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. From Michael Pether (Pether 2018) we also know the auxiliary HMS Scott Harleysafely made its destination of Tanjung Priok. Unable to add item to List. Please try again. [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]. by Ian Skidmore online at Alibris. McKerron, P.A.B., Escape from Singapore Dalforce, Journals 65-67 of the Overseas Services Pensioners Association (OSPA) April 1993 April 1994, London. Under the command of Major General Gordon Bennett, the force initially established its headquarters at Kuala Lumpur. Twenty-two others escaped the island after rebuilding a native vessel but were captured and returned to Singapore as POWs. published under title: Escape from the rising sun. The surviving garrison was marched into Japanese prison camps, some never to return. Please try again. 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. [140], A delegation was selected to go to the Japanese headquarters. HMAS Sydney II and the HSK Kormoran Shipwreck Sites, Admiralty House, Garden and Fortifications, Royal Australian Naval Transmitting Station ACT, 81st. 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. Shortly afterwards Percival allocated the composite 6th/15th Indian Infantry Brigade to reinforce the Australians from their position around the Singapore racecourse. Then it gets more murky because the initial escape from Singapore is made in two boats by the members of an anti-aircraft battery. This was mostly mangrove swamp and jungle, broken by rivers and creeks. The passage of Kung Woas described by LEUT Brooke may be regarded as typical: After passing through our own minefield at first light we were soon discovered by enemy dive bombers. 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. His father and grandfather were interned. With the ships engines irreparable and taking on water the Captain ordered abandon ship. After settling in Australia he became known as a sportsman and journalist. Major Geoffrey Rowly-Conwy of the Royal Artillery refuses to by Ian Skidmore She was later sold to Chinese shipping interests. Try again. The most positive escape concerns the ex-Japanese fishing vessel Kofoku Maruskippered by Australian master mariner turned mining engineer, William (Bill) Reynolds. In the first few minutes of 13 February the headquarters ship Laburnum, signaling by Morse light,gave orders to sail. As it starts, it's not really obvious whether it's a novel or narrative, since it's all told third person. A company from Dalforce fought alongside the 22nd Australian Brigade. Silver, Lynette R., KRAIT The Fishing Boat that went to War, Cultured Lotus, Singapore, 2001. This podcast series examines Australias Naval history, featuring a variety of naval history experts from the Naval Studies Group and elsewhere. An edition of Escape from Singapore, 1942 (1974) Escape from Singapore, 1942 the story of an incredible voyage through enemy waters. This is without a doubt the most boring WWII book I've come across. The surrender of Singapore was the largest single wartime tragedy that shook the morale of Australians. The escape from Singapore Creator Gough, Richard, 1956-Subject Great Britain. He felt it was a disgrace. Following Japanese atrocities in Hong Kong as many female nurses as possible were to be evacuated. [45] In the heart of the "Western Area" was RAF Tengah, Singapore's largest airfield at the time. [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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. She also towed a motor launch Eureka, manned by a petty officer and two ratings. 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. Escape from Singapore, 1942: the story of an incredible voyage through enemy waters. [151][137] Elphick also claims that Australians made up the majority of stragglers. No community reviews have been submitted for this work. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! [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. Nearly all were captured by the Japanese and 21 nurses were summarily executed with a further eight dying in captivity (Shaw 2010). [d] The Japanese overran cities and advanced toward Singapore, which was an anchor for the operations of the American-British-Dutch-Australian Command (ABDACOM), the first Allied joint command of the Second World War. Britain responded, sending the battleship HMS Prince of Walesand the battlecruiser HMS Repulseplus four destroyers to intercept the invasion force. Uploaded by Over the final five-day period before surrender on Sunday 15 February 1942, about 5000 souls escaped but less than one in four made a safe landing, the rest being killed or captured. [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. We are sorry. With an estimated capacity for 3000 personnel, 1800 spaces were allocated to Army, a few hundred to RN and RAF, and the rest to civil government. 0 Ratings 1 Want to read; 0 Currently reading; 0 Have read; Borrow Listen. Only 24 Australian Army nurses survived the bombings, massacre and POW captivity. Planners determined a broad scheme of manoeuvres that incorporated simultaneous attacks on the territories of Britain, The Netherlands and the United States. War finally came with Japanese forces attacking the northern beaches of Malaya on 8 December 1941 because of the dateline, one hour ahead of Pearl Harbor.Within days their attacks had extended to the Philippines and Hong Kong and through a pincer movement, down both sides of the Malay Peninsula. 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. Further, losses on the mainland had resulted in a general shortage of equipment. 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. [44] The rest of the force was of mixed quality, condition, training, equipment and morale. [117] With the Commonwealth still losing ground, senior officers advised Percival to surrender in the interest of minimising civilian casualties. About the author Ian Skidmore 24 books Ratings &Reviews Previous ed. Signaller lucky to escape from Singapore Signaller lucky to escape from Singapore Name: Allan Quick Date: 1942 Unit: L Section, 8 Division Signals Location: Singapore, Ceylon For someone who was a signaller trained to keep things short and to the point, Allan Quick wrote remarkably thoughtful and detailed letters home from the war. Showing one featured edition. No amount of toing and froing with the engines would shake her free and with a falling tide they were stuck fast. However, Robinson was aware of the derelict Kembong. 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). 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. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. During the first night 13,000 Japanese troops landed and were followed by another 10,000 after first light. The honour of the British Empire and of the British Army is at stake. Government authorities had been tardy and inefficient in the evacuation of civilians until only a few days before and now, as the last vessels that could be remotely called ships prepared to leave, chaotic scenes were taking place at the Singapore wharves as dozens of European and Eurasian civilian men, together with hundreds of servicemen from the UK, Australia, India and New Zealand scrambled onto any vessel departing that would take them. 