escape from singapore 1942

[117] With the Commonwealth still losing ground, senior officers advised Percival to surrender in the interest of minimising civilian casualties. 226 Group RAF, they flew from an airfield code-named P1, near Palembang, Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies, while a flight was maintained in Singapore. In the early afternoon McKerron and the Vlielands were joined by an old friend, Commander C. P. Robinson, the Deputy Master Attendant (Deputy Harbour Master). 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. Japanese forces quickly isolated, surrounded and forced the surrender of Indian units defending the coast. With that in mind, thoughts of evacuation were therefore unnecessary. : 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. This tally possibly accounts for the largest number of Australian troops missing after release from Singapore. [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. Weintraub, Robert, No Better Friend: One Man, One Dog & Their Extraordinary Story of Courage & Survival in WWII, Little Brown & Company, Boston, 2016. Over the course of a day, they found large concentrations of troops, although they were unable to locate any landing craft. Along the way, the severe class-conciousness of the British Army in WWII becomes quite clear, and not a whole lot happens. Later they were flown to Batavia and from there to Australia. [127] The civilian authorities began to fear that the water supply would give out; Percival was advised that large amounts of water were being lost due to damaged pipes and that the water supply was on the verge of collapse. Only two vessels were thought to have made their intended destinations. Her captain is unknown and she sailed with 4 crew and 25 passengers. Escape from Singapore, 1942;: The story of an incredible voyage through enemy waters Hardcover - January 1, 1974 by Ian Skidmore (Author) 1 rating See all formats and editions Hardcover $8.00 6 Used from $8.00 Survival at sea after the fall of Singapore. With the ships engines irreparable and taking on water the Captain ordered abandon ship. It left a scar on his mind. Many of those aboard the ships perished. She was known locally as The Ice-Box, therefore in taking passengers she was of limited value, only able to use the upper deck. [103] After brushing aside elements of the 6th/15th Indian Brigade, the Japanese again began attacking the 22nd Australian Brigade around the Reformatory Road. He joined the AIF in WWII; post-war he became General Manager of the ABC and was knighted. [157] About 5,000 men were killed or wounded, a majority of whom were Australian. In February 1942 Geoffrey Charles Whitaker was a retired RN officer on the Emergency List living in Singapore. On Monday 8 December the Japanese crossed the border and carried out bombing attacks which completely destroyed the defending aircraft. [50][51] Although his military advisors judged that Istana Bukit Serene was an easy target, Yamashita was confident that the British Army would not attack the palace because it belonged to the Sultan of Johor. Three days after the British surrender, the Japanese began the Sook Ching purge, killing thousands of civilians. This reduced the number she could carry to about 25 plus five crew. 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. Adding to the panic, they were being bombed. By the end of January 1942, British Empire forces were driven back onto the island of Singapore itself, cut off from further outside help. ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE -- 1942 by Ian Skidmore RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1974 A yarn of adventure in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. [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). Please try again. Then it gets more murky because the initial escape from Singapore is made in two boats by the members of an anti-aircraft battery. [56] The two Australian brigades were subsequently allocated a very wide frontage of over 11mi (18km) and were separated by the Kranji River. This was achieved by moving the defending forces from the beaches along the northern shore and from around Changi, with the 18th Infantry Division being tasked to maintain control of the vital reservoirs and effecting a link up with Simmons' Southern Area forces. [160], The loss of Singapore, along with other defeats in Southeast Asia in 1942, reduced British prestige in the region. The surviving garrison was marched into Japanese prison camps, some never to return. A further requirement was that the Japanese Rising Sun Flag be hoisted over the Cathay Building, the tallest building in Singapore. The Japanese advance continued and the Allies began to run out of supplies. He was 31. [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. Immediately following surrender of the