Hello

[Pamela Dunne]

Hi my name is Pamela and I live in Australia. My interest in the Merchant Navy is researching my family. I know my father was in the MN and also my grandfather and possibly an uncle. My father was William George Frederick Rowed. At the age of 19 he was one of 2 engineer stewards on the Empress of Asia in 1942. He was voluntered to help in the Singapore hospitals and subsequently became a POW in Chengi prison when the Japanese took over. He survived and returned to UK in 1945. My grandfather was William Richard Satterley born 1896 - 1972. I believe he was a stoker. My uncle Leonard Charles Rowed was on the Alexia at the age of 16 as a galley boy arriving in New York on 4 Mar 1944.

I would appreciate any information. Thank you.

[j.sabourn]

Am sure you will get replies to your query Pamela, when some of them get out of bed. What part of Perth are you from again. Believe you have been on here before or was that someone else. Regards John S

[Captain Kong]

hI Pamela,
HERE IS A CREWLIST OF THE EMPRESS OF ASIA, INCLUDING YOUR DAD`S NAME. Crew List: April 14 1940 - September 24 1940
.Its on Google.

.................................................. .................................................. .........................
Crew List: April 14 1940 - September 24 1940 - Empress of Asia ...

Crew List: April 14 1940 - September 24 1940

The EMPRESS OF ASIA, after embarking troops, sailed from Liverpool for ... Many ships came to the rescue of the crew and passengers of the EMPRESS OF ASIA...
.
.

Prisoners of War

When the Empress of Asia was abandoned on February 5th 1942, off Sultan Shoal, many of the crew, for a variety of reasons, were to become Prisoners of War.

Some were injured and found themselves in hospital when Singapore surrendered. Likewise the members of the Catering Crew and Medical Department that were assigned to serve at the General and Miyako Hospitals in Singapore were also to find themselves as captives with the surrender. Others were captured while attempting to flee Singapore for areas still under Allied control. Those crewmembers captured at Singapore were held at Changi and Sime Road camps. Those captured outside Singapore were held at various locations, including Sumatra, Java, Thailand, and Malaya. Several of those held outside Singapore were to lose their lives during captivity.



For a more information on crewmembers of the Empress of Asia who became interned as Prisoners of War, use the two links below!

General and Miyako Hospitals in Singapore

List of Prisoners of War,, your Dad is listed here too.



If you have arrived here and cannot see the Table of Contents to the left,

From google.
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Cheers
Brian

[Ron B Manderson]

welcome to the site Pamela.
Dam sure your info will come forth
Ron the batcave

[Doc Vernon]

Welcome to the site Pamela
Well already you have some info coming in,so that's good thus far!
Hope you will get a lot more with time!
Enjoy what we have here on offer!
Cheers

PS Was your Dad from either Cornwall or Somerset? And your Uncle was he from Torquay!
If ant of above match then their Seamans Pouches are at the N Archives!

[Lou Barron]

Hi Pamela i knew of some of the crew off the Empress of Asia some of them ended up in Changi Jail but not all of them they were spread out in different camps It was only a few who was in the Jail i cannot remember their names as there were over 200 merchant seamen on floor 3 block c in the jail

[Pamela Dunne]

Thanks for your reply.

[Pamela Dunne]

Thank you for replying. My dad was living in Birmingham when he joined the MN but then moved to Devon on his return where he met and married my mum. My granddad was from Torquay and so was my uncle. What is the Seamans pouch that you mention please?

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you for the welcome.

- - - Updated - - -

Thank you Brian for the crew list and the list of Prisoners of War. I have actually got both of those. I think I am trying to get a bit more background info on my dad's time on the ship and if anyone knew him.

- - - Updated - - -

Hello John S, thank you for your message. My husband and I are currently north of Perth in a place called Tapping but what we do is house sit for the summer months and then go out "Bush" and gold prospect for 6 months in the winter. Not a bad life at all. We will be leaving here next week and heading further north to a little town called Bindoon where we have a number of housesits until the middle of April next year and then we will head out. I don't think I have registered before but who knows - the memory isn't what it used to be.

[Doc Vernon]

A Seamans Pouch is the Paperwork that is held at the National Archives in Kew London!
Its gives a bit of detail of the Service on the Seaman.
There is another called the CRS10 which holds a lot more on each Seaman .like the ships he served on,dates ,his Photo and a bit more.
Cheers



R223599 ROWED W G F 16/12/1923 FROME SOMERSET | The National Archives

R297481 ROWED L C 28/10/1927 TORQUAY | The National Archives

[Hazel Stringer]

hI Pamela,
HERE IS A CREWLIST OF THE EMPRESS OF ASIA, INCLUDING YOUR DAD`S NAME. Crew List: April 14 1940 - September 24 1940
.Its on Google.
.
Cheers
Brian

I am a little confused. On the cofepow website (https://www.cofepow.org.uk/armed-for...mpress-of-asia) it states, "The crew, including 7 military and 18 naval gunners, numbered 416" yet the list on Google only shows 7 gunners. Any suggestions? Also, any suggestions where I can find lists of RA personnel who might have been on board?
Thanks