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. Due to a planned power outage on Friday, 1/14, between 8am-1pm PST, some services may be impacted. Three days after the British surrender, the Japanese began the Sook Ching purge, killing thousands of civilians. Of these, more than 7000 would die as prisoners of war. Two municipal engineers (James Reid, plus another, name unknown), who had someknowledge of diesel engines, were also found. Revitalising his naval career, from MV. Copyright 2023 Kirkus Media LLC. Dragonflyand Grasshoppersailed in company on 13 February with about 325 troops, bound for Sumatra. [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. [17][18] Prior to the Battle of Singapore the most resistance was met at the Battle of Muar which involved the 8th Australian Division and the 45th Indian Brigade. The remaining force was a mix of front-line and second-line troops. Japanese aircraft continuously bombed the civilian water supply which was expected to fail within days. [21] The aircraft were, according to historian Peter Dennis, "not considered good enough for use in Europe" and major shortcomings included a slow rate of climb and the fuel system, which required the pilot to hand-pump fuel if flying above 6,000ft (1,800m). When ordered to leave Singapore she was heavily laden with 14 crew and 62 passengers. About 80,000 British, Indian, Australian and local troops became prisoners of war, joining the 50,000 taken in Malaya and many died of neglect, abuse or forced labour. That is why the surrender had to be at once. A yarn of adventure in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. [27][e], At Bakri, from 18 to 22 January, the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th battalions and the 45th Indian Brigade (Lieutenant Colonel Charles Anderson) repeatedly fought through Japanese positions before running out of ammunition near Parit Sulong. I knew that if I had to fight for long for Singapore, I would be beaten. The 18th Division has a chance to make its name in history. Along the way, the severe class-conciousness of the British Army in WWII becomes quite clear, and not a whole lot happens. Categories: Amazon has encountered an error. [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. [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. [136][j] At 09:30, Percival held a conference at Fort Canning with his senior commanders. [87], Believing that further landings would occur in the northeast, Percival did not reinforce the 22nd Brigade until the morning of 9 February, sending two half-strength battalions from the 12th Indian Infantry Brigade. [85][86] That evening, three Fairmile B motor launches attacked and sank several Japanese landing craft in the Johor Strait around its western channel on the evening of 9 February. [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. Against all odds, and crammed like sardines, they were underway. Denis Russell-Roberts (Russell-Roberts 1965), an Indian Army officer and later POW in Singapore, whose wife Ruth died on Banka Island, provides an analysis of 47 vessels that escaped from Singapore. 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. [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 ship was powered by temperamental German diesel engines, their operation needing specialist engineering knowledge. 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. For the first time this momentous 20th century battle, and its equally dramatic aftermath, will be told from a multi . There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. [172] An unknown number were taken to Japanese-occupied areas in the South Pacific as forced labour. [160], The loss of Singapore, along with other defeats in Southeast Asia in 1942, reduced British prestige in the region. Here they met a Chinese who for payment agreed to take them to Sumatra. [12][13] Following these attacks, a period of consolidation was planned, after which the Japanese planners intended to build up the defences of the captured territory by establishing a strong perimeter from the IndiaBurma frontier through to Wake Island and traversing Malaya, the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea and New Britain, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. The Jurong Line eventually collapsed after the 12th Indian Brigade was withdrawn by its commander, Brigadier Archie Paris, to the road junction near Bukit Panjang, after he lost contact with the 27th Brigade on his right; the commander of the 44th Indian Brigade, Ballantine, commanding the extreme left of the line, also misinterpreted the orders in the same manner that Taylor had and withdrew. [107] Wavell told Percival that the garrison was to fight on to the end and that there should not be a general surrender in Singapore. Malaya and Singapore had an ample supply of defending forces, with a British Army supported by Australian and Indian troops, however, many of these had been hastily put together and quantity was not matched by quality. [84] A squadron of Hurricane fighters took to the skies on 9 February but was then withdrawn to the Netherlands East Indies and after that no Commonwealth aircraft were seen again over Singapore; the Japanese had achieved air supremacy. 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. When you buy books using these links the Internet Archive may earn a small commission. [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. : With copies of charts supplied by CMDR Robinson they picked their course past minefields but suddenly, late at night when navigating reefs, they went aground. The artillery and air bombardment strengthened, severely disrupting communications between Commonwealth units and their commanders and affecting preparations for the defence of the island. [66] The bombardment of the Australians was not seen as a prelude to attackMalaya Command believed that it would last several days and would later switch its focus to the north-east, despite its ferocity exceeding anything the Allies had experienced thus far in the campaign; no order was passed to the Commonwealth artillery units to bombard possible Japanese assembly areas. [158] Churchill called the fall of Singapore to the Japanese "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history". web pages The number of Japanese killed and wounded is disputed. Navy List December 1941, Admiralty, London. 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. [122][123], The Australians occupied a perimeter of their own to the north-west around Tanglin Barracks, in which they maintained an all round defence as a precaution. [16], The 25th Army was resisted in northern Malaya by III Corps of the British Indian Army. He was 31. Malaya Tribune: Colombo Man as Deputy Master Attendant, 24 November 1936. The rest of the crew, with little seafaring experience, were from Dalforce. 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