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This story was submitted to the People’s War website by Adam Jones on behalf of Norman Edwards, and has been added to the site with their permission. The author is fully aware of the terms and conditions of the site.

Before the Japanese crossed the Johore Strait the powers-that-be decided the RAF would be better flying from Sumatra in the Dutch East Indies There were two airfields near Palembang, the main town, so they were named P1 and P2. Ours, P2 — about 40 miles from the town — was simply an airfield cut out of the jungle, with tents for accommodation.

One crew used to open the bomb doors of their Hudson, fasten a mosquito net to the gear holding the four 250lbs bombs — set at safe, of course! — and sleep there during the night.

One morning enemy paratroops, flown in abroad Hudson ‘look alive’ aircraft, dropped at the P1 airfield. The force there, RAF with some Army units, did well in the fighting which ensued but had to withdraw.

Meanwhile, back at P2 the Squadron’s aircraft were busy making attacks on the Japanese invasion fleet and on Japanese troops coming up the river in small boats. Then, most of the airmen were picked up by our own aircraft and flown to Java. The others arrived after a land and sea journey, part on a commandeered railway train driven by Royal Navy stokers. It had been necessary to rip out wood from the carriages to keep firing the engine.

We moved to Bandoeng, then Semplac,Buitenzorg. One evening, with all the Hudsons bombed up for an attack, someone shouted that the Blenheims were coming in. They weren’t — they were Japs

After the raid the scene was one of complete devastation, with aircraft blowing up and on fire. It was the end of Semplac.

Some of us Boarded Lorries which took us to a railway station from which a train took us to the port of Tjilatjap. Others were left behind, only to become prisoners. They included my friend Jimmy Graveson. Many years later I found that Jimmy had died in 1943. I was told by friends in the Java Far East Prisoners of War club that the Japs had chosen some men to work in Japan. Ships carrying the prisoners to Japan had no signs that POWs were on board and so were easy pickings for American submarines in the area.

At Tjilatjap we at first boarded the USS ‘Abberkirk’ but were then told it was the wrong ship. Climbing down the ladders we found ourselves on the ‘Kota Gede’ — ‘Big Fort in Malay — a tramp streamer of some 2500 tons, with room, perhaps for 6 passengers. What a bastion she was to the 2000 or more airmen crammed aboard her for the next nine days.

She did not have facilities to cope with the large number on board but there were no complaints.

The captain was Fredrick Goos, the crew mixed one of Dutch and Indonesians.

Two queues stretched right round the ship, one forward and one aft twice a day for meals of bully beef and sew. The only ‘plates’ were slices of bread and ‘cups’ were tin cans. There was the luxury of bread and rice pudding during the early part of the voyage. The only fresh water was for cooking.

There were a number of deaths on board, the bodies being slipped into the sea after a few words from the padre.

To keep out of the lanes of Japanese bombers and submarines the Captain steered SSW until Sunday 1 March when he changed to NNW. He had been ordered to sail in convoy style to Australia but he decided to head for Ceylon.

At the end of the war Captain Goos was expecting to be court-martialled but when the facts were known he was decorated for having saved his ship and at least 2000 servicemen.

At Colombo in Ceylon we transferred to the ‘Dunera’, hoping we were returning to the UK but in fact arriving in Bombay and then Karachi.

Some went elsewhere but I was one of those who were sent to Drigh Road where I found myself coating two super-looking silver Dakotas, civil airliners, in dull camouflage paint.

I returned to the UK after serving with 62 Squadron for four and a half years. Quite a number of that original party would never return, and there were those who came back sick in mind and body after their release from captivity.

There were 32 Victoria Crosses awarded during World War 2 for aerial operations. The only one awarded in the Far East went to Squadron Leader Arthur Stewart King Scarf, of 62 Squadron, who was my Flight Commander.

It was on 9 December 1941 that a daylight raid was ordered on the Japanese-held airfield at Singora, Thailand. He had just taken off when the enemy attacked the airfield, all the other aircraft being badly damaged or destroyed while on the ground.

S/L Scarf saw the destruction on the ground but continued the attack on his own. This he did successfully but opposition over the target was severe and he was attacked by a considerable number of enemy fighters. Even though seriously wounded, he continued to engage the enemy in a running fight back to the Malaysian border in an attempt to return to Butterworth but, owing to the seriousness of his wounds, was unable to reach his destination and had to force-land at Alor Star on the way. He completed the landing without causing and injury to his crew, but had to be admitted to hospital and later died of his wounds.

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