Malcolm Hawes

[louise mills]

Thank you all. I'll take time to read and digest all this and put some notes in my journal. It's all clarified many details and added to others. All such a long time ago but being a late addition to my fathers children for me he's gone far too soon and realise I knew too little about his experiences! Regards

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Louise.
I often wonder what links the people who went to sea and their families,I know blokes shipped out together and if they meet on line have a good yarn, but how odd that you have written about your Dad and his time on the Gloucester Castle, when we had our Lou write so much about it on this site, makes me wonder if your Dad had known him being one of the survivors on the same ship and both in Changi all those years, I wonder if he may have suggested your name Louise to remind him of Lou. As they say stranger things have happened at sea.
Cheers Des

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[Doc Vernon]

Hi Des
As you say stranger things have happened, What a god pickup on that though!
Now that would be one of the most amazing things happen here on this site if by some chance
that ever came out to be Fair Dinkum mate!
Will we ever know ??
Cheers

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Vernon.
As my wife would say it's the writer in me.
Cheers Des

[Doc Vernon]

As that is quite a possibility Des
I have just sent off an Email to Brenda in NZ (Lou's Daughter) putting a few questions to her on this,i wonder if again by chance she may just recall a Story that Lou told her at some stage ON Malcolm ???????????
You never know,yes you just never know!

[Captain Kong]

I met Brenda in Dunedin when I went to Lou`s home, a lovely girl who then drove Lou, his wife Peggy and myself round to the Pub and then down to where I went to get my ship. I hope you get the answers.
Cheers
Brian.

Here is Brenda, Lou and his lovely wife Peggy who sadly died only weeks after I took the photo.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Vernon.
It could turn up a link which would be good for Brenda and Louise,waiting in hope.
Cheers Des.
Hi Brian.
Good pic of both our friends
Cheers Des[

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[j.sabourn]

#16... Brian do you still keep in contact with his family. I met Lou and his son who seemed to accompany him when out and about. All though the time was short he discussed his time in Singers and as where one of the POW camps was is now a sea base for the oil industry and knew the place very well, our rememberances of the place differed somewhat however. I had a litre bottle of gin for him, and if he hadn't turned up would of had to drink myself after having recently before having to consume a bottle of rum for another meeting with an old shipmate who didn't turn up as got his days mixed up. Don't think Lou would of had too much trouble in making it disappear however. Fine bloke. JWS PS Lou introduced him as his boy so assume he was his son, but thinking back to Lous age could have been his grandson. Cheers JWS

[Captain Kong]

I had contact with his other daughter Tina and her Husband Brian, they lived in England and then just before he died they moved over to New Zealand just outside Auckland.
I had the new home address and email but unfortunately cannot find it. I was going to call when I was in Auckland in March.
Lou had around six Children.

Cheers
Brian.

[Gordon Robbins]

Hi Louise (hope I've replied to the correct post / thread)

some links :
Links you may find useful (very ? useful )
http://www.cofepow.org.uk/lists/merc...esandnames.doc
Austin Morris
BBC - WW2 People's War - The Sinking of the Gloucester Castle (he went to Osaka, Japan)
Morris, Austin (Oral history) (11422)


I would like to find more about (my wife's Gt uncle, I did correspond with Lou however he didn't remember him. I think he or maybe another source said there were 6 DEMS on board .

Unfortunately Jabez never spoke about his captivity and had no children (or partner that we know of). He lived a solitary life.

Jabez Peters - survived POW Private / Gunner RA 1772822 DOB 17/8/1917
1942 2nd Maritime Anti-Aircraft Battery - Unit redesignated 2nd Maritime Reg.
15/7/42 Survived sinking of Gloucester Castle (declared lost at sea, as were all onboard)
Former service number - ? Attestation year 1940

Does anyone know where I can find a complete list of the Crew of Gloucester Castle on it's last voyage ? I have passengers and survivors (I'm attempting to correlate everything eventually ). I know little about Jabez Peters, he was known as 'Sonny'. Any help appreciated.

Gordon