大象传媒

February 15th 1942

The following morning we were told to get out as quickly as we could. Japanese naval units were sailing up the river and more paratroops had been dropped . The installations at Palembang were being destroyed.

They expected our evacuation to be fairly organised and comfortable. We were informed that room on a special train had been reserved for us. We were at the station for eight o'clock. It was 11 AM before the train arrived and it was packed out with civilians who were hanging on outside as well. There was a big shortage of rolling stock in Sumatra and extra trains couldn't be run. There was another train still due to come but it was unlikely that there would be room -- and if we wasted valuable time waiting for it and couldn't get on there our departure would almost certainly have been delayed too late.

So -- it was each man for himself and a walk of 250 miles faced us. If you look at a map, and see the distance from Palembang to Oustenhaven you will realise the hopelessness of it.

Meanwhile, our officers -- I don't mean just our squadron, were making off in cars etc.. We were lined up by our Warrant Officer, a regular who believed he had a responsibility to his men. At the roadside, two officers rolled up in a car -- they told us that we had to walk all the way, to keep moving or we hadn鈥檛 much chance,-and they politely wished as the best of luck -- and drove off, with two empty seats in the back covered with their kit.

Thus we were totally deserted by all our officers, except two who had motorcycles and tried to keep the rabble moving by waiting for us at various points in the road. I don't doubt but that they would have made full use of their motorbikes if it has been necessary. Maybe I have never been overly remarkable for my respect of the commissioned ranks, but I never really expected to see quite as bad a show is this. We had to walk and sacrifice all our kit, even little bits of personal things of sentimental value -- but on the road we were passed by a constant stream of officers in cars with the back seats piled high with kit, or sometimes even two or more empty seats, but it never seemed to occur to them to help the O/Rs; not even those who were injured. We were obviously a lesser breed and expendable. It follows that there were a small minority of officers who didn't come into this class. We saw some of them doing what they could to help along the way. In our own 232 Squadron we had one excellent C/O -- but he made the final sacrifice in the skies above Malaya. Our adjutant P/O Welsh was another who did his best but I am afraid that he was a living example that I University Degree doesn't necessarily make you a leader of men, or even very intelligent. Our leader, let's face it, was Warrant Officer Russell, unflappable and with a constantly cynical smile on his face.

After our disorganised rabble had made their way along the road for all of the morning and best part of the afternoon, with the sun bearing down and nothing to eat, and even worse, nothing to drink, we eventually reached a railway siding. In it was a Goods train taking coal and rice up to Palembang. As we could make good use of the train and it could hardly go to Palembang anyway, we commandeered it and spent the rest of the afternoon either hauling huge (and mighty heavy) sacks of rice off the train, or shovelling coal.

February 17th 1942

By sundown we had a long line of the empty trucks and we all filed in. We were packed like sardines and unable even to sit down on the floor properly. But the open coal trucks represented our only hope and we were grateful for what we had. A certain amount of coercion was needed to get the driver to take the train back in the Oustenhaven direction and it needed a Naval Officer with revolver to ride with him on the engine.

What a nightmare that night was. It was a single track railway with innumerable bridges any of which may have been destroyed by the Japs and with Jungle on either side we could have been ambushed almost anywhere.

We arrived at Oustenhaven the following morning -- extremely grimy, thirsty, hungry and tired. (The 18th) in the small harbour were three troopships full of troops and airmen that had been sent to reinforce us. They never got off their ships, of course, and instead we filled them to overflowing and away we went. I was on the "YOMA", not really a very nice sort of boat at the best of times, but infinitely worse when it was ridiculously overcrowded as it now was. The only place I could find to sleep was in a passage way between some cabins (presumably officer's quarters). The food was bad and in short supply, the sanitary arrangements were abominable -- but we were thankful for any ship at all.

It took us two days, by devious routes to make the short journey to Batavia, in Java. Batavia, capital of the Dutch East Indies, is also known as JAKARTA. Throughout this epistle I have used the names in use at that time and familiar to me. Thus Ceylon is now SRI LANKA and INDIA was one big country to me. Nowadays KARACHI is IN PAKISTAN, CALCUTTA in INDIA and COMILLA in BANGLADESH.

