No.5933602, Private, Percy KING
Aged 24
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Percy King was born in Burwell, on 5th May 1920(Newmarket Q2-1920 3B:1010), son of Lily May KING. His mother married Robert NUNN in 1923 . Percy's address for probate was given as
26 Martin's Road, Burwell.
The family were still at 26 Martin's Road, Burwell in 1939. Stepfather Robert H NUNN [23-2-1873] farm labourer; mother 31-7-1898; half brothers Robert H NUNN (Jun) [25-5-1922] a farm labourer and William G NUNN [9-12-1925] a scholar. There are five closed records. |
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He was captured on 15th February 1942, the day the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese. He was lost in one of the infamous "Hellships" transporting
allied prisoners to the Japanese mainland Convoy SHIMI-05 left Singapore with a total of 5,727 prisoners between 5 transport ships on 4th July 1943, a fact that the Allied High Command were aware of as they had broken the Japanese naval codes but what they did not know for sure was which of the ten ships carried the prisoners. The convoy reached Miri, in Borneo on 8th July. The convoy was now re-organised but without Hofuku Maru [KA-27] and set off on 23rd,reaching Takao on 27th. She remained in Manila bay until mid September with prisoners dying daily of malnutrition and disease ( around 94 to 184 since leaving Singapore. Finally, on 21st September 1944 the Hofuku Maru sailed with Convoy MATA-27 for Takao in Formosa. Just as they were sailing up the Luzon coast they were attacked by planes from an American aircraft carrier about 80 miles north of Corregidor, the aircraft carrier's planes sunk the whole fleet including the Hofuku Maru, not knowing some carried prisoners locked in the holds. The Hofuku Maru was carrying 1289 prisoners from Manila to Japan, 1047 were lost. |
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