Percival 'Percy' Stanley Lewis

  General Notes:

UK World War 2 Prisoners of War - Name Percy Lewis, Nationalty - English, Rank - Lance Bombardier, Place of Capture - Singapore, Fathers Name - None Entered, Place of Origin - 2 James Stree, Pontadawe, Nr Swansea, S. Wales. Destination of Report - Wife: Esther Lewis, 23 Anselm Road, Fulham, London, SW6, England, Date of Birth - 11th July 1908, Unit - No. 1068953, 88 Field Regt. Army, Date of Capture - 15.2.42 (15th Feb 1942), Mothers Name - Elizabeth Ann, Occupation - Order Clerk, Remarks - None Entered.
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On the 9th Sept 1944 FRUPAC, the US Fleet Radio Unit Pacific intercepted a Japanese message about a convoy going to Japan. USS Growler, USS Sealion and USS Pampanito were sent to lay an ambush. They didn't know that there were British and Australian POW's on board 2 of the ships ( Rakuyo Maru and Kachidoki Maru) in the convoy, being taken to Japan to be used as slave labour, after most of them surviving the horrors of the 'Death Railway' in Burma - Tailand.
On the 12 Sep 1944 the POW ship (Rakuyo Maru) was Torpedoed and sunk by US submarine Sealion off East Hainon island at around 05:00hrs, 1159 men were lost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Percy is listed on the Death Roll for the Rakuto Maru at this address.
(https://www.roll-of-honour.org.uk/Hell_Ships/Rakuyo_Maru/html/l_died_database_36.htm)

Name listed on the Singapore Memorial, Column 10.

Age 36 at the time of his death

Percival married Esther Ollerton Sep Qua 1939 in Sunderland, Durham, England. (Esther Ollerton was born on 9 Apr 1912 in Sunderland, Durham, England, died on 9 Aug 1976 in New Forest, Hampshire, England and was buried in Aug 1976 in New Forest, Hampshire, England.)