Dick Hitchens

My father survived the sinking of HMS Exeter. He was on the North Atlantic convoys on HMS Newcastle earlier on in the war and later he was sent to join HMS Exeter after her repairs were completed following her action in the Battle of the River Plate. She subsequently was sent to action off Singapore and Java - where she was sunk. My father was a great swimmer and a very brave man and was eventually picked out of the sea by the Japanese who imprisoned him at Macassar Camp in the Celebes. The ship that finally took him and other survivors of the camps from recuperation in Australia was amazingly HMS Newcastle - the first ship he was on. We have lots of letters from the government etc. writing to let my grandmother know he had survived.

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Andy Wade (Webmaster)

Information provided by

Catherine Roskrow