PRISONER OF JAPANESE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25427, 7 January 1944, Page 2

PRISONER OF JAPANESE

DESTROYER COMMANDER (Special) AUCKLAND, Jan. 6. For the first time since his ship was, > lost in March, 1942, advice has been received of the safety of CommanderNorman.V. Thew, D. 5.0., R.N., who is - now known to be a prisoner in Japanese hands. Advice has been received by Mrs C. E. Lawford, of 467 Remuera ' road, from her daughter, Mrs Thew, saying that in a letter Commander Thew had said he was in excellent health and under good treatment. Commander Thew, who is well known in Auckland, was in command of the British destroyer Jupiter when it was sunk in the Java Sea battle. With five members of his crew, he was adrift in a small lifeboat for al* most 40 hours without food or water before being picked up by a Japanese ship; , _ ' Commander Thew has served twice on the New Zealand station. He-came out first with the special squadron in 1924 and was later in H.M.S. Laburnum for three years. After subsequent service with the Mediterranean Fleet he returned to H.M.S. Philomel. He , spent three days at the evacuation of Dunkirk, and commanded the destroyer Anthony in an action off the Hook of Holland in January. 1941. He was awarded the Distinguished Ser-.,. vice Order for enterprise in action against enemy submarines.