大象传媒

Being in a signals section, it seemed we were considered appropriate for 鈥楽ubmarine Watch鈥� and so for a couple of hours each night we would struggle out of our bunks, don balaclavas and all the other warm clothing we could find, and in complete darkness make our way to our 鈥榮tation鈥� on the top deck where we relieved another man. Our duty then was to stare hopefully but not too optimistically at the dark sea and try to spot any intruder submarines or other vessels. Actually I almost enjoyed it 鈥� the stars overhead, the rough sea, rain and cloud and the other ships grey and dim in the darkness. Day time watch was much more prosaic, but still interesting. Curiously in all my war travels at sea I never had even a suspicion of sea sickness. Perhaps my mind was fully occupied by other things.

It took about a month to reach Freetown (Sierra Leone) by our round about route. And with constant zigzagging to make life more difficult for the enemy subs. The journey seemed fairly uneventful with the usual rumour of submarines driven off or sunk 鈥� which may or may not have been true. Each merchant ship (including the 鈥楳onarch鈥�) had a gun mounted at the rear and ours was manned by members of an artillery regiment who were our constant companions up to Java. Sporadic gunfire would be heard but it could well have been just practice. Even if we had been on the fringes of one of the great sea battles of the war, no one would have told us of course.

Eventually, however, we put into Freetown (Sierra Leone). Perhaps 鈥榩ut into鈥� is misleading as the harbour certainly couldn鈥檛 cope with ships the size of 鈥楾he Monarch of Bermuda鈥� and 鈥楥ape Town Castle鈥�. We anchored 200 yards or so offshore and were refuelled and supplied by boats. No opportunity to go on shore, of course.

After 3 days stewing in the heat of Freetown Harbour and such mild amusements as watching the locals dive for pennies, we were on our way again. Our C.O. Squadron Leader Landells 鈥� and our best pilot called us together and told us that our destination was Iraq. (Incidentally, my previous criticism of our officers was not meant to include the flyers, only the ground staff). A few days later (December 7th) came Pearl Harbour and with the entry of Japan into the war it seemed likely that our destination might be changed.

With the sinking of the 鈥楶rince of Wales鈥� and 鈥楻epulse鈥� in the waters off Malaya, the fat was really in the fire. Our navy was now virtually out of the war in the Far East, the army weren鈥檛 doing too well, and the Air Force 鈥� well, I quote 鈥楾he Fall of Singapore鈥� by Frank Owen:

鈥淚n the air the Japanese held supreme advantage. The Japanese Navy Zero fighter completely outclassed our Brewster Buffalo fighter which was slow, limited in climb and with a faulty interrupter gear on its fuselage guns. Also the Japanese torpedo-bomber outstripped our bi-plane Vickers-Wildebeest ( speed 100mph and not surprisingly nicknamed 鈥楩lying Coffins鈥� ) which had been declared obsolete for more than a year.

And the Japanese long range bomber (normal operational height 20,000 鈥�24,000 ft and distance 1600 miles) was far superior to our Blenheims. Totally absent from the Royal Air Force were any dive-bombers, transport planes, photo-reconnaissance planes and army co-operation aircraft. There were few trained pilots and there was a fearful shortage of spare parts.鈥�

It didn鈥檛 need much imagination to guess that something had to be done if we were to have any hope at all in Malaya and Singapore.

Our fears were confirmed on our arrival in Durban (December 20th) where we spent five days. Our squadron and the army unit mentioned previously were rushed from the 鈥楳onarch鈥� to another boat, and what a boat it seemed to be. The transfer itself was an ordeal. Loaded with full packs and carrying two kit bags we had also to carry a rifle slung over our shoulders. This would have been child's play to any army unit trained to do it, but what a struggle it became as we made our way for over half a mile to our new ship, with the hot sun beating down. Rifles are clumsy and HEAVY, even if this is not the impression given in TV Westerns.

So we joined the 鈥楢orangie鈥�, an old Australian mail boat with one great virtue 鈥� it was fast.

The remainder of our short time in Durban was more or less our own. With three of my friends Roland Presdee, Brian Wilson and Jack Spencer, I explored the city 鈥� the zoo and the Servicemen鈥檚 Club. I had my photograph taken and then turned my attention to sorting out some way of re-establishing communications with home. We hadn鈥檛 received any mail from home since embarking and hadn鈥檛 had the chance to send any.


