When the Empress of Asia was abandoned on February 5th 1942, off Sultan Shoal, many of the crew, for a variety of reasons, were to become Prisoners of War.
Some were injured and found themselves in hospital when Singapore surrendered. Likewise the members of the Catering Crew and Medical Department that were assigned to serve at the General and Miyako Hospitals in Singapore were also to find themselves as captives with the surrender. Others were captured while attempting to flee Singapore for areas still under Allied control. Those crewmembers captured at Singapore were held at Changi and Sime Road camps. Those captured outside Singapore were held at various locations, including Sumatra, Java, Thailand, and Malaya. Several of those held outside Singapore were to lose their lives during captivity.
For a more information on crewmembers of the Empress of Asia who became interned as Prisoners of War, use the two links below: