In 1945 sadly AFTER the end of the war, Mr and Mrs McGowan of 24 Logan Street read that their son, Stoker Edward McGowan had died in a Japanese P.O.W. camp.
Reported the Hamilton Advertiser on 13th October 1945. “A member of the crew of H.M.S. Exeter, which went down in the battle of Java almost four years ago, stoker McGowan was believed to have been drowned. His folks only learned a year after the sinking that he was a prisoner in Japan. They were looking forward with happy anticipation to news of his liberation when the telegram arrived with the sad tidings. Stoker McGowan joined up over five years ago. He was a popular member of Blantyre Celtic’s team in 1939 and is remembered as a clever centre forward. “
How horrific for Edward to have survived a terrible sinking of his ship, only to be picked up and put in a Japanese Camp. HMS Exeter is pictured in this illustration under attack.
