11 of the Wilkies party were left at Moji Hospital

All of the original 289 men at camp opening were survivors of the Kachidoki and Rakuyo hellship sinkings.

From original Roll:-

No. 158; Hopper, Victory. Gnr. Wife, 15 Spring Rd, Avington, Bath. Age 29. Healthy

1945/09/16 - Liberated

 

Post War

1947 - Married Sylvia Laurie, in Southend-on-Sea

 

Died

 1978

Southend-on-Sea

Information

Carly Morris

Keith Andrews

Hell Ships

Japanese Homeland Camps

KEW:- WO 361/1742, WO 361/1940, WO 361/1742, WO 345/26, WO 361/734, WO 361/734, WO 361/2005, WO 361/1254, WO 361/1987, WO 361/2169, WO 361/2060, WO 361/2070,  WO 361/2185,  WO 361/1586,

*

''Our Thanks are for being a Chapter in Life.''

 

 

 

Keeping The Candle Burning

 

Fepow Family

In Memory of FEPOW Family Loved Ones
Designed and Maintained by Ron Taylor.

 

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Honorary Life Member-1tn

Honorary Life Member of COFEPOW

 

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