Our mail was dealt with by the RAF, being subject to censorship and we weren鈥檛 allowed to use the normal channels. However, I thought I鈥檇 try to get something through, so I bought a letter card with views of Durban, put a stamp on it, included a brief message and popped it in a mailbox. This was posted on the 22 December and oddly enough it got through so the people at home had at least some idea of my whereabouts.

Even in those days the difference between 鈥榗oloureds鈥� and the whites in South Africa was disturbing to foreigners like ourselves. I particularly remember that the buses had two seats at the rear specifically for coloured people which were labelled unmistakably. It must be said however that the people of Durban had a well-deserved reputation for generosity to the troops passing through. Variety concerts were arranged and invitations to visit homes and partake of meals were widespread. Due to its situation and the many visiting ships and convoys, it was also a centre for the 鈥榮py鈥� industry. We were warned about this, but I feel that we could probably have learned a great deal more from them than they could learn from us.

However we were not allowed to savour the delights of Durban for long.

On December 24th (Christmas Eve ) we sailed from Durban, a small convoy now of fast ships 鈥� 3 troop ships, 3 cargo boats with an escort of one cruiser only. It was a desperate effort to get some modern fighters and ack ack guns operative in Singapore. We absolutely flew through the water. The usual convoy precautions of constant zigzagging were dispensed with and we just went straight and fast.

This time there was no doubt whatsoever about our proposed destination 鈥� Singapore.

The 鈥楢orangie鈥�, which seemed to have a slight permanent list to starboard, was a distinct come-down from the 鈥楳onarch of Bermuda鈥�. Our quarters were in one of the holds of the ship. The floor was covered in messing tables and above them were slung hammocks tightly packed together. We were so low in the ship that the portholes had to be kept closed all the time and the heat and atmosphere were so bad that I only slept down below once during the whole trip. The rest of the time I slept on the open deck aloft. Fortunately we were in a hot climate. One of our convoy was a Dutch cargo ship, the 鈥楰ota Gede鈥� which carried our Hurricanes. To me it was to become the most important ship in the convoy.

I suppose it was inevitable that the Japanese would know that we were on the way and that we represented the only real threat to their air supremacy. We certainly got our share of attention from them. I鈥檓 not trying to glamorise 232 Squadron because we failed comprehensively, but it would have been unreasonable to expect anything else. Far too little 鈥� too late.

Our next stop after Durban was the Maldive Islands. It was only necessary to stay a few hours and we continued on our way. The cruiser 鈥楨xeter鈥� being added to our escort. The Exeter carried a spotter aircraft which went away on rece everyday and always returned just before sundown.

January 1942
Eventually, as we got within a few days of Singapore, fresh warships kept arriving to escort us.

Regarding the Brewster Buffaloes:

I quote from Geo. Chippington鈥檚 book 鈥淪ingapore 鈥� The Inexcusable Betrayal鈥�

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鈥淭he Brewster Buffaloes the American Airforce had kindly handed over to us as their own pilots refused to fly them. Bits tended to fall off in dives. The guns didn鈥檛 fire properly and usually more than a prayer was needed to get them back on the ground safely all in one piece.

During the last day of our journey we were escorted by no less than 13 naval units i.e. over 2 escorting warships for each vessel (including cargo boats) in the convoy. This shows the importance given to our small convoy. We were the last hope.

In spite of this massing of naval forces and what help could be added by as many Brewster Buffalo fighters as could be mustered things would have gone badly for us, but for a stroke of luck with the weather.

The morning of our last day at sea we were attacked by Japanese fighters 鈥� Navy O鈥檚 for whom we conceived a far greater respect than our English newspapers and wiseacres seemed to have had. They were driven off by our defences (even the troopships and cargo boats were bristling with guns) and by the Buffaloes from Singapore.

It鈥檚 surprising how little you know of the full picture when involved in events of this kind. Another thing 鈥� it鈥檚 very different being in a city like London during an air raid, when bombs fall somewhat indiscriminately and although people are killed and injured you don鈥檛 really expect it to happen to you provided you take whatever evasive action is possible 鈥� to being THE target in a localised attack.

