Marine PLY/X 100147 James Alan Benson

Family details:
Son of George and Elizabeth Benson, of St. Helens, Lancashire.

Census details:
1939 Register - Not identified.

HMS Sultan was in fact a shore base and is used in this instance as the Home base of Marine Benson. What happended to Marine James Alan Benson was a tragic story. At some point Marine Benson was captured by the Japanese along with two of his colleagues:- Marine, PLY/X 100127, Jack Davenport and Stoker 1c, D/KX 106550, William J Newby. Hofuku Maru also known as Fuji Maru and Toyofuku Maru was a Japanese steamship used to transfer prisoners of war. These types of ships are known as " [b]hell ships"[/b] , a ship with extremely unpleasant living conditions or with a reputation for cruelty among the crew. This ship had sailed from Singapore on 4 July 1944 to Manila, arriving 19 July 1944 with 1287 prisoners on board. She sailed from Manila on 20 Sep 1944 bound for Japan with 1289 British and Dutch prisoners on board. But on 21 September, she was sunk off Luzon north of Subic Bay by US aircraft. Here is a contemporary account from a survivor:- 221 British and Dutch war prisoners were brought into camp at about 2300, all of which were practically naked. These men were survivors from a ship that was sunk by American planes on the 21st of September outside of Manila Bay. ([i]Hofuku Maru)[/i] This ship was one of a convoy of 8 ships bound for Japan with 1260 British and Dutch prisoners from Singapore and D.E.I. aboard. These men state that they have been in the hold and aboard this ship since February, when they boarded in Singapore. They have been lying in Manila Bay since July 17th. 5 of these men were suffering from gunshot wounds and fractures received on the 22nd aboard a Japanese fishing boat which was enroute from Hong Kong and had picked up the survivors. This board was strafed by American planes. A total of 37 men were admitted to wards and the entire draft seem to be suffering from beriberi and dysentery. [pic]imgs/S1PWHYAOTV/PLYX_100147_James_Alan_Benson_zpsaf81a4bd.jpg[/pic][caption]The panel on the Plymouth Memorial bearing the name of Marine James Alan Benson[/caption]