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2324268
Signalman
Harold Eric Roelich
1917/07/08 - Born Doncaster
Son of Walter Allan and Marie Evelyn Roelich
Royal Corps of Signals
Hong Kong Signal Company
1942/02/21 - WO 417/37, Casualty List No. 724. Missing
1942/07/31 - WO 417/47, Casualty List No. 890. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 724 as Missing. Now Prisoner of War
Japanese PoW
1941/12/25 - Captured Hong Kong
PoW No. 2794
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/09/27 - Left Shamshuipo Camp and sailed from , Hong Kong in the Lisbon Maru
On the third day at sea Diptheria broke out.
1942/10/01 - A noise like air rushing out of a tyre woke the sleeping PoWs and they realised a torpedo had just missed the ship. A few minutes later there was a loud explosion and the ships engines stopped.
The submarine, USS Grouper SS-214 had attacked and hit the Lisbon Maru.
At 7.30pm the Japanese destroyer ‘Kure’ and the Toyokuni Maru took of all the Japanese except a machine gun crew who had their gun trained on the Battened down hold.
1942/10/02 - Lisbon Maru sunk
Chinese fishing boats picked up survivors and landed them at Woosung, Nr. Shanghai. They were later transported to Japan.
Osaka 1B Camp, Japan
1945/09/08 - Liberated Osaka 1B , Age 28
1945/10/17 - WO417/98, Casualty List No. 1886. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 890 as reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Hong Kong.
Information
Vicky Finch
Tony Banham’s books:-
‘Not the Slightest Chance’
‘The Sinking of the Lisbon Maru’
‘We Shall Suffer There’
KEW Files:- WO 345/44, WO 392/26, WO 361/1744, WO 392/26, WO 361/1779, WO 361/1744, WO 361/1744/2, CO 980/138, WO 361/1963,
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