However, the full story got into the Australian papers, even if the English papers were completely disinterested. That morning two formations (37 in each) of Japanese bombers together with a substantial fighter escort, set off to destroy our convoy. Due to appalling weather conditions 鈥� heavy rain and a tropical storm 鈥� they had difficulty in finding us even in those narrow straits and although the fighters got through and inflicted some damage, it was negligible.

We would have stood very little chance in good conditions. This was the first of many pieces of luck that I had in the Far East. Of course the climate in Singapore is very wet. There are more days with rain than there are without but it dries up very quickly. The climate is hot and humid with average temperatures about 80degrees the year round. The annual rainfall is 96鈥� ( against 33.8鈥� in Manchester ). Still to get the weather we did at just the right time was a wonderful, unexpected bonus. The last film we saw on the ship was 鈥楾he Road to Singapore鈥�. What a sense of humour someone must have had.

In view of the opposition it was considered wisest to spread our convoy around the various harbours of Singapore as far as was possible so that any attacks may only damage one or two of our number. Anyway, we finally disembarked and the Signals personnel and a few others were transported to Seletar transit camp. This was a small camp in a quiet spot where we were accommodated in bamboo structures ( I wouldn鈥檛 really call them huts ). Each of them 鈥� there were about six 鈥� housed about six men. They were bamboo structures with overhanging roofs but open to the elements 鈥� no doors and indeed no proper front. Inside were what I can only call two shelves. The first about a foot off the ground was for our kit and the other one about 6ft up and accessible by a ladder was our sleeping accommodation. There was a native Malay servant attached to our hut who cleaned our shoes and buttons and kept an eye on things when we were away at the airdrome. We ate at Seletar airdrome where the food was good and plentiful and English cigarettes were cheap and plentiful.

For most of us it was our first taste of foreign parts and although we hadn鈥檛much free time to explore it we found Singapore fascinating. Durban had seemed to have one foot still in Europe or America.

One of the first things I did after our arrival was to send a telegram (rather dreading how Betty and Pa and Ma would feel when they knew where I was ) so that it would be apparent that I had at least survived the journey. The telegrams we sent weren鈥檛 very informative or personal. In fact, we weren鈥檛 allowed to send our own message but had to choose up to three messages from a printed list provided by the authorities, as you can see. The telegram has the three numbers which indicate the messages and doesn鈥檛 give an indication of where it was sent from.

As it was vital to get our squadron operational as quickly as possible we had to help with the unloading of the ship which carried our planes and equipment. One night in particular stands out in the memory. Bob Robinson and I were working down in the hold of the Kota Gede with bright arc lights shining down upon us. The air raid warning sounded. The work couldn鈥檛 stop which meant that the lights had to remain on. It was disconcertingly apparent that we were unloading ammunition for the guns of the Hurricanes and if anything dropped our way from above it seemed we were a poor insurance risk. I鈥檒l not pretend that I wasn鈥檛 scared, but eventually the all clear sounded and once more we had been lucky.

Let me quote Frank Olsen from his book 鈥楾he Fall of Singapore鈥�.

鈥� On January 13th there arrived in Singapore a reinforcement convoy of infantry, artillery and fighter aircraft. The greater part of it had better never been unloaded.
The artillery consisted of 6鈥� heavy and 35鈥� light British Anti Aircraft Regiments and the 85鈥橞ritish Anti Tank Regiment. They arrived without their guns.
鈥淭he aircraft were S1 Hurricanes in crates. They were not the most modern type. With them came 24 pilots, not one of whom had even had any experience of flying in Malaysian conditions. The very next day, January 14th, the struggle for Johore opened.鈥�

January 1942

In Singapore we were welcomed with relief. The island itself had hardly been touched when we arrived and the battle was still raging in Malaya. The Japanese were having it all their own way in the air against our aged aircraft. Now that we had arrived though people thought that Singapore would be safe and the papers were filled with photographs of Hurricanes and news of our squadron. We were, to some extent, affected by this optimism ourselves 鈥� but we had little need to be.

After a couple of days working continuously in shifts around the clock, the job was completed. All our personnel who had to do with assembling the planes and equipment went to Seletar to get on with the job. We Signals chaps were put to testing the wireless equipment in the planes already there. You鈥檝e no idea how uncomfortable it was climbing on the hot metal of the planes in that heat and with bare knees.

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