Profile

WILLIAMS, Hugh Hosking
(Service number )

Aliases Also Hugh Hoskyn. "Skipper"
First Rank Captain Last Rank Master

Birth

Date 27 March 1878 Place of Birth Auckland, New Zealand

Enlistment Information

Date Age
Address at Enlistment
Occupation Master Mariner
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status Married
Next of Kin
Religion
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with New Zealand Armed Forces (?) Served in Mercantile Marine (WWI)
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation Merchant Navy
Unit, Squadron, or Ship Monowai (WWI)
Date
Transport Monowai (WWI). Navua (WWI)
Embarked From Destination Samoa (WWI)
Other Units Served With HMNZT 78 Navua (WWI)
Last Unit Served With Merchant Navy, SS Henry Keswick (WWII)

Military Awards

Campaigns
Service Medals British War Medal (1914-1920); Mercantile Marine War Medal (WWII)
Military Awards

Award Circumstances and Date

No information

Prisoner of War Information

Date of Capture
Where Captured and by Whom Manila, Philippine Islands
Actions Prior to Capture During World War Two High was the master of the Henry Keswick, towing the "Tantalus" (Hong Kong) on 5 December 1941, heading for Singapore. They reached Manila on 11 December and were subjected to many air attacks on the Harbour. On 26 December Tantalus suffered a minimum of four direct hits, and being on fire, capsized. The crew were ashore at the time but were to be taken prisoners on 3 January 1942.
PoW Serial Number
PoW Camps
Days Interned
Liberation Date

Discharge

Date Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date 1 January 1945 Age 66 years
Place of Death Los Banos POW Camp, Philippine Islands
Cause Died whilst a Prisoner of War
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Sai Wan War Cemetery, Hong Kong, China
Memorial Reference I. E. 9.
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Son of Rev. J. W. WILLIAMS, sometime of the Wesleyan Manse, Timaru. Married Annie Fyfe WATSON on 10 November 1905, at Fyfe Bank, Young Street, Dunedin. Educated at Timaru Main & Christchurch East schools. 

Married Annie Fyfe WATSON on 10 November 1905, at Fyfe Bank, Young Street, Dunedin. Had two sons: Aubrey Hugh Whitmore Williams was born on 17 October 1907 in Dunedin; John Fyfe Williams was born on 1 1 August 1910, also in Dunedin.

Brothers Bertram Victor WILLIAMS & Owen Wallis WILLIAMS also served in WWI; brother Harold Whitemore WILLIAMS was a war correspondent in WWI. Served in WWI & WWII. Commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour, near St George's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, London.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [09 March 2014]; CWGC [20 March 2014]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [March 2014]; SCRoll web submission by Nigel Williams, 13 March 2023

External Links

Related Documents

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TS

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