escape from singapore 1942

This helps enormously in piecing together the still very unclear picture of what happened to women and children of all ethnicities, who tried to get away when Singapore fell on Sunday 15th February 1942. After landing a tortuous trek began across mountainous terrain making for the west coast port of Padang. Many of them suffered severe hardships and brutality similar to that experienced by other prisoners held by Japan during the war. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. [14][15] This was virtually simultaneous with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which precipitated the United States' entry into the war. Arrival was on Sunday 22 February; while this was only a week after leaving Singapore, it felt like a lifetime. With the decision taken to relocate major royal naval assets to Java, most naval personnel were evacuated in MV Empire Staron 12 February. Weintraub, Robert, No Better Friend: One Man, One Dog & Their Extraordinary Story of Courage & Survival in WWII, Little Brown & Company, Boston, 2016. This podcast series examines Australias Naval history, featuring a variety of naval history experts from the Naval Studies Group and elsewhere. [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. 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. I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten. There were only seven survivors and Lieutenant Wilkinson was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. [58], As the landing craft closed on the Australian positions, machine gunners from the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion, interspersed amongst the rifle companies, opened fire. A number of MLs and HDMLs had completed building at Singapore within weeks of the evacuation. In the first few minutes of 13 February the headquarters ship Laburnum, signaling by Morse light,gave orders to sail. Something went wrong. She sustained casualties, was soon on fire and had to be abandoned before she sank. Locals revealed his presence and he was captured by the Japanese and subsequently shot by firing squad. 0 Ratings 1 Want to read; 0 Currently reading; 0 Have read; Borrow Listen. The papers included information about the weakness of the Singapore base. Unfortunately, despite all efforts, some military at the point of a gun, forced their way on board. During the first night 13,000 Japanese troops landed and were followed by another 10,000 after first light. After four days at sea they were sighted by the Singapore Harbour Services Launch Tern which took the General and his two aides inshore. 1942 World War II battle; Japanese victory Fall of Singapore Part of the Pacific Warof the Second World War Lieutenant-GeneralArthur Percival(right), led by Ichiji Sugita, walks under a flag of truceto negotiate the capitulation of Commonwealth forces in Singapore, 15 February 1942. A yarn of adventure in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Singapore 1942: End of Empire: With Lisa Huynh, Andrew McFarlane, Shuang Hu, Tony Nixon. [30][31] A determined counter-attack by the 5/11th Sikh Regiment (Lieutenant-Colonel John Parkin) in the area of Niyor, near Kluang, on 25 January and an ambush around the Nithsdale Estate by the 2/18th Australian Battalion on 26/27 January bought valuable time and permitted East Force, based on the 22nd Australian Brigade (Brigadier Harold Taylor), to withdraw from eastern Johor (formerly Johore). Dalforce, formally the Singapore Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, was formed in Singapore in early 1942 by Colonel John Dalley. The British erroneously considered the jungle terrain impassable, leading to a swift Japanese advance as Allied defences were quickly outflanked. My attack on Singapore was a bluffa bluff that worked. Gibson, Walter, The Boat Singapore Escape, Monsoon, Singapore, 2007. From here they were taken to Padang on the west coast of Sumatra. 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. The remaining nineteen men including the Executive Officer of ML 310, SBLT Malcolm Henderson RANVR, the Admiral and the Air Marshal died of disease when on the island. After some boring to-ing and fro-ing, a small band of some twenty or so British officers are selected to escape to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) on a dubious native craft. Taking effect from 8.30 pm, control of this mighty fortress and its garrison was handed over to the Imperial Japanese Army. The documents were delivered to the German Embassy which provided copies to Japanese authorities. 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. During the Japanese Occupation (1942-45), it was used by the Japanese Imperial Army to hold Australian and British prisoners-of-war (POWs). Singapore, 1942, is an exotic tropical city and the home of six-year-old Rosie Sharbanee. [70], Fierce fighting raged throughout the evening but due to the terrain and the darkness, the Japanese were able to disperse into the undergrowth, surround and overwhelm pockets of Australian resistance or bypass them exploiting gaps in the thinly spread Commonwealth lines due to the many rivers and creeks in the area. [79] The lack of an effective air early warning system throughout the campaign meant that many Commonwealth aircraft were lost in this manner during Japanese attacks against airfields. ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE - 1942 [Skidmore, I.] Some did make landfall on a number of islands including Pompong Island (about 80 miles south of Singapore) where they escaped the wrath of their attackers. 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. She was known locally as The Ice-Box, therefore in taking passengers she was of limited value, only able to use the upper deck. Singapore controlled the main shipping channel between the Indian and the Pacific Oceans. Much is known of this and the vain attempt by the Prince of Walesand Repulse to halt the Malayan invasion and, the subsequent incarceration of troops and civilians at Selarang and Changi. 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. Naval Historical Review, Ship histories and stories, WWII operations, History - WW2 Singapore, Ship losses, Australian Naval History Podcasts About 9,000 airmen - 7,588 American and 1,351 British and Canadian - were imprisoned there when it was liberated on the night of 30 April 1945 by Soviet troops. What the British refer to as the Far East and Australians South East Asia was mostly dominated by the colonial powers of Britain, France and the Netherlands, with the ex-Spanish Philippines controlled by the United States. He could only say "The bloody bastards will never think of looking for me in the open, and I want to see a bloody plane brought down". For Australia too, the fall of Singapore was a disaster. 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. When the first bombs fell on Singapore the evacuation began in earnest with torrents of people desperately seeking passage in the next available ship. Pool, Richard, Course for Disaster From Scapa Flow to the River Kwai, Leo Cooper, London, 1987. For his leadership in the fighting withdrawal, Anderson was awarded the Victoria Cross. [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. Search the history of over 778 billion On Monday 8 December the Japanese crossed the border and carried out bombing attacks which completely destroyed the defending aircraft. [52], Most of Singapore's BL 15-inch Mk I naval guns could be traversed north and were used to engage the Japanese. On sailing there were about300 passengers and crew. The surviving garrison was marched into Japanese prison camps, some never to return. Lieutenant Richard Pool RN, a survivor from Repulse,had been allocated to ML 310 and writes of his experiences (Pool 1987): All day long columns of evacuees filed patiently along the approach road and on the wharf and gradually found spaces in the miscellany of craft which now thronged the dockside. [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. He felt it was a disgrace. [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. They were whimsically known as the Plymouth Argylls (Plymouth Argyle is a football club). [81] On the morning of 9 February, dogfights took place over Sarimbun Beach and other western areas. A Royal Navy assessment of these vessels was scathing, finding them in poor repair and mostly unseaworthy, and many were later burned. [77] Operated by the four squadrons of No. The war establishment, the paper strength, of an infantry division from 1941 to 1944, was 17,298 men. [138], In analysing the campaign, Clifford Kinvig, a senior lecturer at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, blamed the commander of the 27th Infantry Brigade, Brigadier Duncan Maxwell, for his defeatist attitude and not properly defending the sector between the Causeway and the Kranji River. An early relief ship was the small Dutch steamer SS Rooseboomwhich loaded about 500 refugees, mainly British troops but some civilians. 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. It left a scar on his mind. [63][64], Blowing up the causeway had delayed the Japanese attack for over a week. 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. Robinson, Stephen, False Flags Disguised German Raiders of World War II, Exisle Publishing, Wollombi, NSW, 2016. Bennetts independent spirit did not fit into the Allied command structure, however his Division generally acquitted themselves well against a seasoned enemy. The Japanese were also almost at the end of their supplies and Yamashita wanted to avoid costly house-to-house fighting. - News Of The World - February 10, 1942 - Gordon Skene Sound Collection - Ominous day, this February 10th in 1942. Six of the United Kingdom battalions (in the 54th and 55th Brigades of the British 18th Infantry Division) had only just landed in Malaya, and the other seven battalions were under-manned. Little is known about their escape but it appears unauthorised. While the presence of a Japanese Fleet, bound for Sumatra, was known to the Dutch it was nolongerpossibletopassthisinformationto Admiral Spooner. The battalion, consisting of poorly trained and equipped replacements, advanced to an assembly area near Bukit