Showler, Shouler Family History & Genealogy

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Shouler Family History

The Second World War – 605 Squadron RAF

Derrick William Shouler joined the RAF as a wireless operator in 1940, training at Yatesbury and joining the 605 fighter squadron as volunteer reserve Aircraftsman 1st Class 906113.

In February 1940 the squadron moved to Scotland, but returned south in May to fly patrols over northern France for a week before moving back to Drem. It moved south again in September for the closing stages of the Battle of Britain and in December began escorting bombers over northern France. At the end of March 1941, it moved to the Midlands for day and night defensive patrols and in October was posted overseas. It reached Singapore in January 1942, too late to affect the campaign, and was evacuated to Sumatra on arrival in the area, moving later to Java. There it became caught up in the Japanese invasion and after operating a collection of surviving aircraft, was either evacuated in small groups or captured by the Japanese by early March. Derrick was captured and became a prisoner of war at a Japanese camp in Java. Below are pictures of an official Japanese POW card, sent home by Derrick, comprising 3 stereotyped, ‘permitted’ sentences and 20 words of ‘his own text’.

In 1943, the Japanese decided to ship the sick back to Java. A total of 640 men, including a number of Japanese sick patients, were taken on board the 4,645-ton passenger-cargo ship Suez Maru. In two holds there were 422 sick British (of which 221 were RAF servicemen, including Derrick William Shouler) and 127 sick Dutch prisoners, including up to twenty stretcher cases, the Japanese patients filled the other two holds.

Escorted by a minesweeper W-12, the Suez Maru set sail from Port Amboina but while entering the Java Sea and at about 327 kilometres east of Surabaya, Java (Netherlands East Indies - off Kangean Islands North of Bali, 6º 22' South by 116º 35' East.) the vessel was torpedoed by the American submarine USS Bonefish. The USS Bonefish was on her second war patrol and was commanded by Cdr. Tom Hogan. Following the torpedoing, the Suez Maru started to list, and water poured into the holds drowning many, those that managed to escape, so far, swam away from the sinking ship. The Japanese mine sweeper W-12 then picked up the Japanese survivors, but left between 200 and 250 men in the sea. At 14.50, the minesweeper, W-12, under orders from Captain Kawano, opened fire on the remaining survivors, using a machine gun and rifles. Rafts and lifeboats were rammed and sunk by the W-12. The firing did not cease till all the prisoners had been killed, the minesweeper then sped off towards Batavia (Jakarta) at 16.30 hours.

Sixty-nine Japanese had died during the attack, 93 Japanese soldiers and 205 Japanese sick patients were rescued by the Japanese. Of the 547 British and Dutch prisoners, there is reported to be one survivor, a British soldier, Kenneth Thomas, who was picked up twenty-four hours later by the Australian minesweeper HMAS Ballarat.

No one was ever brought to justice for this war-crime. The USS Bonefish was later sunk by the Japanese in 1945, becoming the last USS Submarine to be sunk in World War Two.

18th June 1945 – the last USS Submarine to be sunk.

USS Bonefish (Cdr. L.L. Edge) is sunk with all hands by the Japanese escort vessels Okinawa, Kaibokan No.63, Kaibokan No.75, Kaibokan No.158 and Kaibokan No.207 in the Sea of Japan in position 37.18N, 137.55E.

Suez Maru Roll-of-Honour

605 Squadron Roll-of-Honour.

Derrick also has an entry in the RAF memorial book in St. Clement Danes, the RAF church, in the Strand London.

More on the Suez Maru at http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/ships_suez_maru.htm

Click on images to enlarge.

Derrick Shouler and Margaret

605 Squadron emblem

605 Squadron emblem.

Report in the Torquay Times 11th. June 1943

Card sent by Derrick Shouler from Japanese POW Camp Java

Card sent by Derrick from Japanese POW Camp Java (reverse side)

The Japanese ‘Hell Ship’ The Suez Maru

Submarine - USS Bonefish

Allan Jones’s Book on the Suez Maru Incident

Derrick William Shouler - posthumous medals

Shouler & Showler WW2 casualties

Recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Aircraftman 1st Class DERRICK WILLIAM SHOULER
906113, 605 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died age 23 on 29 November 1943
Son of Frederick Percy Shouler, and of Doris Freda Shouler, of Torquay, Devon.
SINGAPORE MEMORIAL

Private JACK SHOWLER
4805052, 4th Bn., Lincolnshire Regiment

Died age 27 on 24 December 1944
Son of Walter and Mary Jane Showler, of Barton-on-Humber, Lincolnshire.
JONKERBOS WAR CEMETERY

Gunner JOHN LESLIE SHOWLER
2042784, 1/1 Maritime Regt., Royal Artillery
Died age 23on 05 November 1942
PORTSMOUTH NAVAL MEMORIAL

Sergeant JOHN ROBERT SHOWLER
D/3983, 7th Reconnaissance Regt., 17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars, R.C.A.C.
Died age 34 on 28 August 1944
Son of Frank and Mary Showler; husband of Margaret Showler, of Verdun, Province of Quebec.
BRETTEVILLE-SUR-LAIZE CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY

Sergeant ROY ARTHUR COLLINS SHOWLER
1321156, 158 Sqdn., Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Died age 21 on 12 June 1943
Son of John Thomas Showler and Lily Louise Showler; husband of Elizabeth Mary Showler, of Finchley, Middlesex.
UDEN WAR CEMETERY

Warrant Officer Class II WILLIAM HARTWELL SHOWLER
P/38167, Canadian Army Corps of Military Staff Clerks
Died on 07 July 1942
BROOKWOOD MILITARY CEMETERY

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