Mombassa, was the RNF’s staging ground for moving up into the desert to help the British troops against Rommel and his African Corps, but the Japanese entry into the war changed their destination.
The RNF stayed on board the Orizaba at Mombassa for about a fortnight and had Christmas Day, 1941 on board ship with the temperature very high. Compared with Cape Town the stay was not as hospitable and it was good to be on the move again heading towards India and Bombay.
At Bombay, they said their goodbyes to the USS Orizaba brfore entraining across India into the hills to Deolali. The camp was a mass of huts with every conceivable amenity the garrison troops required, canteens, barber, tailor, etc. There was also a massive parade square with an adjoining sports complex which the RNF football team were eager to try out being unbeaten back in the UK.
In the cool of the evening, the team took to the field, Kicking off at 90F they were thrashed by a local Deolali team 6-0 and it is said the goalkeeper had a very good game, the score could have been much higher.
Army drill was carried out every day the RNF were at Deolali, evening entertainment was a Naafi canteen or gym, and on one night they had a film.
The char-wallah brought morning tea to bed before they got up at reveille, and the shoe-wallah cleaned boots during the night ready to pull on in the morning. Meals were served in the Cookhouse with a short walk to the dining room. A careful sky watch was needed as the vultures would swoop down and empty the plate of food.
Entrained back to Bombay Docks the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers embarked on to a Free French ship called the Felix Roussell.
Sailing out of Bombay 23rd January 1942, with Convoy BM12, including the Empress of Asia (2235 troops), Plancius (987 troops), Devonshire (1673 troops), and escort HMIS Sutlej, the City of Canterbury(detached from DM2),it was apparent the ship was now heading for the Far East to engage the Japanese
On the 26th the Commanding Officer, Lt. Col. Thomas told the men their destination was Singapore and the convoy was strengthened with escorts HMAS Yarra and HMS Falmouth and on the 27th by ‘HMS Emerald’. The largest change was on the 31st January when escort ‘HMS Emerald was replaced with HMS Danoe, HMS Encounter, HMS Exeter and HMS Java greatly strengthening the convoys escorts.
Avoiding contact with Japanese shipping, a zig-zag route was taken, but eventually land was sighted and the ship headed through the Sunda straits between Java and Sumatra, keeping watch for Japanese aircraft and submarines. The convoy then turned North, passing Bangka island towards Singapore.
The morning before the ships were to berth at Singapore, the sky was full of Japanese Bombers heading for the convoy, which had two troop carriers, the ‘Felix Roussell’ and the Empress of Asia. The ‘Empress of Asia’ seemed to be the Japanese prime target at the beginning of the raid and eventually received a direct hit which stopped her engines, making her a sitting target, the bombers hit her again and again. Nets and lifeboats were lowered over her sides but the ship caught fire, and with the fuel leaking into the sea, caused the sea to wear a blanket of flame.
The Japanese now turned on the ‘Felix Roussell’ and bombs hit their target. The guns of the ship found their targets and at least a half-dozen Japanese planes were downed. Four bombs had hit the ship with little damage but there were deaths. After the Japanese had withdrawn, the dead were buried at sea. The ship then continued onto Singapore. The Commanding Officer was awarded the French Croix-de-Guerre medal for the ships part in this action.
On reaching Singapore Island on the 5th February, Japanese Bombers were pounding the Island which seemed to be ablaze with heavy smoke reaching to the sky. As the ship docked, Chinese and Malaysians were working on the damage, and hunting for people buried under the debris. What a welcome to the Singapore Island Fortress!
As army trucks pulled along side the dock the RNF men scrambled aboard.
Driving through the darkened Singapore streets, it was chaos with civilians searching buildings for loved ones. Travelling at speed the army trucks were out of the City and in the suburbs where the poorer classes lived, eventually arriving at their tree lined destination.
Being awakened by reveille, the RNF shaved and dressed before lining up for their first meal since 4pm the previous day. The meal had just finished when 27 Japanese bombers attacked in a ‘V’ formation bombing indiscriminately before flying away. The raids continued during the day and in-between the men of the RNF prepared their guns for the next raid, making their first day in Singapore a long frightening experience. Late in the afternoon the RNF were on the move again, half way across Singapore before getting a nights sleep.
The second day was worse than the first, as they waited in a wood, bombs rained down on them as they witnessed the result of devastating indiscriminate bombing. A truck fully loaded with men from another regiment suffered a direct hit with men and metal blasted to pieces, shock did not stop them trying to help those still alive, but there were not many alive to help.
