Rowley Richards
Charles Rowland Bromley Richards | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Rowley |
Born | Second World War
| 8 June 1916
Awards | St John Ambulance Association |
Charles Rowland Bromley "Rowley" Richards
A graduate of the
Richards returned to Australia in October 1945, married and established a private practice. He served as chairman of the
Early life
Charles Rowland Bromley Richards was born in
Richards was educated at Summer Hill Intermediate High School and
Second World War
On 27 August 1940, Richards joined the
Richards was initially held in Changi Prison.[1] On 20 May 1942, he was part of 'A' Force, which sailed to Burma, where the prisoners initially worked on building and improving roads and airstrips. Over time they shifted to working on the notorious Burma Railway. The prisoners suffered from malnutrition, appalling conditions and tropical diseases, particularly cholera, malaria and dengue fever. There were casualties from Allied air attacks on the railway, and from brutal beatings administered by the Japanese and Korean guards. Richards and other medical officers struggled with a lack of supplies.[4] He insisted on the strictest standards of hygiene, and kept a secret diary that he hoped would provide evidence against the Japanese in post-war war crimes trials.[1]
In September 1944, Richards heard a rumour that he was to be transferred to Japan. He gave his diary to a friend, Major J. A. L. Shaw, and buried a summary with the body of Corporal S. R. Gorlick.[1] The rumour was true; he left for Japan with a convoy of five escorts and six ships, including two carrying prisoners, 950 on the SS President Harrison, which had been captured by the Japanese and renamed the Kachidoki Maru, and 1,350 on the Rakuyo Maru. Richards travelled on the latter, which also carried senior officers including Brigadier Arthur Varley.[5][6]
On the night of 11/12 September 1944, the convoy came under attack from an American submarine wolf pack consisting of the USS Growler, USS Sealion and USS Pampanito. They sank two of the escorts, the destroyer Shikinami and the frigate Hirado, and then the transports Rakuyo Maru, Nankai Maru and Kachidoki Maru, and an oil tanker. Kachidoki Maru sank in 20 minutes and most of the men on board had little chance, but none of the prisoners on the Rakuyo Maru were severely injured by the explosions and it took twelve hours to sink. On 15 September, Pampanito returned to the area and found British and Australian survivors. It picked up 73 of them. A call for assistance brought Sealion to the scene, and it collected 54 survivors. Two other submarines were sent to the area and picked up 32 more survivors.[5][6]
Richards was the only officer on the Rakuyo Maru to survive.[5] After three days in the water he was picked up by a Japanese warship,[1] and was transferred to a whaling mother ship, which Richards took about other 600 prisoners rescued by the Japanese on to Japan.[5] He was one of 261 British and 29 Australians who reached Sakata on 3 October 1944, and became their medical officer. While conditions were grim, they were not as horrific as on the Burma Railway, and a package of Red Cross medical supplies arrived on 1 January 1945. After being in the tropics, the prisoners now had to suffer the harsh Japanese winter, which caused a number of cases of pneumonia.[7]
Released from captivity by the
Later life
Returning to civilian life, Richards became a medical officer at
Richards became a
Richards died at Manly Hospital on 26 February 2015, and was cremated. He was survived by his son David, his wife Beth and son Ian having predeceased him.[12] His papers, including the wartime diaries, are in the Australian War Memorial.[13]
Bibliography
- Richards, Rowley; McEwan, Marcia (1989). The Survival Factor. Kenhurst, New South Wales: Kangaroo Press. OCLC 27591932.
- Richards, Rowley (2005). A Doctor's War. Sydney: HarperCollins. OCLC 62561857.
Notes
- ^ Sydney Morning Herald, 27 March 2015, retrieved 30 March 2015
- ^ a b c d e "Richards, Charles Rowland Bromley B883 NX70273". National Archives of Australia. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ "2/15th Field Regiment". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 30 March 2015.
- ^ Walker 1953, pp. 583–584.
- ^ a b c d Walker 1953, p. 653.
- ^ a b Blair 1975, pp. 708–711.
- ^ Walker 1953, p. 658.
- ^ "Honours and Awards: Charles Rowland Bromley Richards". Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- ^ "Richards, Charles Rowland Bromley Award: The Order of the British Empire – Member (Military)". Australian Government. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- ^ "Richards, Charles Rowland Bromley Award: Medal of the Order of Australia". Australian Government. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- ^ "Richards, Charles Rowland Bromley Award: Centenary Medal". Australian Government. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- Sydney Morning Herald. 28 February 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
- ^ "Guide to the papers of Dr Rowley Richards". Australian War Memorial. PR01916. Retrieved 31 March 2015.
References
- OCLC 821363.
- Walker, Alan (1953). Middle East and Far East. OCLC 19769283.
External links
- "Rowley Richards – The Australian Prisoners' Accounts – The Thai–Burma Railway and Hellfire Pass". Australian Government. Retrieved 31 March 2015.