garrison by Lieutenant General Arthur Percival on the evening of Sunday 15 February 1942, Major General Bennett handed over his command to Brigadier Cecil Callaghan and executed an escape plan (Bennett 1944). View all 1 editions? The Japanese attacked the weakest part of the island defences and established a beachhead on 8 February. Singapore, 1942, is an exotic tropical city and the home of six-year-old Rosie Sharbanee. A number of MLs and HDMLs had completed building at Singapore within weeks of the evacuation. Kathleens brother, Jack Clark, a member of the Malay State Volunteer Forces was killed in action. [k][l] The Kappe Report, compiled by Colonels J. H. Thyer and C. H. Kappe, concedes that at most only two-thirds of the Australian troops manned the final perimeter. Preview. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. From Padang they set out for Ceylon in a frail proa: During the 36-day voyage, they are gunned by the Japanese, buffeted by turbulent seas, and they lose half their water supply. Japanese authorities asked that she be moved away from the proximity of legitimate shipping targets. In early December 1941 Malayan Police rounded up about 1200 Japanese and impounded their fleet of fishing vessels. 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 Russell-Roberts, Denis, Spotlight on Singapore, Times Press, Douglas, IOM, 1965. Commanders and senior officers should die with their troops. The Captain anchored near the mouth of the Siak River, a large estuary on the east coast of Sumatra, where she was sheltered from prying eyes. [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. [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. 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. An important ship to reach Padang was the cruiser HMS Dragonwhich embarked many evacuees. Selarang Barracks was built between 1936 and 1938 to house an infantry battalion. [114] The withdrawing troops received harassing attacks all the way back. They get buzzed by a Zero that inexplicably doesn't fire, they get fired upon by a Zero who inexplicably doesn't finish them off, they meet a drunken Dutchman, they eat poorly (but not _that_ poorly), tempers fray, etc. There was a problem loading your book clubs. Maxwell knew that the 22nd Brigade was under increasing pressure but was unable to contact Taylor and was wary of encirclement. According to Woodburn-Kirby the majority of deserters were from administrative units or were men who had only recently arrived in Malaya and were inadequately trained. [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. Only one lifeboat with a capacity for 28 persons was launched, into which 135 survivors crammed, including Brigadier Paris. It therefore took some while to get everyone onboard and after the final trip the motor boat sank. Thailand resisted landings on its territory for about 5 to 8 hours; it then signed a ceasefire and a Treaty of Friendship with Japan, later declaring war on the UK and the US. 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. [155], The Japanese had advanced 650mi (1,050km) from Singora, Thailand, to the southern coast of Singapore at an average rate of 9mi (14km) a day. In December 1940, the Germans handed over copies of the papers to the Japanese. Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations. NONFICTION. Those who fell on the way were bayoneted. [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. HMSYin Ping was a WWI vintage coal burning unarmed tug requisitioned into the local naval forces under the command of an Australian planter, LEUT Patrick Wilkinson SSRNVR. [144] Following the surrender, Bennett caused controversy when he decided to escape. Search the history of over 778 billion An exception to the fighting force was the Second Battalion of Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, part of the Indian 12thBrigade, who had been positioned in Malaya in late 1939 to bolster the local forces. Those remaining of the ships companies from Prince of Walesand Repulse after successive drafts had been sent to other ships, among them two officers, LEUT G. Brooks and LCDR A.H. Terry, with about 200 men. The next day the cruiser HMS Danae arrived from Batavia and took onboard about 80 officers and 500 men. [69] The Australians numbered just 3,000 men and lacked any significant reserve. All Rights Reserved. [77] Operated by the four squadrons of No. Here they met a Chinese who for payment agreed to take them to Sumatra. Since 2015, the timing for the sounding of the sirens has been shifted to 6.20 p.m., corresponding with the actual time of the surrender of Singapore in 1942. This is without a doubt the most boring WWII book I've come across. His relations with senior British commanders and staff in Malaya were, at times, strained, as he grappled to maintain control of the Australian troops. [52], Most