大象传媒

My father enlisted on the 7th of March 1939 with the Royal Navy. He was made a Japanese prisoner of war from March 1942 until October 1945. He was part of the Sumatra Battalion and worked on the Burma railway. After his death in 1993 we found a note book some enteries were dated and some not, although we knew of this book it was never discussed as my father didn't talk about the war in very great detail. These are his accounts of events:-

8/12/1941 - Hostilities commenced today between the Nipponese and ABCD powers at 4 am Singapore time. The day is Sunday. At 9am a large force of Jap planes attacked Penang and the harbour, at the time of attack the Kampor was in port and altogether there was approx. 30 ships of all sizes in. They caused great havoc ashore getting a direct hit on the fire station and killed thousands of shoppers in market place. From where we were the whole town seemed to be ablaze. we had a grandstand view of the whole affair but after a while the smoke grew too dense we could not see anything. After the raid was over we had orders to disperse all the shipping, after dispersing them we went on patrol affected and were immediately attacked by Jap dive bombers.

9/12/41 - Still on patrol off K and J. Bombers bombed Penang again between 9-10am. We were attacked by Jap bombers again today and in all had 26 attacks. Our only A.A. defence is one Lewis gun that stops about every five rounds.

10/12/41 Jap bombers bombed Sungie Patani areodrome, 8 planes came. They got a surprise however an A.A. gun had come up during the night 5 of the 8 shot down. we were again persecuted by planes all day.

11/12/41 - Jap bombers again hammered Penang and Prai at the same time, the planes are not so numerous. as usual, they had another go at us today and their aiming is getting better.

12/12/41 - Today is the same as yesterday, a couple of Chinese stokers dived over the side during the bombing of the kampar, we picked them up after the raid.

13/12/41 - penang bombed again there is no natives left in the town now and so far they have only bombed the native quarter. we got a very near miss today and it has blown the side in the engine room is flooding, the pumps are working overtime. we are ordered to return to harbour if possible, we've made harbour but had to turn the ship around, injured have been taken ashore and we are burning all papers.

14-12-41 - 6am. launch comes along side and takes off crew and ammunition and proceeds to Glugor R.N.W.T. station. 9am. I receive orders to return to ship and set demolition as it has been decided ship is unfit for further service, whilst trying to get a launch Jap planes come over and attack ship getting a direct hit on fore well deck thus saving me a job as ship bursts in to flames and heat sets demolition charges and magazines off.

15/12/41 - have been working all night ferrying N pilots and stores to Prai. Civil evacuation of Penang has started. Returned to naval office, have orders to help clear up the dead the place stinks. Dead and fires everywhere. Returned to Glugor.I am dead tired and the only food is rice as all stores have run out.

16-12-41 - had instructions on how to run a diesel boat and have got two steam launches, employed in running supply of demolition gear to Prai for Aerodrome and power station, unable to make Glugor. Night as black as ink and pouring cats and dogs, my signals get no answer. My mate reports water left in boiler and no fuel decide to run on nearest sand bank and hope for the best. We cook a meal of rice and marmite in furnace, the launch is listing badly.

17/12/41 - Daybreak we find ourselves about 100 fathorns past Glugor Jetty so go ashore and get some sleep, we returned to launch and destroy engines started wholesale destruction on launches in harbour,only keeping one steam launch. general evacuation of service personnel begins / ferry Bagan is taken to Singapore. Kulum and Tanjong are sunk by HMS Pameor. Everyone is on the way down to Singapore but we are standing by our launch, at 5 pm, we are ordered to evacuate. Capt.Hamer joins us, we move out but owing to rain and bad visibility decide to anchor for the night.

18/12/41 - We proceed at daylight and are the last to leave Penang which is still burning. There is only 4 of us on board Capt Hamer and myself on deck and Wakeford and Cookman ABs in the Engine room, none of us know anything about engines except starting and stoppng.

