He was 31. RAF Kallang was the only operational airstrip left; the surviving squadrons and aircraft had withdrawn by January to reinforce the Dutch East Indies. As it starts, it's not really obvious whether it's a novel or narrative, since it's all told third person. Geoffrey Alexander Rowley-Conwy Langford Baron (1912-). The "1942" appears to have been added to the title to avoid confusion with a book by the same name written by S.C. George in 1946. Churchill called it the worst disaster in British military history. At this time, the Japanese began bombing Singapore. Kathleens brother, Jack Clark, a member of the Malay State Volunteer Forces was killed in action. After landing a tortuous trek began across mountainous terrain making for the west coast port of Padang. No more is known of the fate of Kembong but with a new lease of life the venerable Perak sailed for the Mediterranean. They were whimsically known as the Plymouth Argylls (Plymouth Argyle is a football club). The Japanese held Singapore until the end of the war. Major Geoffrey Rowly-Conwy of the Royal Artillery refuses to obey an order to surrender to the Japanese as they close in on Singapore. Japanese fighters were superior to the Commonwealth fighters, which helped the Japanese to gain air supremacy. During the first night 13,000 Japanese troops landed and were followed by another 10,000 after first light. HMAS Sydney II and the HSK Kormoran Shipwreck Sites, Admiralty House, Garden and Fortifications, Royal Australian Naval Transmitting Station ACT, 81st. With only a few Navy men and a Merchant Marine among them, and no navigation gear, they make their way to what they hope is safety, where they are reabsorbed into the military machine. [6][7] During 1940 and 1941, the Allies imposed a trade embargo on Japan in response to its campaigns in China and its occupation of French Indochina. Three days after the British surrender, the Japanese began the Sook Ching purge, killing thousands of civilians. Robinson, Stephen, False Flags Disguised German Raiders of World War II, Exisle Publishing, Wollombi, NSW, 2016. With the decision taken to relocate major royal naval assets to Java, most naval personnel were evacuated in MV Empire Staron 12 February. These recordings can be accessed through Apple iTunes or for Android users, Stitcher. They had a crew of 15 and up to 60 passengers could be crammed onboard. The Japanese attacked the weakest part of the island defences and established a beachhead on 8 February. [170][171], An Indian revolutionary, Rash Behari Bose, formed the pro-independence Indian National Army (INA) with the help of the Japanese, who were highly successful in recruiting Indian prisoners of war. During the 70-day campaign in Malaya and Singapore, total Commonwealth casualties amounted to 8,708 killed or wounded and 130,000 captured (38,496 United Kingdom, 18,490 Australian of whom 1,789 were killed and 1,306 wounded, 67,340 Indian and 14,382 local volunteer troops), against 9,824 Japanese casualties. MV Kembong1 was a 1936 vintage Straits Settlements Government Fisheries Research vessel anchored off Singapore in February 1942, out of commission, with her crew dispersed. [141] They returned with orders that Percival himself proceed with staff officers to the Ford Motor Factory, where Yamashita would lay down the terms of surrender. Every conceivable kind of boat, including yachts, was being pressed into service and my thoughts returned to those days of Dunkirk almost two years before. Captain K. R. King and Sergeant J. E. Iliffe, who were with an Ordnance auit in Malaya, met the other day for the first time since the fall of Singapore. [111] The counter-attack was repulsed by the Imperial Guards and the 27th Australian Brigade was split in half on either side of the Bukit Timah Road with elements spread as far as the Pierce Reservoir.[112]. The Ban Ho Guanalso made Padang and was later bound for Fremantle. An apt description of the commander, Major General Henry (Gordon) Bennett, found in a Veterans Affairs publication, (Moremon & Reid 2002) reads: A prominent citizen soldier, he had proven himself in World War I to be a fierce fighter and leader, but he was well known for his prickly temperament, argumentative nature and proneness to quarrel. [8][9] The basic plan for taking Singapore was worked out in July 1940. Learn more. She sustained casualties, was soon on fire and had to be abandoned before she sank. