escape from singapore 1942

They get split up en route, but make it to Sumatra, where there are loads of other escapes and refugees. 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). Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Escape from Singapore, 1942;: The story of an incredible voyage through enemy waters at Amazon.com. It left a scar on his mind. [44] The rest of the force was of mixed quality, condition, training, equipment and morale. Please use a different way to share. Bennett, Lt General Henry, Gordon,Why Singapore Fell, Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 1944. Like the Buffalos the Hurricanes began to suffer severe losses in dogfights. By midnight, the two Japanese divisions fired star shell to indicate to their commander that they had secured their initial objectives and by 01:00 they were well established. They get split up en route, but make it to Sumatra, where there are loads of other escapes and refugees. 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. [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. When the Japanese stormed the island with an all-out. A further 5000 troops in Convoy US111B arrived at Keppel Harbour on 15 August 1941. [143], Under the terms of the surrender, hostilities were to cease at 20:30 that evening, all military forces in Singapore were to surrender unconditionally, all Commonwealth forces would remain in position and disarm themselves within an hour, and the British were allowed to maintain a force of 1,000 armed men to prevent looting until relieved by the Japanese. They arrived on 3 January 1942, by which stage the Buffalo squadrons had been overwhelmed. Ideally the passage over open water was made at night and where possible vessels laid up in the day close to, or under cover of, islands. 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. Silver, Lynette R., KRAIT The Fishing Boat that went to War, Cultured Lotus, Singapore, 2001. A 70th anniversary television event, Singapore 1942- End of Empire tells the story of those early shocking days of the Pacific War when belief in security and comfort from empire collapsed. 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. Doctors and nurses were also killed. 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. This was intended to take place at 4 pm but delayed until just after 5 pm when the General Officer Commanding Malaya, Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, made the largest surrender in British military history, consigning the forces under his command to cease hostilities in an unconditional surrender to Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashitu, commanding the Japanese 25th Army. station45.cebu [160], The loss of Singapore, along with other defeats in Southeast Asia in 1942, reduced British prestige in the region. [39][f] Of this figure, 15,000 men were employed in supply, administrative, or other non-combatant roles. Post war she returned to Hong Kong. ALSO INCLUDES CORRESPONDENCE TO HIS FAMILY AND LATER NEWS CUTTINGS "Bennett singled out Indian troops but did not confine his remarks to them. [99] On the evening of 10 February, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, cabled Wavell, I think you ought to realise the way we view the situation in Singapore. They were malnourished and frightened, with morale and discipline at a low ebb. The next day, as the situation worsened for the Commonwealth, they sought to consolidate their defences; during the night of 12/13 February, the order was given for a 28mi (45km) perimeter to be established around Singapore City at the eastern end of the island. The most positive escape concerns the ex-Japanese fishing vessel Kofoku Maruskippered by Australian master mariner turned mining engineer, William (Bill) Reynolds. My attack on Singapore was a bluffa bluff that worked. Print This Page. [139][135] Post-war analysis has shown that a counter-attack might have succeeded. [167][168] The other ethnic groups of Singaporesuch as the Malays and Indianswere not spared. Many ships and other craft were sunk or disabled and there was considerable loss of life. Planners determined a broad scheme of manoeuvres that incorporated simultaneous attacks on the territories of Britain, The Netherlands and the United States. [59] Also in support was a light tank brigade. 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. Discounts, promotions, and special offers on best-selling magazines. The ship was powered by temperamental German diesel engines, their operation needing specialist engineering knowledge. 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. This boat was badly holed and with constant bailing could only accommodate four passengers at a time. ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE -- 1942 by Ian Skidmore RELEASE DATE: March 1, 1974 A yarn of adventure in Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean. Copyright 2023. This brave man had refused to kneel in order to be beheaded. Wah Suiembarked a further 300 wounded, plus nurses, and sailed on 10 February. As it starts, it's not really obvious whether it's a novel or narrative, since it's all told third person. No more is known of the fate of Kembong but with a new lease of life the venerable Perak sailed for the Mediterranean. There's nothing particularly thrilling or gripping in the whole book, and it's time poorly spent. The Japanese let the other survivors go ashore and the wreck was used for occasional bombing practice. The Japanese were at the limit of their supply line and their artillery units were also running out of ammunition. Here they met a Chinese who for payment agreed to take them to Sumatra. Shortly afterwards Percival allocated the composite 6th/15th Indian Infantry Brigade to reinforce the Australians from their position around the Singapore racecourse. He was convicted and hanged in the Philippines on 23 February 1946.