Fowler, William Simon Stewart (Master, b.1902 - d.1940)

Description

Collection relating to the Second World War service of Master William Simon Stewart Fowler, Merchant Navy, at sea, Europe and the Pacific, 1936-1941.

Wallet 1 of 3 – Consists of 31 letters [including associated envelopes] and three postcards from Master William Simon Stewart Fowler to his father, Mr John Alexander Fowler. These items of correspondence are dated between June 1936 and December 1938, and cover Master Fowler’s experience of captaining merchant ships in Europe and the Pacific. In his correspondence, Master Fowler includes descriptions of the places around the world that he visits. He also writes about loading cargo while at port, ship maintenance, buying a radio, landing in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, transporting cargo and passengers between different European cities, transporting Spanish refugees, being stopped at a blockade off the coast of Spain, a dangerous journey around the Cape of Good Hope, travelling to Hong Kong, business matters, shipping cargo between China and Japan, being detained and interrogated by the Japanese Military Police, having crewmembers of different nationalities, working in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, hearing news of the political situation in Europe, transferring to a new ship, and seeing large numbers of Japanese ships in the Pacific.

Wallet 2 of 3 – Contains two folders of material relating to Master William Simon Stewart Fowler.

Wallet 2 of 3, Folder 1 of 2 consists of 28 letters [including associated envelopes] and five postcards from Master Fowler to his father, Mr John Alexander Fowler, and his sister, Miss Betty Fowler. These items of correspondence are dated between February 1939 and October 1940, and cover Master Fowler’s experience of captaining merchant ships and a Merchant Navy ship in the Pacific. In his correspondence, Master Fowler includes descriptions of the places he visits. He also writes about receiving orders for his next voyage, transporting cargo in the Pacific, sightseeing while on shore, hearing world news, being based in Shanghai during Japanese occupation, hearing of the beginning of the war, his hopes that the British government would requisition his ship, the difficulty of trading during a war, sightseeing while at port, running a Japanese blockade to a Chinese port, being boarded by Chinese military officers and customs officers, hearing news regarding the war, transporting refugees from China, Japanese violence in Shanghai, becoming part of the Merchant Navy, training with a naval gunner, and travelling to Europe. Master Fowler also responds to news from his family.

Wallet 2 of 3, Folder 2 of 2 consists of letters and documents relating to the work of Master Fowler for merchant steamer lines, his service in the Merchant Navy, and his death. This folder contains:
1x financial settlement document [in Danish language], Denmark, c 1920.
2x Letters of employment and recommendation written by steam ship company operators relating to Master Fowler, dated 20 October 1920 and 23 May 1922.
1x Letter from the Merchant Service Guild of Australasia to Master Fowler confirming membership registration [including associated document], Sydney, New South Wales, 6 June 1924.
2x Merchant Service Guild of Australasia member’s deposit slips, Sydney, New South Wales, 17 June 1924 and 12 March 1925.
1x Letter from Mr Eric Moller, manager of Moller Line Limited, to Master Fowler, 20 October 1937. This letter relates to the purchase of a tug boat in South Africa.
1x Letter of condolence from Mr John Shedden Adam to Mr John Alexander Fowler, Turramurra, New South Wales, 8 December 1940.
1x Letter of condolence from Mr J A Morrison to Mr John Alexander Fowler, Gordon, New South Wales, 2 June 1941.
2x Notes originally accompanying the letters of Master Fowler, [dates unknown].

Wallet 3 of 3 consists of one copy of letters and postcards of Master Fowler.