Naval officer. William Jackson Galbraith was born on 15 September 1906 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Galbraith graduated from the Naval Academy and was commissioned an ensign on 8 June 1929. Galbraith, who had risen to the rank of lieutenant commander, was on board USS Houston when the ship went down during the Battle of the Java Sea on 28 February 1942. Galbraith endured eight hours in heavy seas until he managed to reach the beach at Java. There he was taken prisoner by the Japanese. His capture was made worse by the brutality which he received at the hands of the Japanese. Glabraith's treatment was much more merciless as a result of his attempts to have his crew treated less severely. He was imprisoned on the island of Java for five weeks under conditions that caused most of the men confined with him to become seriously ill. Galbraith remained a prisoner of war (POW) for the remainder of the war, facing uncertainty, a lengthy bout with pneumonia, and eventual transfer to other POW camps in Japan. On 2 August 1942, Lieutenant Commander Galbraith was transferred to Zentsuji War Prison on the island of Shikoku, Japan. After being liberated in September 1945, Lieutenant Commander Galbraith had a period of sick leave and attended various prospective commanding officer schools. He attended the Naval War College, served as head of the War College Intelligence Department. After retiring from the Navy, he entered the teaching profession as associate professor of mathematics at Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Va.
From the description of William J. Galbraith papers, 1906-1994 (bulk 1940-1945). (Colgate University). WorldCat record id: 60491497
