Evacuation from Taiwan

Evacuation from Taiwan ( Formosa) on 'USS Brister'

On September 4, 1945, the 'USS Brister' was ordered to Formosa to join other British and American ships in evacuating POWs. On September 6th, the 'Brister' went into Taihoku Harbor and brought out 185 prisoners, mostly British. Almost all of those men had been prisoners for at least three and a half years, and many of them were in bad shape. Of these 185 prisoners, 135 were transferred to aircraft carriers for medical treatment. On Sept. 7th, the 'Brister' was underway to Manila, carrying 50 of the POWs on board.

Frank H Wells (US Navy Y1C ), a US sailor serving on the 'Brister', kept a diary and photo album during the voyage to Manila. His daughter Linda and her husband David have created a web site based on these. The photographs below have been copied, with Linda & David's permission, from that web site - for more information and photographs visit the web site www.Taiwanpow.com.

USS Brister

Tent rigged on the fantail of 'USS Brister' for very sick POWs - itwas too hot below deck

British POWs (in no particular order )- William H Rawlinson (Yorkshire), Philip D Anderson (Bedfordshire) & Lawrence A Charlesworth (London)

British POWs -(in no particular order) Henry Eldrett (London), Allen W Edrich (Norwich), Ronald W Sleet (London), Douglas Dutton (Suffolk), Richard H Bristow (Cheshire), Dennis H Tooley (Bedfordshire), Robert Jackson (North Wales), Peter Farrell (Ireland), Arthur South (London), Charles E Ruth (Belfast)

British POWs (in no particular order) - Charles E Ruth (Belfast), Arthur South (London), George W Bailey (Yorkshire), Harry G Anderson (Scotland)