大象传媒

My father-in-law, Ted Smith ,was a survivor from HMS Repulse which was sunk in December 1941. He was injured and subsequently picked up and taken to the General Hospital in Singapore until early in February 1942 when he was shipped out on a merchant vessel the Telembra which was identified as a Red Cross ship to Colombo in Ceylon just before the Japanese entered.

The journey took 12 days instead of the usual 3 because the ship took the longer but safer passage through the islands of Sumatra. At one point on their journey they were stopped by a Japanese submarine, but were allowed to continue their passage when the boarding party was able to confirm that the ship was indeed only carrying wounded. In later years Ted was convinced that the civilised way they were dealt with, as opposed to the treatment of fellow shipmates who were left in Singapore and were subsequently sent to work on the \Burmese railway, was a result of the training much of the Japanese Navy had with the British Navy between the wars.

Ted stayed in hospital in Colombo until his leg healed and during this time contracted smallpox. In all this time he had not been able to contact his family and it was May 1942 before he was able (through the Padre) to send a 20 word message - from a list he was shown - to let his family know he was safe.

Once out of hospital he reported to the diving centre and after some further training, and requisitioning of equipment, he was once again usefully employed.

It was November 1943 before Ted finally started on his journey home and he arrived in Plymouth en route to the Naval Barracks in Devonport still in tropical clothes with no money in his pocket.

His home was only 3 miles from the Railway Station and he asked taxi driver to take him home and wait until he could get some money from his wife to pay for the journey. However, the driver was only too happy to help and refused to take any payment.

Ted was given 50 days leave as well as survivors leave and then wsa posted to Lock Urie on a submarine depot ship. He was given an Admiralty Clothing Allowance for kit lost when his ship was sunk, together with his pension which was then due, and although the war in Japan was not yet over,he was discharged from the Navy in 1945 and his service life ceased.

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