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Escape from Singapore, 1942;: The story of an incredible voyage through enemy waters at Amazon.com. In the early hours of 1 March, while crossing the Indian Ocean, she was torpedoed by the Japanese submarine I-159. [157] About 5,000 men were killed or wounded, a majority of whom were Australian. Lynette Silver (Silver 1990) is more precise: Rather than face the prospect of spending the rest of the war in prison, many chose to take the perilous journey across the sea to Sumatra, the only escape route now open. While we do not have a crew and passenger list, LTCOL McKerron and LCDR Whitaker were both serving in Colombo in 1942 and it is assumed they arrived in Perak. The Japanese were also almost at the end of their supplies and Yamashita wanted to avoid costly house-to-house fighting. The resistance put up by the company from the 2/19th pushed the follow-on waves of Japanese craft to land around the mouth of Murai River, which resulted in them creating a gap between the 2/19th and 2/18th battalions. There was considerable loss of life and casualties from both vessels, and most survivors were captured. A company from Dalforce fought alongside the 22nd Australian Brigade. The war establishment, the paper strength, of an infantry division from 1941 to 1944, was 17,298 men. Please try again. [120] Earlier that day, Percival had issued orders to destroy all secret and technical equipment, ciphers, codes, secret documents and heavy guns. No hero's welcome greets them in Ceylon -- just some red tape. After ML310was attacked by enemy ships she grounded on Tjebia Island about 30 miles north of Banka Strait. This brave man had refused to kneel in order to be beheaded. Colonels and brigadiers, civilians and civilservants,battle-hardenedwarriorsandarmy deserters intent on escape at any price, left in launches, junks, rowing boats, naval craft, in fact anything that floated. Straits Times: Malayas Fishery Ice-Box, 28 July 1937. There were 49 infantry battalions21 Indian, 13 British, six Australian, four Indian States Forces assigned to airfield defence, three Straits Settlements Volunteer Force, and two Malayan. The June 2019 edition of this magazine contained an article The Naval Evacuation of Singapore - February 1942which lists MV Kembongamongst forty-five vessels that escaped. As Kedahs engines could not be repaired she was towed by Dragonand both safely reached Colombo. This reduced the number she could carry to about 25 plus five crew. station45.cebu NONFICTION. Japanese land-based aircraft found and sank the two capital ships on 10 December,[24] leaving the east coast of the Malayan Peninsula exposed and allowing the Japanese to continue their amphibious landings. The escape was not well thought of by other senior Army officers, and in parliamentary circles it was politely termed unwise. Loading interface. The papers included information about the weakness of the Singapore base. Categories: Conventional British military thinking was that the Japanese forces were inferior and characterised that the Malayan jungles as "impassable"; the Japanese were repeatedly able to use it to their advantage to outflank hastily established defensive lines. Alices nephew is CMDR Mike Storrs RAN Rtd. Later they were flown to Batavia and from there to Australia. Try again. [49] From aerial reconnaissance, scouts, infiltrators and observation from high ground across the straits (such as at Istana Bukit Serene and the Sultan of Johor's palace), Japanese commander General Tomoyuki Yamashita and his staff gained excellent knowledge of the Commonwealth positions. It is believed 32 survivors, some wounded, came ashore which included the captain; his wife Alice had been killed during the attacks. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. Now with a critical shortage of vessels volunteers were called for to see if Perak could be readied to make another voyage. For the second time since the battle began, Yamashita demanded unconditional surrender and that afternoon, Percival capitulated. [164] The city was renamed Syonan-to ( Shnan-t; literally: 'Southern Island gained in the age of Shwa', or 'Light of the South'). (Private Dudley Athelstan Annear, WX13457 of 2/4 MGB was killed in action at Singapore on 14 February 1942. By 15 February, about a million civilians in the city were crammed into the remaining area held by Allied forces, 1 per cent of the island. on January 13, 2021, There are no reviews yet. Of the defensive forces only one British regiment and the Indians were prepared for operational service against a superior battle hardened force. . About the author Ian Skidmore 24 books Ratings &Reviews Pool, Richard, Course for Disaster From Scapa Flow to the River Kwai, Leo Cooper, London, 1987. [144] Following the surrender, Bennett caused controversy when he decided to escape. Later that day as they were passing close to and masked by the Karim Islands a Japanese destroyer was sighted. Preview Book 198 p. 23 cm. A least one ship put up a gallant fight against overwhelming odds, she was the converted ferry cum armed patrol boat, HMS Li Wo, under command of Temporary Lieutenant Thomas Wilkinson RNR. : It is also the site of the infamous Selarang Barracks Square Incident during the war, in which some 15,000 Allied soldiers were interned at Selarang Barracks under very . Japanese troops were closing in on the British island of Singapore and it was only a matter of hours, if not days, before the embattled island would be forced to surrender. Stalag Luft I was a German World War II prisoner-of-war (POW) camp near Barth, Western Pomerania, Germany, for captured Allied airmen. When the first bombs fell on Singapore the evacuation began in earnest with torrents of people desperately seeking passage in the next available ship. A latter British War Ministry report described the behavior of troops as deplorable, having particular