FOWLER John Charles

Captured on 15th February 1942, transported overland on 3rd November 1942. Designated to work with Letter Party O, Train 10, Singapore, Thailand, Singapore.
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Appears on the Army casualties list for Worcestershire.

On the morning of 6th September 1944 the Rakuyo Maru with 1,318 Australian and British Prisoners of War (POWs) on board and the Kachidoki Maru with 900 British POWs were part of a convoy that sailed from Singapore bound for Japan.  After 6 miserable days at sea where the men endured over-crowding, sickness and lack of sanitation facilities, the ships came under attack by American submarines in the South China Sea.  The Rakuyo Maru was sunk by USS Sealion whilst the Kachidoki Maru became the victim of USS Pampanito.  Over 1550 men perished in the incident, 1159 from Rakuyo Maru and 400 from Kachidoki Maru.  Those prisoners who were able to evacuate the sinking ships, did so within the first 10 minutes of the attack.  Even then, their ordeal was not over for they were destined to spend several days drifting at sea in life rafts or clinging to wreckage in the open water.  Those not rescued perished at sea.  John Fowler was one of those presumed lost at sea.