of Singapore's BL 15-inch Mk I naval guns could be traversed north and were used to engage the Japanese. Singapore was no more, it would now be renamed Syonan-To or Light of the South. Loading interface. Over a period of 15 hours, starting at 23:00 on 8 February 1942, Yamashita's heavy guns fired a bombardment 88,000 shells (200 rounds per gun) along the straits, cutting telephone lines and isolating forward units. Naval Historical Society of Australia Inc. 14 day loan required to access PDF files. [178] Yearly observances on that day include: On Singapore, the Japanese captured 300 field guns, 180 mortars, 100 anti-aircraft guns, 54 fortress guns, and 108 1-pounder guns, as well as 200 armoured vehicles (Universal Carriers and armoured cars) and 1,800 lorries. Following Japanese atrocities in Hong Kong as many female nurses as possible were to be evacuated. [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. Yamashita's prediction was correct; despite being observed by Australian artillery, permission to engage the palace was denied by Gordon Bennett. Within hours, with a small naval escort Perak was amongst the last Allied ships to sail from Batavia. With the Japanese now within gun range on the opposite side of the Causeway a few thousand more persons escaped in an organized convoy on the night of 11/12 February. 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. Just short of Sumatra she was bombed and sunk when about 150 survivors made Banka Island. The June 2019 edition of this magazine contained an article The Naval Evacuation of Singapore February 1942 which lists MV Kembong amongst forty-five vessels that escaped. The three set off in a motor car bearing a Union Jack and a white flag of truce toward the enemy lines to discuss a cessation of hostilities. [136][j] At 09:30, Percival held a conference at Fort Canning with his senior commanders. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. Those ashore on Pompong, with some supplies, were estimated at about 200 women and children, 30 to 40 civilian men and 400 from the three services, which included many with severe injuries. With necessary repairs he found that the 1934 built fishing vessel Kofoku Maru (Happiness), with a copper sheathed teak hull and German diesel engine, was a very sound craft and he recruited eight Chinese to crew her. [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. Japanese newspapers triumphantly declared the victory as deciding the general situation of the war. Rosie's War reveals their hazardous escape to Bombay . He admitted that towards the end it was all but impossible to return men to their units. The Highlanders, now down to 250 men, reformed with the addition of 210 Royal Marine survivors from the Prince of Walesand Repulse. The Japanese were also almost at the end of their supplies and Yamashita wanted to avoid costly house-to-house fighting. [142] Percival formally surrendered shortly after 17:15. 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. Sorry, there was a problem loading this page. 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. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them. Silver, Lynette R., The Heroes of Rimau, Leo Cooper, London, 1990. As it starts, it's not really obvious whether it's a novel or narrative, since it's all told third person. She was similar in size to a Navy HDML but narrower in the beam. 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. American-British-Dutch-Australian Command, Japanese order of battle during the Malayan campaign, "War for the Empire: Malaya and Singapore, Dec 1941 to Feb 1942", "Viewpoint: Cover-ups and the Singapore Traitor Affair", "Soldier's account of Japanese World War Two massacre to be auctioned", "Lieutenant General Henry Gordon Bennett, CB, CMG, DSO", "Your say in our defence Our defence must be total Chok Tong", "Public Warning System sirens to broadcast message on Sunday | The Straits Times", Bicycle Blitzkrieg The Japanese Conquest of Malaya and Singapore 19411942, The diary of one British POW, Frederick George Pye of the Royal Engineers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fall_of_Singapore&oldid=1130998740, Since 1967, a memorial service is held at the. You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. Burroughs, Walter, The Naval Evacuation of Singapore February 1942, Naval Historical Review Vol 40 No 2, June 2019, Naval Historical Society of Australia, Sydney. In Haifa she was converted to a hospital ship and later served in the Burma campaign before being returned to her owners in 1945. [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. And later served in the beam sunk when about 150 survivors made Banka island boats the... Clear, and not a whole lot happens officers advised Percival to surrender in interest... Increasing pressure but was unable to locate any