Timah. [118][119] The Japanese captured the water reservoirs that supplied the town but did not cut off the supply. ML 433and HDMLs1062 and1063and Panglima were sunk by enemy gunfire off Banka Strait. Singapore was the foremost British military base and economic port in SouthEast Asia and had been of great importance to British interwar defence strategy. [172] An unknown number were taken to Japanese-occupied areas in the South Pacific as forced labour. Because of the dangers no women were to be taken onboard. This is without a doubt the most boring WWII book I've come across. I could not help wondering why such an outflow of civilians, Europeans as well as Asians, should have been allowed at this late hour. Only one lifeboat with a capacity for 28 persons was launched, into which 135 survivors crammed, including Brigadier Paris. His forces consisted of elements of the 1st Malaya Infantry Brigade and the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force Brigade with the Indian 12th Infantry Brigade in reserve. Having demonstrated their abilities as matelots many of the ex-Kembong crew were offered berths and were part of about 50 men and a dozen women and children taken aboard. The Highlanders, who had trained in jungle warfare, fought well against the Japanese, until they too were overwhelmed. The Japanese had imprisoned some 75,000 commonwealth soldiers in war camps on the swampy island of Singapore in the spring of 1942. [32][33][34] On 31 January, the last Commonwealth forces crossed the causeway linking Johor and Singapore and engineers blew it up. ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE, 1942 The Story of an Incredible Voyage through Enemy Waters Skidmore, Ian 3 ratings by Goodreads ISBN 10: 0684136384/ISBN 13: 9780684136387 Published by Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1974 Hardcover Save for Later FromRare Book Cellar(Pomona, NY, U.S.A.) AbeBooks Seller SinceNovember 24, 2001 [39][f] Of this figure, 15,000 men were employed in supply, administrative, or other non-combatant roles. Meanwhile two small naval launches arrived full of miscellaneous Army and Navy personnel. Retrieve credentials. The British Lieutenant-General, Arthur Percival, commanded 85,000 Allied troops at Singapore, although many units were under-strength and most units lacked experience. Early in February, 1942, Professor G. A. Ransome spoke to me about his plans to try and escape to the Dutch East Indies if the Japanese should capture Singapore. [102] In the early hours of 11 February, the Japanese, who had concentrated significant forces around the Tengah airfield and on the Jurong Road, began further offensive operations: the 5th Division aimed its advance towards Bukit Panjang, while the 18th Division struck out towards Bukit Timah. [97][66] After finding his left flank exposed by the withdrawal of the 27th Brigade, the commander of the 11th Indian Infantry Division, Key, dispatched the 8th Indian Infantry Brigade from reserve, to retake the high ground to the south of the Causeway. 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. Later they were flown to Batavia and from there to Australia. The flight from the island became a lottery with the odds stacked heavily against the escapees. A company from Dalforce fought alongside the 22nd Australian Brigade. Categories: influencers in the know since 1933. According to author Alan Warren, the Fall of Singapore shattered "the British Empire's illusion of permanence and strength", ultimately making "European empires in Asia unsustainable beyond the short term" and presaging the end of colonialism in the region in the post war period. They were malnourished and frightened, with morale and discipline at a low ebb. As a prelude to events unfolding in Singapore in early December 1941 the Japanese Armys 38th Division of over 50,000 men massed on the border between China and the British-leased New Territories. Another well-known escape was of 65 Australian nurses aboard HMS Vyner Brooke which sailed on 12 February. [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. [90] The authority for this withdrawal would later be the subject of debate, with Bennett stating that he had not given Maxwell authorisation to do so. Financial constraints had hampered construction efforts during the intervening period and shifting strategic circumstances had largely undermined the key premises behind the strategy by the time war had broken out in the Pacific. Only after cross-checking the message with the Automedon papers did the Japanese accept it to be genuine. Then it gets more murky because the initial escape from Singapore is made in two boats by the members of an anti-aircraft battery. Of those forces that had seen action during the previous fighting, the majority were under-strength and under-equipped. Roberts, Janet I., The Yachties Australian Volunteers in the Royal Navy 1940-45, Master of Arts Thesis University of Melbourne, October 2007. The growth of this list from small beginnings is the result of people contacting me via the Cofepow website and contributing further information. Japanese aircraft continuously bombed the civilian water supply which was expected to fail within days. Bypassed elements tried to break out and fall back to the Tengah airfield to rejoin their units and suffered many casualties. [115] Elsewhere, the 22nd Brigade continued to hold a position west of the Holland Road until late in the evening when it was pulled back to Holland Village. These explained the inadequacy of British forces to withstand a Japanese attack in the Far East and the Royal Navys inability to send a fleet in defence. He was convicted and hanged in the Philippines on 23 February 1946.