Maybe our flight from Palembang doesn't sound too exciting as I have described it -- but to me it was an unforgettable experience and I can never describe the thoughts that kept flooding through my brain.

Java, of course, was our last hope and in that part of the Far East which was the responsibility of the British and Dutch. We weren't particularly anxious to stay there, because lets face it, by this time our confidence was completely shattered. (Feb 20th 1942).

However, we were informed that our squadron was going to be reequipped and we were to stay there. We still hadn't any kit and if we wanted to go out at night we had to wash our few clothes during the daytime and dry them out (not a difficult task in that climate) in time for evening. I鈥檝e a soft spot for Batavia. In spite of the clothes problem, I liked it best of all the places I鈥檇 seen overseas. It's an attractive place, full of attractive people.

February 25th

After an exchange of signals with the Prime Minister, General Wavell, our Commander-in-Chief left Java for Ceylon by air. Seemingly the powers that be hadn't much confidence in the situation. We were now under a Dutch command, and were paid in Guilders at our Pay Parade in the Fort. The situation was beginning to look very familiar and the following message was received:-
"Prime minister to Air Vice Marshal Maltby. 26 February 1942.
I send you and all ranks of the British forces who have stayed behind in Java my best wishes for success and honour in the great fight that confronts you. Every day gained is precious and I know that you will do everything humanly possible to prolong the battle".

Kelly 鈥� 鈥淗urricanes over the Jungle鈥� 鈥�

On March 1st the Japs landed on Java at three points
1. Opposite the Sunda Straits
2. 60 miles East of Batavia, on Cheriban
3. At Sourabaya 400 miles East

Without kit, clothing or firearms, we prepared to defend the Dutch East Indies. Presumably Churchill sent that message with his tongue in his cheek. I quote from his book "The Hinge of Fate": --

"After the Supreme Headquarters had been dispersed all the allied forces passed to the command of the Dutch for the defence of the island. General ter Foorten commanded the 25,000 regular troops of the Dutch garrison, who were joined by the British contingent, compromising three Australian battalions, the light tank squadron of the 3rd Hussars and an improvised unit of armed men from administrative units, including 450 of the RAF together with a number of American artillery men. The RAF after the withdrawal from Sumatra was formed into five squadrons of which only about 40 machines were fit. There remained a score of American fighters and bombers.

1942

To this scanty force fell the duty of defending the island, whose northern shore was 800 miles long with continuous landing beach. March 1st. The Japanese convoys from the East and West discharged off all five divisions. The end could not be long delayed".

March 3rd

After ten days in Batavia, we were suddenly called together. Thirty of our men (fitters etc) were sent to a drome to assemble some kites for the Americans. The rest of us were put on a train. We didn't know where we were going. We continued through the night and next day through the most magnificent scenery -- mountains, rainforest and Jungle until in the early evening we found ourselves in a small port called TJILATJAP.

March 2 1942

This cheered us up enormously, although we still didn't realise how desperate the situation in Java was.

There were two boats only in the harbour. One was a medium-sized passenger ship and the other was a cargo boat. These were to be the last two ships to get away as the Japanese took control of the port that night.

We were put on the cargo ship "The Cota Gede鈥�, a Dutch ship and one of our original convoy out of England. Then it had carried our Hurricanes in crates -- now it carried us and as many other men as could be got on our boat. The number of men they shipped on board that boat was amazing. No one was left behind who made it to the harbour on time. Unfortunately they hadn't time to ship an adequate supply of food and water.

We sailed in the evening to be followed a little later by the other ship (an American film " The story of Dr Wassel" reconstructed the events of its departure). They went to Australia; our destination was Ceylon.

March 8

Four days later the Dutch had to surrender and again from their own forces 5000 airmen and an over 8000 British and Australian troops became prisoners of war.

We were heading for Ceylon, a distance of about 1500 miles by the direct sea route, which was to take us eight days. We were without escort unless you count the dolphins, flying fish and swordfish which swam and jumped and dived alongside. Completely alone, the Cote Gede ploughed its way across the Indian Ocean.

Battle of Palembang (Kelly)

A.C.. Presdee was one of a party of unarmed men making their way in single file along the road towards the Teibu (Palembang). This party was ambushed. He is believed to have lost his life there, as nothing more is known of him.

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