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Royal Norfolk Regiment
4th Battalion
History
Compiled by Ron Taylor
In memory of my father and his mates in the 4th Battalion
Into Captivity Singapore
15th February 1942 - 15th August 1945
‘Private 5776807’ by Frederick Noel Taylor
Before the Japs came into our camp, stories of atrocities carried out by them were spreading, fearing the worst, we had to pile all weapons and ammunition in the open. Then a small party of Japanese checked that everything had been carried out to their commands, the trucks carrying the Japanese then arrived. Standing to attention and faced by an unknown enemy, the stories flooded through my head of Chinese men, woman and children being used for bayonet practice and allied units surrendering under a white flag in Malaya being shot and left for dead.
Our officers were allowed to take charge at first, the Japanese having set up two machine guns at the entrance to some tennis courts, placed us inside them. The following day our officers took charge and marched us to Changi Prison on the North-east end of the island. It was on the way I learnt of the massacre at Alexandra Hospital, a medical officer, Lieut. Weston had confronted the Japanese outside the hospital with a white flag only to be bayoneted to death. The enemy soldiers who seemed tall for the normal Japanese, then killed anything that moved, the patients didn't stand a chance. It was later reported that 323 died in the attack, 230 being patients, the rest medical officers and nurses. The hospital couldn't have been mistaken for anything else, all the medical officers were wearing Red Cross insignia and the hospital had a large Red Cross in the grounds, (it was later established that the soldiers that carried out the raid were the Japanese Imperial Guard and the raid was in retaliation for their losses by the Australians the days previous).
Being the nearest to Changi we were the first to arrive, later to be joined by the rest of the captive troops. Food was still being issued by our cooks at this time and it wasn't so bad, but within a week food and water were in short supply, the Japs then issued rice.
In April working parties started to be taken away, our cloths, boots and belongings were taken from us only to be left with a loin cloth. If we didn't bow to a Jap we received a good beating, at first we hit back but you then found yourself in the guard room where six or seven very friendly Japs would try their best to put you in hospital for a week. Another punishment was to stand you to attention in the hot sun with nothing on, the Japs would stub cigarettes out on your body as they passed, given no food or drink you just feinted, then you were put in the cooler (a bamboo cage), for days on end with just rice balls and salt. The Sikhs and Bengalis from the Indian National Army were now helping the Japs guard us, if any goods were found being smuggled, they had the authority to give out beatings. This all had the desired effect and you tried to keep out of trouble, but you had to eat to live and smuggling food still went on.
Roman Catholic Church Changi
In May I found myself in the hospital, rice did not agree with our stomachs and dysentery and fever spread throughout Changi. While I was in hospital, a big clean up of the dead in Singapore was ordered and Divisional HQ was amongst the working party to go, brother Jack came to see me before he departed and gave me his ring and watch to look after for him, I didn't see him again for nearly a year. I left hospital on the 23rd May, having been there for a week I had lost contact with many of my mates who had been moved in working parties around Singapore.
Working parties had increased, and on the 18th June my turn came, I was now feeling a lot better but the food and conditions at Changi were very bleak, rice and green leaves were our diet, the water had to be boiled and the sanitary conditions were terrible, so I was glad to get away. With a party of 600 others under the command of Major R.S. Sykes of the 18th Division, Royal Army Service Corps, we were herded into cattle trucks and driven up Malaya and into Thailand.
Death Roll
Singapore PoWs
15th February 1942 - 15th August 1945
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Died
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Name
|
Service/No
|
 |
1942/02/16
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Barber, Harold Edwin
|
5779998
|
|
1942/02/16
|
Smith, Harry James
|
5775648
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Cope, Ernest
|
5777013
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Holl, Raymond
|
5773941
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Holehouse, Louis Raymond
|
5776694
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Musk, George Herbert
|
5772199
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Myhill, Frederick Arthur George
|
5774880
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Neal, Arthur Samuel
|
5774023
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Nobbs, Ernest Reginald
|
5775266
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Drake, Frederick Charles
|
5772289
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Leamon, Jack Raymond
|
5774337
|
|
1942/02/17
|
Smith, Edwin Joseph
|
5773486
|
|
1942/02/17
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Smith, Percy Harold
|
5772465
|
|
1942/02/17
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Stead, John Walton
|
5782343
|
|
1942/02/19
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Hanton, Percy Arthur Noel
|
5772862
|
|
1942/02/20
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Jordon, Charles
|
5779598
|
|
1942/02/22
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Boothby, Raymond Wilfred
|
5778653
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|
1942/02/26
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Smith, Arthur George
|
6003564
|
|
1942/02/26
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Chamberlain, Charles Henry
|
5767244
|
|
1942/02/26
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Clarke, Edward Neslin
|
5774691
|
|
1942/02/27
|
Sprigens, Alfred
|
5775528
|
|
1942/02/28
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Macdonald, Alastair David
|
102402
|
|
1942/03/03
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Turner, Stanley Ernest
|
5106406
|
|
1942/03/14
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Briegel, David Roy Lindsey
|
129434
|
|
1942/03/15
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Dilworth, Walter Ernest
|
5573510
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|
1942/03/17
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Bland, Kenneth David
|
5775040
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|
1942/04/11
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Burnell, Stanley William
|
5780638
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|
1942/04/17
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Bridges, George Victor
|
5775317
|
|
1942/06/10
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Clark, Vivian Walter
|
5573516
|
|
1942/07/05
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Phillips, Harry George
|
5772729
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|
1942/10/04
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Stone, Leslie
|
5774136
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|
1942/10/19
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Morrice, Norman Frank
|
5114313
|
|
1943/03/03
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Neal, Reginald Charles Henry
|
5777821
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|
1944/04/12
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Robinson, Frank George
|
5777850
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1944/04/27
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Pearson, Percy Clifford
|
5779364
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1944/09/27
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Tovey, Ronald Michael Henry
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5773276
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