harsh words for a group of Australians, many of whom were deserters from Singapore (Weintraub 2016). Many of those aboard the ships perished. [73] The next recorded raid on the city occurred on the night of 29/30 December, and nightly raids ensued for over a week, accompanied by daylight raids from 12 January 1942. The 1942 battle ended with 140,000 troops and citizens in Singapore captured, wounded or killed Around 80,000 British, Indian and Australian troops based in Singapore became Prisoners of War. It was attacked by light naval craft and by aircraft. Three small patrols were sent on the evening of 6 February, one was spotted and withdrew after its leader was killed and their boat sunk and the other two managed to get ashore. In seeking help LEUT Bull and two others eventually made Java where they became POWs. [83], Air battles went on for the rest of the day and by nightfall it was clear that with the few aircraft Percival had left, Kallang could no longer be used as a base. [10] On 11 November 1940, the German raider Atlantis captured the British steamer Automedon in the Indian Ocean, carrying papers meant for Air Marshal Sir Robert Brooke-Popham, the British commander in the Far East. [154], A classified wartime report by Wavell released in 1992 blamed the Australians for the loss of Singapore. [58][4][65] The British had the means to conduct counter-battery fire opposite the Australians that would have caused casualties and disruption among the Japanese assault troops. One young Indian prisoner with a Bengaluru connection was. Over the course of a day, they found large concentrations of troops, although they were unable to locate any landing craft. It consisted of a senior staff officer, the colonial secretary and an interpreter. Locals revealed his presence and he was captured by the Japanese and subsequently shot by firing squad. Further fighting followed in the early morning of 9 February and the Australians were pushed back further, with the 2/18th being pushed out of Ama Keng and the 2/20th being forced to pull back to Bulim, west of Bukit Panjong. Lieutenant Geoffrey Brooke served in the battleship Prince of Waleswhich sank on 10 December 1941. Japanese forces quickly isolated, surrounded and forced the surrender of Indian units defending the coast. A number of MLs and HDMLs had completed building at Singapore within weeks of the evacuation. The honour of the British Empire and of the British Army is at stake. A Royal Navy assessment of these vessels was scathing, finding them in poor repair and mostly unseaworthy, and many were later burned. The Armys strength was further limited by a lack of tanks, armoured cars and a shortage of anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns. By 5 pm a scratch crew and passengers, which now included LTCOL McKerron, had been assembled, totaling about 30 men. Dragonflyand Grasshoppersailed in company on 13 February with about 325 troops, bound for Sumatra. Padang was an important town serving the southwest coast of Sumatra, and the adjacent port was known as Emmahaven. From The Daily Telegraph 14 November. The Buffaloes were operated by one Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF), two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), and two Royal Air Force (RAF) squadrons. This would see landings in Malaya and Hong Kong as part of a general move south to secure Singapore, connected to Malaya by the JohorSingapore Causeway and then an invasion of the oil-rich area of Borneo and Java in the Dutch East Indies. The Fall of Singapore, also known as the Battle of Singapore,[c] took place in the SouthEast Asian theatre of the Pacific War. REEL 1 Account of Japanese invasion of Singapore and her escape from Malaya, 2/1942: blackout; procession of Chinese and Malays taking to woods; work of civil defence; arrival of evacuees from Malayan Peninsula; daily Japanese air raids; behaviour of civilians under air raids; ordered to leave Singapore; problems getting to ship; having to leave ship during air raid prior to departure. 488 Squadron RNZAF, a Buffalo squadron, had converted to Hurricanes; 232 Squadron became operational on 20 January and destroyed three Nakajima Ki-43 "Oscars" that day, for the loss of three Hurricanes. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. The most positive escape concerns the ex-Japanese fishing vessel Kofoku Maruskippered by Australian master mariner turned mining engineer, William (Bill) Reynolds. On the morning of 12 February naval personnel were told they would be embarking in half-a-dozen small ships later that evening. [128][i], On 14 February 1942, the Japanese renewed their assault on the western part of the Southern Area's defences near the area that the 1st Malayan Brigade had fought desperately to hold the previous day. It was reported to Cabinet by the CIGS [Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Alan Brooke] that Percival has over 100,000 [sic] men, of whom 33,000 are British and 17,000 Australian. Reynolds had other ideas and as a skilled sailor and engineer he borrowed a vessel. The Japanese, however, were well aware of this deadly game of cat and mouse and had set a trap