19/12/41 - Fuel is running short and the boiler is nearly empty we hope to make Port Swettenham tomorrow. During the night some M.Ls passed us, we signalled but got no reply. We have 3 Brens and 1 Lewis that we took from Glugor so should be able to give a good account of ourselves if we are attacked.

20/12/41 - Our boiler is empty we are just drifting at present there is nothing we can do as the engines are beyond us. Shortly after we stopped, the Bagan came in sight. She also had engine troupble. They picked us up but will not take our boat in tow. 2 hours later we berth at P.S'tthm and take a train to Singapore. I met Lt. Lee and he gave me beer and said he's heard we'd been killed on Kampor shore. Australian troops arrived and got ashore safely. Whilst on patrol an oil-tanker ran into the mine fields and blew up three men, picked up 2 of whom die on the way in. The diet on Kuala is monotonous salmon and biscuits it has been like it for weeks. Another tanker has run into the mine fields and has burned for 4 days. We are recharting mine fields as all the old charts seem to be wrong. The gunboats are going up the east coast of the Penissula bombarding Jap positions.

Singapore
Wakeford and I are in the F.S.A. and we tried to get an issue of kit, as we have only what we stand up in. they tell us they have no kit left as the P.O.W and Repulse survivors have taken all kit. We have an opportunity of going home but refuse it and ask for a draft to HMS Kuala and the request is granted. Join Kuala at Kefiel harbour Singapore and proceed on patrol, there is not much doing, the bombers don't seem to be bothering about shipping very much.

10/02/42 - Empress of Asia and 2 troopers try to enter harbour but jap bombers are concentrating on E and A, Dancie is belting away at planes and brings down 8. E of A is hit and is blazing, her Captain runs her aground by lighthouse. the water is full of soldiers, we have all our boats away picking them up H.M.A.S Yarra has gone alongside Asia and taking off troops. the ammunitions on Asia are exploding and flying everywhere. we have picked up 2 to 3 hundred and the M.Ls have cleared up the rest. When the bombing has ceased the people who are left come aboard, there is about 5 to 6 hundred including Army officers. We proceed to sea as soon as it is dark our orders are to steam by night and anchor close to land by day and try to camaflauge ourselves as much as possible. We bury our dead at sea. Another ship the Jim Kuong is in company with us. She has no compass, one of her engines is damaged and can only make slow speed is carrying RAF personel.

11/02/42 - We coaled ship today and the Japs were mortaring us all the time they are also bombing the 9.2s on Blakang-Marti but are not having any success. We returned to Kepal roads and fell in for a beautiful blity we were not hit but ship is looking like a collander. She is full of shrapnel and machine gun bullets no one was hurt. Pulan Sambu the oil dump was set on fire by bombs and is filling the sky with smoke and at night is illuminating the whole place.
12/2/42 - Proceed up Johone Straits after loading sampans all day. The Japs are on both sides of us but they either can't see us or else not worried about us as they've not opened fire on us. The B.M 9.2 and Changi 15 inch are blowing hell out of Johore and are bursting about a quarter of a mile from our position I'm hoping they don't reduce their range. When the shells burst it is like a gigantic roman candle. I think they are all shrapnel shells, they kept a continuous barrage up all night.

13/02/42 - Today is Friday. laid in habour all the ships have nearly gone and no-one seems to know what is going on. The army are running their tracks into the sea by the haburnum steps. We are embarking women and children for evacuation, the first to boat loads are on board. When the japs decide to bomb the Ack-Ack on Laburnum jetti there is hundreds of women and children there. The bombs are falling amongst them, there is no air-raid shelters and they are just being blown to pieces. there are several killed and injured.

