Suez Maru Families and Research Association
Thomas Freeman Hall
21 April 1914 - 29 November 1943
Thomas Freeman Hall
Royal Army Service Corps
Service Corps
Rank: Sergeant
Service No: 7625227
Home Town: Sherbourne, Dorset
Nationality: English
Family:
Father: Thomas Freeman Hall
Mother: Dorothy Hall
Wife: Clara Hall
Far East PoW Japanese Index Card
The front of the card (except English sections)
Camp – the three vertical lined characters – JAVA (1942 (17th year of the the emperors reign) August 15th)
Nationality given as British/English
Place of capture – JAVA, and another character,
PoW number: The box marked No. is the PoW number a man had. I think the crossing out denotes when the PoW was transferred (for the SM men) to the Moluccas.
So I think originally at Java Base, then [moved to] Java Camp III (3). Camp (3) beling Ambon.
The two red vertical stamps on either side of the main box have been translated as ‘Supplement’ and ‘Telegraphed’ – relates to the ‘processing’ of the deaths, sending (via telegram)
The red diagonal line across the whole front of the page is a rather callous way to indicate the person was deceased.
Image (c) TNA WO345
22
Reverse of the index card
Top line: Other Informations noted that a stamp was made for the first section of red text, and a smaller (4-character) stamp for the end of the same line; the Japanese text translated-
2nd line: The ship was on its way to deliver the prisoners when it was hit by a thunderstorm. [4 characters after small gap] Suez Maru
3rd line: When the attack happened. [date – 18th year of emperor’s reign, 11th month, 29th of the month: 1943, November 29th] 18.11.29 [time of sinking] 09:20 [KA text here – unclear what this refers to]
4th line: [first text, then coordinates] Where the attack happened S 6 20′ E 116 30’ [description of location of sinking] North of Bali Island near Kangayan [Kangean] Island.
Some reverses have additional information, but for the vast majority (of Suez Maru men), their card reverses are identical
Image (c) TNA WO345
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