In memory of Thomas Pritchard
Lieutenant Commander Thomas Pritchard (1877-1944) of Abererch and Pwllheli was a farmer’s son. He first went to sea in 1893, aged 15, against the wishes of his parents, writes grandson Huw Pritchard.
Within a short time Thomas had sailed on trading vessels to Germany, Australia and the Dutch East Indies. In 1902 he obtained his Master’s certificate. Keen to progress from sail to steamships, he remarked that, compared to sail, there seemed to be little to do to run a steamship! He sailed to Africa and India, and served on the White Star Line’s RMS Oceanic.
He joined the Royal Naval Reserve in 1907, training on HMS Illustrious. He achieved certificates in gunnery and torpedoes and promotion to Lieutenant.
During the First World War he served in the North Sea and in convoys to Russia on HMS Hannibal, HMS Iphigenia and HMS Armadale Castle. After the war he took positions in the Far East, eventually settling in Hong Kong in 1924, working for the Hong Kong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company.
Through all this time, he had a family in North Wales: wife Margaret, daughter Ellen (who died aged just 10), and two boys, Emlyn and Richard. He only saw them during home leave from Hong Kong, which happened twice, in 1929 and 1935. The photo shows him, in uniform, on his wedding day.
In winter 1938 Thomas was held for six weeks in Canton, when it was attacked by the Japanese.
On 8 December 1941, war broke out in Hong Kong and Lieutenant Commander Pritchard’s ship SS Taishan was sunk in the harbour. He lost all his possessions as the ship went down. Hong Kong was captured on Christmas Day.
Thomas was interned by the Japanese at Stanley Prisoner of War Camp, Hong Kong, where he died on 10 August 1944. While a prisoner he wrote his memoirs, from which these notes are compiled. The memoirs were saved and hidden by a friend, Captain Albert Jones of Mathan, Pwllheli, who took them to the Pritchard family in Wales after the war.
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