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D/JX 188479
Ordinary Seaman
Gaythorne Bartholomew
(Jack)
1923/09/27 - Born Worksop
1940/03/ - Enlisted
Royal Navy
HMS Exeter
Service
 
On the entry of the Japan into the war in December 1941, HMS Exeter formed part of the ABDACOM naval force which was intended to defend the Dutch East Indies from Japanese invasion.
On 27th February, 1942, HMS Exeter was badly damaged in the Battle of the Java Sea when she received a hit in the boiler room and was ordered to Surabaya. The destroyer HMS Electra was sunk covering her withdrawal. On 1st March while Exeter was attempting to reach the Sunda Straits, she was again engaged by the Japanese cruisers Nachi and Haguro. HMS Exeter was soon badly damaged by gunfire and a torpedo from the destroyer Inazuma. Taking on water she began to list to starboard, by noon on the same day she sank. Her escorting destroyers, HMS Encounter and USS Pope were also lost in this engagement. About 800 Allied seamen, including the commander of HMS Exeter, Captain O.L. Gordon., became prisoners of war.
Japanese PoW
1942/03/01 - Captured Battle of Java Sea
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/03/10 - Transported to Makassar, Celebes
Under Lt Commander Cooper
1942/10/10 - Transported Asama Maru to Nagasaki, Japan
PoWs mostly from Battle of Java Sea
1942/10/23 - Reached Nagasaki, Japan
Under Lt Commander Chubb
New PoW No. I 716
1942/10/24 Fukuoka 2B
1944/12/02 - Fukuoka 1B - Hakozaki Machi
Under Col. Saunders
Hut 3 Roll of 26 PoWs
1945/09/14 - Liberated Fukuoka 1B
Photo taken from an American Bomber dropping supplies to the camp which is in the bottom left hand corner and the parachutes can clearly be seen.
Transport Home
Fukuoka via Nagasaki, via San Francisco.
Train to Halifax, Nova Scotia
On to Southampton on Queen Elizabeth I
Jack was home
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Died
25th July 2004
Information
Barbara Bartholomew
HMS Exeter
KEW:- WO 392/23, WO 345/3, WO 361/1254,
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