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519249
Flight Sergeant
Godfrey John Hodges
Born 1912/12/14, Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales
Son of William Henry and Margaret Rose Hodges
Occupation Gardener
Royal Air Force
Japanese PoW
1942/03/20 Captured
PoW No. 3736
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
New PoW No. 6470
1943/04/13 - Medical examination by Japanese at Surabaya for fitness to travel, no one rejected, all classified fit by the Japanese.
Next morning in front of paraded PoWs, Squadron Leader Pitts was severely beaten up in an unprovoked assault, which lasted for about 15 minutes. It is thought it was to impress upon the 2,075 PoWs who were being transported that the Japanese were in charge.
1943/04/17 - Several days after embarking the two ships, Cho Saki Maru and Amagi Maru, they set sail for Haruku. The conditions on board were bad with the PoWs confined to the holds with buckets as latrines and little ventilation dysentery soon caused problems.
1943/05/05 - After 1, 200 miles at sea they arrived at Haruku where the atap hut roofs were either missing or leaked letting in the consistent rain. The natives, who built the huts, had dug their latrine at the top of the slope the camp was on and the latrines overflowed and ran into the huts, a dysentery epidemic quickly followed and the death grew.
The work at the camp was to flatten the top of the volcanic island and building an air strip. For the work the PoWs were paid 15 cents a day. As the food was poor the money was spent in the camp shop which was run by the Japanese Guard Mori. Mori kept the camp food rations poor so the PoWs had to spend their money in his shop.
1944/6 - Without warning the PoWs were ordered to embark to leave Haruku. It is believed the reason for this was the Japanese were retreating. 415 PoWs were left behind in graves at Haruku mainly due to a dysentery epidemic in the first three months.
650 of the fittest were now sent to Ambon. Work involved loading the ships at the docks with stores. Most of the Pows by now had no cloths to wear so they adopted the ‘Jap Happy’. This was a 9 x 24 inch strip of white cotton material with a tape sown at each end. One end was placed in the small of the back and the tape tied around the waist and fitted together with a bow at the front. The long piece left hanging at the back was now passed between the legs and slid beneath the bow at the front, covering the crotch.
To the PoWs it was obvious the Japanese were puling back towards Java as the ships at the harbour became less and less, it was now their turn to move out.
1944/08 - The PoWs were split into two groups, one group of 500 boarded the Maros Maru, an old steamship, and the other 150, including Harry, were in the 150 group onboard the the Kaiysu Maru.
The Kaiysu Maru was sunk on-route by a Liberator with 138 survivors. The Maros Maru stopped at Raha and picked them up on an already crowded ship.
Conditions onboard the Maros Maru were very bad as the PoWs were kept on deck and it was stormy weather. Illness soon broke out on a starvation diet. After 14 days the PoWs were dying in large numbers, about 15 a day.
The engine was giving plenty of trouble and slowed the voyage down to Makassar in the Celebes. After reaching Makassar the PoWs were kept on the ship while the repairs were carried out, this took days and the PoWs were still dying.
Godfrey died of Beri-Beri after the Maros Maru reached Java and was buried at sea.
Died
Age 38
1st November 1944
Cause of death Beri-Beri
Buried at Sea
Compiled from statement by Captain G V Bird, Royal Engineers, 1946
Loved Ones
Son of William Henry and Margaret Hodges
Husband of Eileen Muriel Hodges, of Crowthorne, Berkshire.
Memorial
31.D.5
Ambon War Cemetery
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Information
Japanese Transports
Maros Maru
Commonwealth War Grave Commission
KEW Files:- WO 361/1633, WO 361/1631/1, WO 361/1222, WO 392/24, WO 345/25, WO 361/1945, WO 361/2008,
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