Simon Glancey has submitted the following:LAC Alderson was killed when the Japanese ship, the S.S. Suez Maru, was torpedoed and sunk by the American submarine U.S.S. Blowfish. The ship was carrying 548 British and Dutch P.o.W.s from Japanese work camps, as well as several hundred sick and wounded Japanese troops, when it was torpedoed near Kangean Island. The American submarine was unaware of the presence on board of the Allied men. Around 200 of the prisoners managed to escape, but the Japanese minesweeper, W.12, which came to the rescue, only picked up Japanese and Korean survivors. The minesweeper's captain ordered that any Allied prisoners in the water should be machine gunned - all those who survived the sinking were killed.
Joseph Batty Alderson is remembered in Darlington on D40.035
Suez-Maru Roll of Honour
The CWGC entry for Leading Aircraftsman Alderson