with aircraft overhead and ships guarding the Straits which caused havoc. [39][f] Of this figure, 15,000 men were employed in supply, administrative, or other non-combatant roles. From Michael Pether (Pether 2018) we also know the auxiliary HMS Scott Harleysafely made its destination of Tanjung Priok. [63][64], Blowing up the causeway had delayed the Japanese attack for over a week. [53][54][g] Percival incorrectly guessed that the Japanese would land forces on the north-east side of Singapore, ignoring advice that the north-west was a more likely direction of attack (where the Straits of Johor were the narrowest and a series of river mouths provided cover for the launching of water craft). Major Geoffrey Rowly-Conwy of the Royal Artillery refuses to obey an order to surrender to the Japanese as they close in on Singapore. Gibson, Walter, The Boat Singapore Escape, Monsoon, Singapore, 2007. [29] Of over 3,000 men from these units only around 500 men escaped. To their right, the 18th Division, the 11th Indian Division and the 2nd Malaya Brigade held the perimeter from the edge of the Farrar Road east to Kallang, while to their left, the 44th Indian Brigade and the 1st Malaya Brigade held the perimeter from Buona Vista to Pasir Panjang. Most women and children who wanted to escape by ship had already gone albeit that most of the ships which had left in the previous couple of days were doomed to be sunk. The Indians reached Bennett around noon. Finally, on sighting a friendly vessel, they hoist an improvised distress signal, not realizing that the one they select is a warning of their intention to attack. Arrival at the RAF Base was timely as with enemy advances it was due to be evacuated with personnel and aircraft transferred to Java. They were witnessing the beginning of the end of the British Empire with the whole city lying under a pall of smoke, lit up by the glow of fires, as the once rich and powerful garrison surrendered to the Japanese. Only after cross-checking the message with the Automedon papers did the Japanese accept it to be genuine. In recognition of their importance these documents were entrusted to the prize crew of a recently captured Norwegian tanker, Ole Jacob, and immediately sent to Japan. Life on the Line Podcasts Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. [43], Percival gave Major-General Gordon Bennett's two brigades from the 8th Australian Division responsibility for the western side of Singapore, including the prime invasion points in the northwest of the island. published under title: Escape from the rising sun. No amount of toing and froing with the engines would shake her free and with a falling tide they were stuck fast. . [136][j] At 09:30, Percival held a conference at Fort Canning with his senior commanders. It is a familiar war story: jungle, disease, thirst. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Another unfortunate consequence leading to confusion was that naval personnel responsible for coding and decoding signals were approved to leave the island aboard HMS Jupiterin the early hours of 12 February. After receiving news of the surrender, Bennett handed command of the 8th Australian Division to the divisional artillery commander, Brigadier Cecil Callaghan andalong with some of his staff officerscommandeered a small boat. ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE - 1942 At noon on Sunday 15 February 1942 Lieutenant Colonel Patrick McKerron met with his sister and brother-in-law, Charles Vlieland, who was Secretary for Defence, Malaya, regarding the imminent surrender of the garrison. [44] The rest of the force was of mixed quality, condition, training, equipment and morale. Print This Page. With the prevailing primitive instincts of escape and survival there were few heroes, with the exceptions of LEUT Thomas Wilkinson VC of HMS Li Wofor fearlessly engaging the enemy, and the courageous Captain Bill Reynolds4with his ironically named Kofoku Maru. It looks like WhatsApp is not installed on your phone. The men were forced into a series of small, badly ventilated rooms where they were held overnight without water. [56] This was encouraged by the deliberate movement of Japanese troops in this sector to deceive the British. The situation had become so desperate that one British soldier took to the middle of a road to fire his Vickers machine gun at any aircraft that passed. With the Russians fighting as they are and the Americans so stubborn at Luzon, the whole reputation of our country and our race is involved. [93] Some of the Guards reached the shore and maintained a tenuous beachhead; at the height of the assault, it is reported that the Guards commander, Nishimura, requested permission to cancel the attack due to the many casualties his troops had suffered from the fire but Yamashita ordered them to press on. [76][h] From 27 to 30 January, another 48 Hurricanes arrived on the aircraft carrier HMSIndomitable. She suffered air attacks with some damage but then sailed directly into a convoy of enemy transports escorted by warships. Just short of Sumatra she was bombed and sunk when about 150 survivors made Banka Island. : Can you add one? The rest