OPERATION ZIPPER
In late 1945 I was in the Merchant Navy serving in the old Royal Mail liner ALMANZORA 鈥 a clapped out relic of the First World War, saved from the scrap yard in 1939.
The last operation of the last war was Operation Zipper: - which no one seams to have heard of. We went to Madras where the ship was fitted out to carry about 2000. 鈥楪hurka Commandoes鈥 and eventually put them ashore on the Benim Beaches 鈥 on the coast of Malaya without opposition from the Japanese. Next we joined the invasion fleet (under Mountbatten) and proceeded to Singapore. Our ship was ordered to enter the harbour to see what happened 鈥 but there was not a soul to be seen and for a couple of days we could wander about provided we didn鈥檛 leave the docks,- Japanese police were guarding the entrance. The Japanese ships were deserted and stripped of all removable gear. A couple of lorries had been left and we enjoyed driving along the dockside.
In one of the dock-sheds we found some crates full tins of crushed pineapple 鈥 unfortunately large tins but we helped ourselves and a lot were added to the ships stores.
Lord Mountbatten came in with several navy ships and we were invited to the surrender ceremony. I didn鈥檛 go but walked around the dock area chatting with the locals. Those little bits of talk with the population gave an insight into the future Singapore.
The British P.O.W.S had been making for the docks and we tried to give them something to eat until some sort of organisation could take over. Some sheds were full of rubber and the Japanese were made to load it into our ship 鈥 using the 鈥榗hain 鈥檊ang鈥 system operated by recently arrived Aussies armed with pick handles.
Finally we loaded about 900 ex P.O.W鈥檚 and a couple of hundred interned civvies. Among the skeletal P.O.W鈥檚 I found a chap from Tunstall named Harry Turner who was pleased to get news of home ( I was an Etruscan).
The mess decks were lively like kids let out of school. Music playing from loud speakers. Someone put on the record of Ernest Lush 鈥 a very popular pre war record 鈥 鈥淥h for the Wings of a Dove鈥 a choir boy singer.
All the chatter stopped the P.O.W鈥檚 lay in their bunks with tears in their eyes. Even now I can see it all 鈥 and how a boy chorister could do what all the Japanese had tried to do for four years.
Gradually the walking skeletons filled out 鈥 they even liked rice pudding especially with pineapple! On arrival in the UN they were almost back to normal their families had been saving rations for weeks. And felt a bit let down when the healthy strong men arrived home.
One final note 鈥 who got paid for all that rubber? The first raw rubber for years to reach Britain.
Roy Leadbetter
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