As darkness fell on the second night and they were moved down Bukit Timah Road and nearer to the Naval base, which had huge round storage tanks. The Japanese pounded the area from across the now blown causeway with mortars, occasionally hitting a fuel tank making the area highly illuminated and the troops defending the area, easy targets.
With the Japanese no more than 400 yards away the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers were to replace the Leicestershire Regiment who were defending the camouflaged machine gun positions at the Singapore end of the causeway. Strict instructions were to avoid letting the Japanese know the machine gun positions, so the change over was carried out crawling quietly about 500 yards with full kit and relieving the Leicestershire Regiment without any incidents. The noise from the bombardments from the Singapore guns and the Japanese shells going in the opposite direction from Malaya was deafening.
A ‘change over’ routine was put into place and relief teams changed over just after dusk and again changed just before dawn, this made sure they were not seen in daylight hours. The position was set up to repel any advance the Japanese would make across the causeway, which had not been totally destroyed by the retreating troops to Singapore. Watching for any action on the Malaya side of the causeway the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers silently waited with their guns trained through slits in the camouflage netting.
On the 7th February the Japanese launched a barrage balloon with a basket hanging underneath to observe the position on the Singapore end of the causeway, but as instructed no fire was given by the RNF guns, so as not to give away their positions.
On the night of the 8th February noise was heard from the Malayan side of the causeway indicating landing craft were being prepared. Gun fire was heard from behind the RNF Singapore positions, which was found out to be caused by fifth columnists, letting off Chinese fire-crackers makings the troops believe the Japanese had already landed and were behind their positions. The Japanese bombing had increased and also rifle shots were now being fired from the Malayan side of the causeway. Orders were received to withdraw as the Japanese had attacked the Australian held positions, broken through, and now held a foothold in Singapore, they were pushing along the coast and would cut off the RNF if they did not withdraw. It is still not sure if it was true or fifth columnists who caused the confusion. Under orders the RNF loaded their trucks and withdrew down the Bukit Timah Road to new positions and dug in.
As dawn broke the Fusiliers had a good view of about a mile in the direction the Japanese were believed to take and with the guns trained on the roads and tracks ahead which flowed out of a large woodland area.
Again the 27 bombers attacked and Japanese mortars found the RNF positions, causing havoc. At midday the firing ceased and Japanese reconnaissance planes flew low the RNF positions, before disappearing, then the bombers and mortars continued firing again.
Battle noise reached the RNF coming from the woodland area where 18th Division infantry held positions, by nightfall most of the woodland infantry had pulled back to the RNF positions as they were being out flanked by the Japanese. This led to another retreat to safer positions and to stop the Japanese getting behind the troops. The Japanese used camouflage procedures which the RNF were not trained for, one of which was dressing up as the civilian natives and transporting themselves using bicycles. The troops could not differentiate between the real and the fake, so instructions were given to fire on anyone suspected as enemy.
The present position was held until a white flag appeared and was carried to the Japanese front line. The defending troops with no air cover did not stand a chance against a Japanese army with air cover, sea cover and battle hardened infantry.
The day was Sunday, the 15th February, 1942, when the orders were given at 4pm to lay down their arms, Singapore had surrendered to the Japanese.
Extract form Fusilier Charles William Nicholson’s Memoirs
“We went through the Sunda straits, which separates Sumatra from Java onboard the ship Felix Roussel . As we went through the Banka Straits, we were bombed by 27 high bombers no one hit or hurt, all near misses.
As we neared Singapore, they came at us again. The Empress of Asia was badly hit and burning, this Ship had all our transport on board.
As we neared Singapore, we had all the Vicker’s Machine Guns, and Bren Guns strapped to the rails. I was on the Monkey Bridge, this was the highest Deck on the ship, and all it had was a wooden cabin, about 4 feet square without windows or door, there was a thin tarpaulin on the rails, and we crouched down behind this, when they dive bombed, you could have poked your finger through it.
I was directing others who had Bren Guns on to various targets. A Bomb hit us right between the two funnels, two Fusiliers were killed. I had my webbing lying on a water barrel, a piece of shrapnel cut it into pieces then it dropped into the barrel, this battle was just before we reached Singapore. We arrived into Keppel Harbour, no Pilot or Tugs and we only felt the slightest of bumps against the quay side and this was all in the darkness.”
“The Army had to commandeer all civilian lorries, as we had no Transport of our own. We set off on this Lorrie heading towards the golf course. Where we were stopped by an M.P, and turned back. We were heading for the Japanese lines. We were on the wrong road to the Gum Plantation.