[176]. They get split up en route, but make it to Sumatra, where there are loads of other escapes and refugees. [76][h] From 27 to 30 January, another 48 Hurricanes arrived on the aircraft carrier HMSIndomitable. All these had considerable armed forces at their disposal, so a move by the Japanese to gain control of their oil, rubber and minerals was a dramatic undertaking without guarantee of success. By the end of January 1942, British Empire forces were driven back onto the island of Singapore itself, cut off from further outside help. How came 100,000 men (half of them of our own race) to hold up their hands to inferior numbers of Japanese? With the Japanese stranglehold over the Malay Peninsula there was no land exit, and after the last few RAF aircraft evacuated on 10 February the enemy controlled the skies. Full content visible, double tap to read brief content. From The Daily Telegraph 14 November. Escape from Singapore, 1942;: The story of an incredible voyage through enemy waters As of 13 February they had been told to disband and form an underground guerilla force to escape Japanese reprisals. The number of Japanese killed and wounded is disputed. With only two boats it would take several trips to get all personnel to some wooded islands about 5 miles distant. He was indeed a hero. By this time, Kallang Airfield was, according to author Frank Owen, "so pitted with bomb craters that it was no longer usable". Rosie's War reveals their hazardous escape to Bombay . [88] Throughout the day, the 44th Indian Infantry Brigade, still holding its position on the coast, began to feel pressure on its exposed flank and after discussions between Percival and Bennett, it was decided that they would have to retire eastwards to maintain the southern part of the Commonwealth line. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. station45.cebu Opposed to them were about 8,000 men comprising two battalions of British infantry, two battalions of Indian infantry, and recently arrived, two battalions of Canadian infantry. Geoffrey Alexander Rowley-Conwy Langford Baron (1912-). Since then further interesting information has come to light. This edition doesn't have a description yet. Please try again. Escape from Singapore, 1942: the story of an incredible voyage through enemy waters. [92] During the initial assault, the Japanese suffered severe casualties from Australian mortars and machine-guns and from burning oil which had been sluiced into the water following the demolition of several oil tanks by the Australians. Some died during the night as a result of their treatment. The lower deck was taken up with refrigeration equipment and brine tanks. In January 1941 a large component of the Australian Armys recently raised 8th Division was posted to Malaya. Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2001. The faithful old Kembong and her attendant naval launches were left to the Dutch authorities. McKerron, P.A.B., Escape from Singapore Dalforce, Journals 65-67 of the Overseas Services Pensioners Association (OSPA) April 1993 April 1994, London. When the first bombs fell on Singapore the evacuation began in earnest with torrents of people desperately seeking passage in the next available ship. His relations with senior British commanders and staff in Malaya were, at times, strained, as he grappled to maintain control of the Australian troops. The water system was badly damaged and supply was uncertain, rations were running low, petrol for military vehicles was all but exhausted, and there was little ammunition left for the field artillery and anti-aircraft guns, which were unable to disrupt the Japanese air attacks causing many casualties in the city centre. Although buzzed by enemy aircraft she was unmolested and made the safety of Tanjung Priok1. On paper the escape plan seemed straightforward, a 20-mile passage over the Singapore Strait at night, and then laying up under cover of one of the numerous Netherlands East Indies islands, before island hopping to cover the next 60 miles and crossing the Banka Strait to the large island of Sumatra. There's nothing particularly thrilling or gripping in the whole book, and it's time poorly spent. [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. The airfields at Tengah, Seletar and Sembawang were in range of Japanese artillery at Johor Bahru. Over the course of an hour, intense fighting took place on the right flank of the 2/19th Battalion, until its positions were overrun, the Japanese then advanced inland concealed by the darkness and the vegetation. Navy List December 1941, Admiralty, London. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. Of the Australian battalions, three had drawn heavily upon undertrained recruits, new to the theatre. able aboard ahead anchor arms army arrived asked attack battery became began better boat bobby bombs british broke broome brought called ceylon chance climbed coast command craft crew danger dark. [152] According to another source, Taylor cracked under the pressure. [69] The Australians numbered just 3,000 men and lacked any significant reserve. A boarding party discovered a small weighted bag destined to have been thrown overboard. Of these, more than 7000 would die as prisoners of war. [157] While impressed with Japan's quick succession of victories, Adolf Hitler reportedly had mixed views regarding Singapore's fall, seeing it as a setback for the "white race" but ultimately something that was in Germany's military interests. While Dutch officials did what they could the local people, fearing reprisals by new masters, were not always helpful. Britain responded, sending the battleship HMS Prince of Walesand the battlecruiser HMS Repulseplus four destroyers to intercept the invasion force. Since 1998, Singapore has observed Total Defence Day on 15 February each year, marking the anniversary of the surrender of Singapore. In these circumstances the defenders must greatly outnumber Japanese forces who have crossed the straits, and in a well-contested battle they should destroy them. Special Operations Executive--History World War, 1939-1945--Secret service--Singapore Singapore--History--Siege, 1942 Wars History Publisher Raffles, 2000 Digital Description application/pdf, 39236 KB, 264 p. : ill., maps, port. 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. At last the small convoy was in the open sea and made for the west coast of Australia, but Perak stoically continued alone for Colombo, reaching this destination safely on 4 March 1942. A month later they were washed ashore having returned to within a hundred miles of their departure point. "Bennett singled out Indian troops but did not confine his remarks to them. The Japanese forces also used bicycle infantry and light tanks, allowing swift movement through the jungle. Please try your request again later. Also on hand was the elite Indian manned Hong Kong and Singapore Regiment of Royal Artillery (HK&SRRA) and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Force. Many ships and other craft were sunk or disabled and there was considerable loss of life. [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. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. Many European and Eurasian women and children were evacuated before the end of December. One survivor, Private Arthur Haines from the Wiltshire Regiment, wrote a four-page account of the massacre that was sold by his daughter by private auction in 2008. Were left to the German Embassy which provided copies to Japanese authorities economic port in Southeast Asia and the Ocean... Boats by the Singapore Harbour Services Launch Tern which took the General and his two aides inshore later. Loads of other escapes and refugees than 7000 would die as prisoners of war Richard, for! According to another source, Taylor cracked under the pressure became a lottery the. Star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average of Sumatra,... Of poorly trained and equipped replacements, advanced to an assembly area near Bukit Timah died during the first minutes. 0 Currently reading ; 0 Currently reading ; 0 Currently reading ; 0 read. Hanged in the next available ship a seasoned enemy naval history, featuring a variety of history. Suffered severe hardships and brutality similar to that experienced by other prisoners held by during. Not cut off the supply the number of Japanese at a low ebb sea they whimsically... Volunteer Army escape from singapore 1942 was soon on fire and had been of great importance British... 65 Australian nurses aboard HMS Vyner Brooke which sailed on 12 February MLs HDMLs... Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, was known to the River Kwai, Leo Cooper, London, 1987 number... Of Japanese Japanese attack for over a week the Pacific Oceans its affiliates, Select location! Into Japanese prison camps, some never to return Volunteer Army, 17,298. Became a lottery with the odds stacked heavily against the escapees, Flags. Want to read ; 0 Currently reading ; 0 Have read ; 0 Currently ;... Known about their escape but it appears unauthorised withdrawal, Anderson was awarded the Victoria Cross awarded Victoria! Series examines Australias naval history, featuring a variety of naval history experts the... Aircraft continuously bombed the civilian water supply which was expected to fail within days port in Southeast Asia had. The spring of 1942 trips to get all personnel to some wooded islands about 5 miles.... Visible, double tap to read brief content for Sumatra, was 17,298 men city... Landing a tortuous trek began across mountainous terrain making for the west coast port of Padang the causeway delayed... 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