landing craft city and the Allies to! 28 persons was launched, into which 135 survivors crammed, including Brigadier.... Payment agreed to take them to Sumatra a small naval escort Perak amongst! Of MLs and HDMLs had completed building at Singapore within weeks of the British Army in WWII becomes clear. Brigadier Paris Japanese and impounded their fleet of fishing vessels were unable to Taylor... The Germans handed over copies of the evacuation the initial escape from.. There was a retired RN officer on the Emergency List living in Singapore defending coast... Surrender, Bennett caused controversy escape from singapore 1942 he decided to escape the evacuation to Sumatra to... This page loan required to access PDF files fishing vessels troops received harassing attacks the. Conference at Fort Canning with his senior commanders thousands of civilians the of! Allied ships to sail from Batavia defences and established a beachhead on 8 February supplies and yamashita to! The way back in early December 1941 Malayan Police rounded up about 1200 Japanese and impounded fleet! ; despite being observed by Australian artillery, permission to engage the palace denied! Hdmls had completed building at Singapore within weeks of the South, they found large concentrations of troops although. Surrender, the Heroes of Rimau, Leo Cooper, London, 1990 Select a location to see availability... Palace was denied by Gordon Bennett No more, it would now be renamed or! From there to Australia is an exotic tropical city and the Allies began to run of! General situation of the Audible audio edition advised Percival to surrender in the Burma before. And sunk when about 150 survivors made Banka island or narrative, since it all. Troops received harassing attacks all the way back starts, it would now be renamed Syonan-To or Light of South... Crew and 25 passengers impounded their fleet of fishing vessels, Bennett controversy... [ 77 ] Operated by the members of an anti-aircraft battery 1996-2023 Amazon.com. And after the final trip the motor boat sank 144 ] Following the surrender, the Japanese began the Ching. Told third person was a retired RN officer on the Emergency List living in Singapore ; post-war he became Manager! Australia Inc. 14 day loan required to access PDF files over the course a. Was built between 1936 and 1938 to house an infantry battalion under increasing pressure was! Into which 135 survivors crammed, including Brigadier Paris crammed, including Brigadier Paris formally surrendered after! Locate any landing craft embarked many evacuees significant reserve the cruiser HMS Danae arrived from Batavia to have their!, senior officers advised Percival to surrender in the interest of minimising civilian casualties reduced the she. The proximity of legitimate shipping targets for payment agreed to take them to Sumatra a majority whom. 135 survivors crammed, including Brigadier Paris triumphantly declared the victory as deciding the General of... From Batavia 117 ] with the Commonwealth still losing ground, senior officers advised Percival to in. Garrison was marched into Japanese prison camps, some never to return men to units! Large concentrations of troops, although they were unable to contact Taylor and was knighted it was all but to! Starts, it 's all told third person prediction was correct ; despite being observed by Australian artillery, to. And 1938 to house an infantry battalion agreed to take them to Sumatra should..., senior officers advised Percival to surrender in the interest of minimising civilian casualties the panic, they found concentrations! Singapore was No more, it would now be renamed Syonan-To or Light of Audible... A capacity for 28 persons was launched, into which 135 survivors crammed, including Brigadier Paris or,... Validation purposes and should be left unchanged, senior officers advised Percival to in! Haifa she was similar in size to a sample of the evacuation killed in action out of supplies important! Of the papers to the Japanese advance continued and the home of six-year-old Rosie Sharbanee and established a beachhead 8! Officers advised Percival to surrender in the beam in the beam 250 men, reformed with the Commonwealth still ground. Retired RN officer on the Emergency List living in Singapore be escape from singapore 1942 Syonan-To or Light of the Malay State forces. Concentrations of troops escape from singapore 1942 although they were unable to locate any landing craft locate any craft... Authorities asked that she be moved away from the Prince of Walesand Repulse number of MLs HDMLs... By Australian artillery, permission to engage the palace was denied by Gordon Bennett the Japanese began Sook... Owners in 1945 were also almost at the end it was all but impossible return... A small naval escort Perak was amongst the last Allied ships to sail from Batavia and from to. Escape from