We stayed one day. We had been paid ten Malayan dollars, and we were all buying tins of Pineapple pieces. We then set off for the Naval Base, shots were fired at us, from a clump of trees, and in one second everybody was off the Lorrie and flat on the ground, or in a ditch. We eventually arrived at the Naval Base, and were shown to our dugout, and we set up our Vickers Machine Gun. We were told not to move around, as the Japanese had never spotted the dugout.
That night we heard an explosion, the last of the retreating troops had passed and the Engineers blew a hole in the Causeway. and then finished it off with barbed wire. But they did not do a very good job. Next morning we were looking across the Sraits of Jahore and watching the Japanese walking around, and Lorries going to and fro, but we were not allowed to fire on them. We sat all day watching them,
The next night we could hear the Japanese hammering timber into the hole on the causeway. Lt,General Percival said that the attack by the Japanese would be in the North East. So he posted the 18th Division on the North East. The Japanese then landed on the North West part of the Island. Which was defended by the Australin 8th Division, Commanded by Lt,General Gordon Bennett.
He also stated that we were very thin on the ground. Next morning, we were told to pack up and retire from the Naval base. We then had to march from the Naval Base, down the Bukit Timah Road, which was the main road from the city to the causeway. We hadn’t any trucks, and had to march. As the number one Machine Gunner I had to carry the Tripod which weighed 50 Lbs the number 2 had to carry the gun which weighed about the same, as it was also filled with water.
We eventually arrived somewhere on the Bukit Tima Road, by this time we were tired. We were lying in line across the grass in the middle of the road. I was on the outside above an open drain, I fell asleep when the fellow next to me pushed me to awaken me. But he pushed too hard and I ended in the drain in about a foot and a half of water, this woke me up quick smart.
Trucks arrived and we were taken to Thompsons Village. The Japanese had a small Plane which was used for spotting and he flew over the Village and was dropping Hand Grenades down on us. So we left there and were taken to a Chinese Cemetery. Ted and I were on Guard it was pitch black and plenty of Fireflies which looked like Torches in the dark. We were both sitting on this Grave, they were of cement about 2foot high, when a hand was put on both our shoulders, we nearly died with fright. it was a Gurkha, out on the prowl.
They used to go out at night cutting the throats of the Japanese with their Kriss. We talked for a while then suddenly realised that he was not there. We were relieved and went to our separate holes in the ground. Next morning, they shelled us with Mortar Bombs and we got our first causalities. A bomb hit the edge of a trench and the nearest one, a chap called Les Alexander was killed.
The next one was my mate Ted he had a piece of shrapnel in the left side of his temple and the third one Charlie Carr, was pitted in the face with dirt, as he was running past my trench. I shouted Charlie, jump in here. He was screaming the Bastards have got me and he kept on running until someone grabbed him and hauled him into a trench. After a few more bombs they ceased firing, so we were able to get the injured off to Hospital.
When Ted arrived back from the Hospital, he told me the story, of how he did not feel anything. They had found a bottle of Whiskey and they got sozzled so they did not feel anything at the time. During the ten days that we fought, I cannot remember if we had any meals. I know we did not get much sleep. We then marched from the Chinese cemetery to Bukit TImah road, to the Ford Factory where the Cease Fire was signed, and a Bottle Makers Factory.
After that we marched to a street named Mount Pleasant a small hill just outside the city. Saturday the 14th of February. We went into the back garden which was on a slope. We dug our trench for the Machine Gun. The Japanese were on the opposite slope. Again, we could see them but still no firing.
There was a Soldier lying in the hedge in front of our dugout, so I crawled over to him but he was dead, bloated like a balloon. He must have been there for a few days. On the front road of Mount Pleasant, there was a four-pounder Anti-Tank Gun and a chap lying dead near it, one leg missing. Some Japanese got into a house two doors away from us. 2nd Lt Addey went to the Anti-Tank crew and told them about the Japanese in this house, so they turned there gun and fired a few rounds into the house and blew it to smithereens.
Still no action so we took turns in sleeping. Sunday 15th February dawn, heavy guns started up from both sides, and it was like being in a tunnel, with a continuous swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, going overhead both ways. This went on all day with other louder explosions. In the afternoon I was looking at a road when a large black car went past, It had four Officers sitting in it, J.Brady was holding a large white flag, and Doc R.Hardie said! in his book Burma Siam Railway. That Brady was holding a Union Jack. With Pennents flying on the front and General Gordon Bennet and LT.General Percival in the back seat, and shortly after we got the News, that at 4pm, we had to put something white on our gun position, and to cease fire.”
Death Roll
Defence of Malaya and Singapore
8th December 1941 - 15th February 1942
Please click on the next to each date below for more information
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