14/02/42 - We've anchored off an island named Pom-Pong with Jing-Knong nearest to the island then us and another ship to seaward of us named Kung Wo. Now it is daylight I've discovered that I'm covered in blood. The boats have gone ashore to collect foliage. We are trying to make the ship look like an island. A seaplane approaches and drops two bombs at us but misses about 10 minutes later 7 bombers come and attack K.W. they hit her and she sinks in a few seconds. They have a go at us and get 2 or 3 direct hits and we start to abandon ship. We have not enough life belts for all the women and children the boats are returning so I remove detonators and firimers from depth chargers and drop them over the side. I can't get the depth chargers off the throwers so have to leave them. The ship is sinking fast and most of the evacues are over the side and swimming for the shore. The planes are still bombing and lots of people are being kiled in the water. Can not get to the bridge, the fire is too fierce. The captain is injured. The engine room is badly bashed about and engineers and firemen are dead. Make my way back to poop deck and get the help of an army officer and soldier to throw a raft over the side. have not seen a naval officer since we were hit, they must be all forward of the bridge. The depth charge on throwers have caught fire and a terrific blast went through the ship. I think it is time I was leaving so I take a look around and then go overboard. After swimming around for 20 minutes (it is too risky to try and make the beach on account of Bornbo) I see a Carley float with no-one on board of it. After getting on board of it I pick up a woman swimming with a tin hat on. Shortly afterwards pick up a R.N. officer and two more women, after about half an hour we have taken 24 approx On board plus my old mate Wakeford who seems to be suffering from shock, this raft has no water on it so all we are able to do is paddle with our hands, which is doing us no good as the current's are strong. The officer says to just wait and the boats will pick us up after they land their loads on the beach, judging by the people in the boats it will take hours for them to reach shore. Darkness is setting in and we are drifting slowly away from land, a native Perahu has just passed us full of survivors so we can get no help from it. It is pitch dark now and we are taking turns at hanging on the sides, on board there are 3 males the rest are women and children including one very small baby the mother of it and a girl of 8 years is also on. The night is dragging on very slowly and some people seem to be asleep. I nearly fell asleep and am sure that I dozed because I had a dream that I was in a milk bar drinking and strangely enough when I came to my senses felt refreshed.

15/02/42 - The dawn is breaking and we can see land all about us but we are still hoping a boat will assist us as we can make no headway with the raft, it seems we've lost a couple of people during the night and no-one seems to know who it is. There is all nationalities on. The sun is up and quite hot at first we welcome it but as it is accentuating our thirst as it gets fiercer we regret seeing the small baby has started frothing at the mouth and is dying the mother of it has gone demented and is trying to get over the side eventually she does so and drowns, her small daughter follows her and drowns too. It was a chinese family. Thirst is the trouble now, some of the people are drinking salt water and as its supposed to drive you mad we try to stop them its not possible however, and as they drink their fill, we manage to get close to land but currents caught us and carried us off again. Our R.N. officer tries to get ashore but after going a few yards returns and says he can't make it. lots of our passengers have given up and drowned themselves or died of exhaustion. No-one who is inside the float will get out now and let the ones hanging on have a rest. Wakeford seems to be in a bad way he has his head partly in the water most of the ime. night is falling and we aren't looking forward to it as it gets very cold. I manage to get in the raft for a spell during the night and if I hadn't I should of fallen off before the morning. The night is same as the previous one except the water is not as choppy the people however arguing and praying alternately. I think we all must be mad.

16/02/42 - As day breaks we find we have lost a couple more but everyone feels too lethargic to bother about it. We drift quite close to land again today and it is decided that someone must try and swim for the beach and contact the natives for help. As I am the only one who seems to have any energy left the job is given to me. The officer and my mate seem to have lost their senses and niether is interested in anything and I'm the only one who can speak a little Malay so about 4 o'clock I make the attempt getting a service lifebelt off one of the women as everyone is inside the float she no longer needs it. As not a strong swimmer I shall no doubt need it, after swimming for what seemed hours I reached the beach, on trying to walk however I fall on my face again, tried to walk and after much effort succeeded. I saw the float disappearing to the west. After walking for an hour or so it became dark. I'd seen no sign of life or water which was what I needed most then. I felt so weak I tired. I tried to sleep and slept for a while but hermit crabs woke me by trying to eat my feet, as I was very hungry I caught a few and ate them. Their flesh was very sweet but made me sick.

Continues in Bob Barugh's Story part 2

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