of the crew, with little seafaring experience, were from Dalforce. In December 1940, the Germans handed over copies of the papers to the Japanese. The faithful old Kembong and her attendant naval launches were left to the Dutch authorities. [95] As parties of Japanese troops began to infiltrate the brigade's positions from the west, exploiting the gap formed by the Kranji River, the 2/26th Battalion was forced to withdraw to a position east of the Bukit Timah Road; this move precipitated a sympathetic move by the 2/30th away from the causeway. Brooke writes of his experiences in Singapores Dunkirk(Brooke 1989), but tragically this episode did not emulate the success of the English Channel crossing. Copy and paste this code into your Wikipedia page. Naval Historical Society of Australia Inc. 2 Michael Pethers mother (Kathleen) and her baby daughter were evacuated from Singapore on Christmas Eve 1941 and his grandmother escaped on 12 February 1942, all reaching the safety of home in New Zealand. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Twenty-two others escaped the island after rebuilding a native vessel but were captured and returned to Singapore as POWs. 14 day loan required to access PDF files. After sailing for one day she was torpedoed by Japanese submarine I-4with no known survivors. [80], By the time of the invasion, only ten Hurricanes of 232 Squadron, based at RAF Kallang, remained to provide air cover for the Commonwealth forces on Singapore. The escape from Singapore Creator Gough, Richard, 1956-Subject Great Britain. The Highlanders, who had trained in jungle warfare, fought well against the Japanese, until they too were overwhelmed. Wah Suiembarked a further 300 wounded, plus nurses, and sailed on 10 February. Please try your request again later. Others were wounded or were forced ashore and were subsequently captured. [52], Most of Singapore's BL 15-inch Mk I naval guns could be traversed north and were used to engage the Japanese. [131] The next day, about 200 male staff members and patients who had been assembled and bound the previous day,[131] many of them walking wounded, were ordered to walk about 400m (440yd) to an industrial area. (31st January 1942 British and Commonwealth forces withdrew from the mainland to Singapore) My mother and two younger sisters (Audrey and Ann) left Singapore on December 22nd (the same day as. [160], The loss of Singapore, along with other defeats in Southeast Asia in 1942, reduced British prestige in the region. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! About 6,000 survived until they could be liberated by Australian and US forces in 19431945, as the war in the Pacific turned in favour of the Allies. The growth of this list from small beginnings is the result of people contacting me via the Cofepow website and contributing further information. [108][109][110] With the vital water supply of the reservoirs in the centre of the island threatened, the 27th Australian Brigade was later ordered to recapture Bukit Panjang as a preliminary move in retaking Bukit Timah. Under the command of Major General Gordon Bennett, the force initially established its headquarters at Kuala Lumpur. A yarn of adventure in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. [124][125] The Japanese largely avoided attacking the Australian perimeter but in the northern area, the British 53rd Infantry Brigade was pushed back by a Japanese assault up the Thompson Road and had to fall back north of Braddell Road in the evening, joining the rest of the 18th Infantry Division in the line. By this time, Kallang Airfield was, according to author Frank Owen, "so pitted with bomb craters that it was no longer usable". on Amazon.com. When ordered to leave Singapore she was heavily laden with 14 crew and 62 passengers. Despite their numerical inferiority, they advanced down the Malayan Peninsula, overwhelming the defences. , Unknown Binding [32][33][34] On 31 January, the last Commonwealth forces crossed the causeway linking Johor and Singapore and engineers blew it up. The AIF was given a disproportionately small allocation of 100 places to all ranks. To prevent the remaining ships falling into enemy hands the senior naval officer, Rear Admiral Ernest Spooner, decreed that these must sail by 13 February. Unable to add item to List. [22] The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force was more numerous and better trained than the second-hand assortment of untrained pilots and inferior Commonwealth equipment remaining in Malaya, Borneo and Singapore. Many European and Eurasian women and children were evacuated before the end of December. A US submarine S-39was sent to look for the survivors but they could not be found. [67], Shortly before 20:30 on 8 February, the first wave of Japanese troops from the 5th Division and 18th Division began crossing the Johor Strait. [173], Commando raids were carried out against Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour in Operation Jaywick (1943) and Operation Rimau (1944) to varying success. Of these, more than 7000 would die as prisoners of war. Please try again. 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