[176]. 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. [63][64], Blowing up the causeway had delayed the Japanese attack for over a week. Singapore, 1942, is an exotic tropical city and the home of six-year-old Rosie Sharbanee. Her passengers included the skippers wife, a civilian nurse Alice Wilkinson, and 12 Dockyard personnel, plus 50 from the RAF and Army. 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. Because of the dangers no women were to be taken onboard. Life on the Line tracks down Australian war veterans and records their stories. The British erroneously considered the jungle terrain impassable, leading to a swift Japanese advance as Allied defences were quickly outflanked. [8][9] The basic plan for taking Singapore was worked out in July 1940. 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. On 11 November 1940 the German raider Atlantisencountered the Blue Funnel liner Automedon. 1996-2023, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates, Select a location to see product availability. More than 15,000 Australian soldiers were captured. Those who fell on the way were bayoneted. : As they had destroyed all code books the Rear Admiral Malaya was thereafter unable to read signals. The RAF provided meals and then loaded their guests onto three buses which took them to the nearest railhead. 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. [60] In comparison, following the withdrawal, Percival had about 85,000 men at his disposal, although 15,000 were administrative personnel, while large numbers were semi-trained British, Indian and Australian reinforcements that had only recently arrived. 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. Learn more how customers reviews work on Amazon. He felt it was a disgrace. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we dont use a simple average. An edition of Escape from Singapore, 1942 (1974) Escape from Singapore, 1942 the story of an incredible voyage through enemy waters. Many of those aboard the ships perished. The next day the cruiser HMS Danae arrived from Batavia and took onboard about 80 officers and 500 men. Since then further interesting information has come to light. 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. [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. Attacks would be made against the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor as well as landings in the Philippines and attacks on Guam, Wake Island and the Gilbert Islands. 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. The survivors were forced to leave behind about 110 Australian and 40 Indian wounded, who were later beaten, tortured and murdered by Japanese troops during the Parit Sulong Massacre. [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. Over the course of two hours, the three Australian battalions that had been engaged sought to regroup, moving back east from the coast towards the centre of the island, which was completed mainly in good order. [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. This information, coupled with its own appreciation, convinced the Japanese War Office of the weakness of the British position (Robinson 2016). [72], The air campaign for Singapore began during the invasion of Malaya. [45] This included the naval base at Sembawang. [101] This order was passed on to Bennett, who allocated X Battalion. These recordings can be accessed through Apple iTunes or for Android users, Stitcher. Japanese newspapers triumphantly declared the victory as deciding the general situation of the 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. [35][36], During the weeks preceding the invasion, Commonwealth forces suffered a number of both subdued and openly disruptive disagreements amongst its senior commanders,[37] as well as pressure from Australian Prime Minister John Curtin. She was similar in size to a Navy HDML but narrower in the beam. 232 Squadron RAF was formed and No. : We have new and used copies available, in 1 editions - starting at $3.98. The men were forced into a series of small, badly ventilated rooms where they were held overnight without water. [165][166] The Japanese sought vengeance against the Chinese and anyone who held anti-Japanese sentiments. [154], A classified wartime report by Wavell released in 1992 blamed the Australians for the loss of Singapore. [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. 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. Cultured Lotus, Singapore, 1942, is an exotic tropical city and the United.... Morale and discipline at a low ebb in size to a swift Japanese advance as Allied defences were outflanked. Blamed the Australians for the loss of life engines, their operation needing specialist engineering knowledge took them to.! Were sunk or disabled and there was considerable loss of life the Australians from their position the! Were malnourished and frightened, with morale and discipline at escape from singapore 1942 low ebb CORRESPONDENCE! Turned mining engineer, William ( Bill ) Reynolds Chinese and anyone who held anti-Japanese.... Engineering knowledge taken onboard was considerable loss of Singapore the rest of the force was of mixed quality,,! 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