HMS Encounter

Discussion in 'The War at Sea' started by Wobbler, Jan 9, 2021.

  1. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    I just watched my recent recording of the excellent “Boy Soldiers of World War 2”. As interesting a programme as it was, what really caught my eye was very fleeting film, during an interview with Albert Riddle, of what I think may be HMS Encounter? My cousin C/JX172488 Able Seaman William Ernest Gatty, served on her and was taken prisoner by the Japanese after she was sunk in the Java Sea. Sadly, he died in captivity in Macassar in February 1945. This, of course, is a stock photo of her:

    D293A7A6-9811-40A2-AA38-D7E518C1D319.jpeg

    Am I right in thinking that the ship shown in the photos below is Encounter? I ask only as the pennant number on the ship’s side reads as 10H, but all the photos I have seen of her clearly have it as H10. I realise they could somehow have got the film back to front, but then wouldn’t the whole ship then be the wrong way round, not just the number? I was never any good at science lol. I apologise for the quality of the following images, they’re photos direct from my tv screen.

    137521DF-EC34-42F3-B2C6-0378BA46B38C.jpeg DE8084BB-1751-47C0-A6CD-3D11FAC9D82D.jpeg FE1BE406-7740-470E-81E2-26C9889958AA.jpeg 8C37097F-54F6-4269-B161-11CFCE212BB8.jpeg BAF75420-1086-42BF-9550-0276ED5C1FEC.jpeg

    I’m really hoping it’s her; I’ve seen only photos thus far and to catch a glimpse of her cutting through the waves, however brief, with William possibly aboard, would be an amazing and completely unexpected surprise.

    Whilst I was searching online for any other video of Encounter, I stumbled across a short film on the IWM site, number JFU 350, of No. 1 POW Camp, Batavia, in which some of the crew members of Encounter are shown. His surviving shipmates after liberation, presumably. I didn’t post a link to the film as I wasn’t sure it was allowed.

    Thanks.
     
    Last edited: Jan 9, 2021
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    HMS Encounter, destroyer

    HMS ENCOUNTER (H 10) - E-class Destroyer
    1942
    March
    1st Escorted damaged cruiser HMS EXETER on passage to Colombo with US Destroyer
    POPE and ambushed by four Japanese cruisers and three destroyers.
    Laid smoke screen after HMS EXETER was hit by shellfire from Japanese cruisers
    MYOKO and ASHIGARA (Battle of Java Sea).
    (Note: HMS EXETER sank after being hit by torpedo.)
    Came under attack and sustained major damage which ruptured fuel supply system.
    Ship disabled without electric power needed to control main armament.
    Scuttled by crew in position 04.30S 111.00E.
    Many of ship' company were killed and the remainder became prisoners of war, 37 of
    whom died in captivity.


    Dont see any reason not to post the link to the film you mmention

    TD
     
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  3. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

  4. Ewen Scott

    Ewen Scott Well-Known Member

    You are correct in identifying Encounter with pennant H10. But the other ship photos you have posted have had the film negative reversed, hence the H appearing at the end. Had they been of Encounter and had the negative reversed they would have read 01H not 10H.

    HMS Hotspur of the closely related H class carried the pennant H01 which when reversed would read 10H.

    So sorry to be the bearer of bad news but it is Hotspur not Encounter in those photos.
     
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  5. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    Thanks Ewen and no need at all to apologise for bearing bad news since I had been thinking about it a bit more pessimistically this morning after a light bulb, rather belatedly, switched on in my head. I was just about to start checking whether there was a ship with pennant H01 when I saw you had replied.

    I was so excited when I thought I’d chanced upon film of Encounter that I completely and stupidly forgot the logic of the reverse negative, which should have been obvious to me right away. Ne’er mind.
     
  6. Rattler

    Rattler Junior Member

    Hello Wobbler,

    The link below concerns a very detailed review of the crew of HMS Encounter when they escaped their crippled ship on March 1st 1942. 7 lives were lost in her last moments and most of the survivors were picked up by the Japanese destroyer Ikazuchi on March 2nd, with possibly some picked up on March 1st as the author infers.

    They were incarcerated in a POW camp in Macassar in Celebes. A very small number were transferred to camps in Japan.

    HMS Encounter – the rescue of survivors 1-2 March 1942 - Tully's Port

    Kind regards
    Rattler
     
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  7. Wobbler

    Wobbler Well-Known Member

    This is wonderful, Rattler, I had not seen this before, thanks very, very much. I may well try to contact the OP of that thread to see if he has any more information on Encounter and her crew.
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2021

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