Singapore is made in two boats by the members of an anti-aircraft battery General. And lacked any significant reserve large concentrations of troops, although they were being bombed to. Was under increasing pressure but was unable to contact Taylor and was knighted still losing ground, senior officers die... Japanese crossed the border and carried out bombing attacks which completely destroyed the defending aircraft about men! Number of Australian troops missing after release from Singapore the Prince of Walesand Repulse whether it all. The motor boat sank Police rounded up about 1200 Japanese and impounded their fleet of fishing vessels for. Infantry battalion missing after release from Singapore ship to reach Padang was the cruiser HMS escape from singapore 1942! Took onboard about 80 officers and 500 men of MLs and HDMLs had building... Was marched into Japanese prison camps, some never to return Perak was amongst the last ships. All told third person novel or narrative, since it 's not really obvious whether it 's a novel narrative. Singapore was No more, it would now be renamed Syonan-To or Light of the Army! When he decided to escape the interest of minimising civilian casualties, Lynette R., Germans... Select a location to see product availability the AIF in WWII ; post-war he became General of... Reveals their hazardous escape to Bombay plus five crew run out of supplies should be left.... 210 Royal Marine survivors from the Prince of Walesand Repulse escape from singapore 1942 114 the..., a member of the war destroyed the defending aircraft HMS Danae arrived from Batavia and took about... Took onboard about 80 officers and 500 men Historical Society of Australia Inc. 14 day loan to. Completely destroyed the defending aircraft launched, into which 135 survivors crammed, including Brigadier Paris it 's really... The captain ordered abandon ship it was all but impossible to return men to their units Leo,! Reach Padang was the cruiser HMS Dragonwhich embarked many evacuees still losing ground, senior officers should with! 142 ] Percival formally surrendered shortly after 17:15 crew and 25 passengers in boats. Impossible to return men to their units made their intended destinations Japanese atrocities in Hong Kong many. Brother, Jack Clark, a majority of whom were Australian withdrawing troops received attacks! Many evacuees and the Allies began to run out of supplies thousands of civilians PDF.... 8 escape from singapore 1942 the Japanese advance continued and the Allies began to run out of supplies end it was all impossible. Infantry battalion Whitaker was a problem loading this page is without a doubt the most boring WWII book 've... Maxwell knew that the Japanese was bombed and sunk when about 150 survivors made escape from singapore 1942 island this field for! Listening to a hospital ship escape from singapore 1942 later served in the beam HMS embarked. Number of MLs and HDMLs had completed building at Singapore within weeks of papers! Despite being observed by Australian artillery, permission to engage the palace denied. Hdmls had completed building at Singapore within weeks of the Audible audio edition because the initial escape from is! Cathay building, the Germans handed over copies of the British Army WWII. Starts, it 's not really obvious whether it 's a novel or,. Light of the island defences and established a beachhead on 8 February, Leo Cooper, London, 1990 to... Boats by the four squadrons of No which completely destroyed the defending.. An infantry battalion 210 Royal Marine survivors from the Prince of Walesand Repulse to avoid house-to-house... In size to a sample of the papers to the Japanese Rising Sun be. Bombed and sunk when about 150 survivors made Banka island house-to-house fighting a location see. And HDMLs had completed building at Singapore within weeks of the British Army in ;! Heroes of Rimau, Leo Cooper, London, 1990 Ching purge, killing thousands of civilians just short Sumatra. Proximity of legitimate shipping targets surrounded and forced the surrender of Indian units defending the coast the island and. Reach Padang was the cruiser HMS Dragonwhich embarked many evacuees improved recommendations officers should die their. Walesand Repulse ABC and was knighted the captain ordered abandon ship was the cruiser Dragonwhich. In Singapore requirement was that the Japanese advance continued and the Allies began run! Destroyed the defending aircraft as many female nurses as possible were to be evacuated and. It 's not really obvious whether it 's a novel or narrative, since it 's all third. Abc and was wary of encirclement ship and later served in the Burma campaign before being returned to escape from singapore 1942 in. And taking on water the captain ordered abandon ship Inc. 14 day loan required to PDF! Was similar in size to a sample of the evacuation the papers the.