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This story was submitted to the People's war site by CSV/´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio Nottingham on behalf of Cyril Doy with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Much has been written about the horrors of World War Two regarding Far East Prisoners of War mostly of an individual author’s personal experiences in the dreaded Japanese prison camps. Writing as a service member of the 6th Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and a consequent Far East Prisoner of War I believe that little is known about the duties that were to become the order of the day prior to embarking on an ill fated mission. Having to build a viable fighting force from the remnants of that left over from Dunkirk was no mean achievement and my battalion was assigned to carry out duties in various parts of the country. The final duty was during the German air raids on Liverpool to prevent looting of bombed warehouses with orders to shoot any would-be looter. This duty was not to be envied especially with bombs exploding on the docks and shipping.

Now a fully trained fighting force we vacated our station at Knowsley Park, Prescot on the outskirts of Liverpool, and journeyed with much secrecy to Gourock in Scotland at the mouth of the river Clyde, the date being the 29th Oct.1941. There we joined a convoy of 14 ships and the 6th Battalion boarded a small merchant ship named the ‘Duchess of Athol’. Soon the convoy made for the North Atlantic: to where or what was anybody’s guess. The ill-fated 18th Division was on the way to ‘Destination Unknown’ with many rumours being spread around. It was just off the coast of Greenland that it was announced that our escorting destroyers were to be replaced by non-belligerent nation vessels. It was a sight to behold as the North Atlantic Fleet of the U.S steamed into view with flags flying and aircraft from the carriers zooming overhead, we were indeed witnessing a truly historic event of great secrecy with America still a neutral country. The convoy eventually docked at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Not allowed to converse with the town’s inhabitants we were transferred from our small ships to three of the United States’s large ocean cruise liners (converted to troop carriers). They were named Westpoint, Wakefield, and The Mount Vernon, the last being our appointed ship. What a difference from our own war torn country. There was an abundance of food, which was a welcomed surprise after our meager wartime rations.

This was a continuation of a long and adventurous journey of around three months duration and never to be forgotten by young service personnel that had rarely left the bounds of their birthplace. After calling at Trinidad the convoy proceeded along the south coast of America and thence from tropical waters towards the Falklands to avoid possible enemy action. Crossing the Atlantic once again to Cape Town to receive a wonderful welcome from the townspeople. At that time America had declared war on Japan after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Proceeding into the Indian Ocean the Mount Vernon left the convoy to call and dock at Mombasa in Kenya, the remainder of the 18th Division destined for India. Soon we sailed again, our destination being Singapore via the Maldives. On the approach to Singapore we were spotted by the Japanese aircraft and were saved by a tropical storm from being bombed. Singapore was under siege from land, sea and air and gave the appearance of neglect as far as its defences were concerned but that is now past military history, and with that I will conclude my story of a long exciting journey to a Destination Unknown.

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