Singapore Nightmare: A Story of the Evacuation and an Escape to Australia

By Outpost

The Fall of Singapore was the largest military blow to the British war effort in the Second World War, underequipped, without adequate air-cover; the embattled defenders made a valiant stand against the invading Japanese army to no avail.

In this eyewitness account, illustrated with photographs, the anonymous author captures the attempts of the Empire troops to stem the tide of defeat as the inadequate defences were overrun. The anonymous author was a member of the Volunteer Defence Force and saw up close the carnage and heroics of the defenders firsthand before escaping in the nick of time via Penang.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Verdun Press
• Release date: Jul 26, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786259424

Book preview

This edition is published by PICKLE PARTNERS PUBLISHING—www.pp-publishing.com

To join our mailing list for new titles or for issues with our books – [e-mail]

Or on Facebook

Text originally published in 1943 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2016, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

SINGAPORE NIGHTMARE

BY

OUTPOST

A STORY OF THE EVACUATION AND AN ESCAPE TO AUSTRALIA

The photographs have been kindly loaned by the

Malaya Information Bureau

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 4

PUBLISHER’S NOTE 5

CHAPTER I—INVASION 6

CHAPTER II—WHY DID SINGAPORE FALL? 10

CHAPTER III—THE ESCAPE 15

CHAPTER IV—ACROSS SUMATRA 18

CHAPTER V—NEW LIGHT ON THE LAST DAYS OF SINGAPORE 29

GENERAL FEELING OF HOPELESSNESS 30

SINGAPORE LOST IN FIRST DAY’S FIGHTING 31

INDISCIPLINE OF SMALL ELEMENTS 32

CHAPTER VI—AWARDS FOR GALLANTRY IN MALAYA 34

VICTORIA CROSS 34

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER 34

MILITARY CROSS 35

DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL 36

MILITARY MEDAL 36

ILLUSTRATIONS 38

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 49

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

THIS is the story of magnificent endeavour and frustrated valour—the story of Singapore. Singapore Nightmare arrives in London at the moment when we expect, as Field-Marshal Smuts said, the defence phase has now ended, the great offensive moment is ripening.

Singapore Nightmare shows to what lengths our enemies will go to conquer and humiliate the free nations, and just how prepared in every detail we must be.

War in the Far East has equalled in terror the war of the West, and as the censor has so wisely said in his preamble, when passing the manuscript, As author has identified by name an officer who befriended him, and discusses the nature of the officer’s duties, it is suggested that the said officer’s name be changed. It is considered that the enemy may take reprisals against the officer and his family.

For this reason we have changed certain names and given the author—who is an Englishman holding down an Empire job—the nom de plume of Outpost, otherwise the story is published unadorned and unabridged.

CHAPTER I—INVASION

ON 1st December, 1941, I received a letter in my morning mail telling me that I had to report to Volunteer Headquarters in Beach Road, Singapore, at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, 3rd December, this being the third day of mobilization.

This was the first intimation of war in Malaya, and I would never have believed it if someone had told me that less than three months later Singapore would have fallen and that I would be escaping across Sumatra.

Most civilians in Singapore had been active members of different Volunteer Forces since the European War had started, and I personally had been a Volunteer for the past five years. Before the war we used to do only one parade a week, with one or two weekend camps during the year, but when the war started in 1939, we had greatly increased the number of camps and parades with a special annual two-months’ training period, during which time we were attached to the regular British Forces. This two-months’ period was intensive training, and when the Japanese attacked Malaya we felt as efficient and as highly trained as any other unit of the regular Defence Force.

All Volunteers in Singapore received their mobilization notices on that Monday, and they all had to report on various days, ranging from 2nd December to 5th December, when mobilization was supposed to be complete. Most of the Volunteers left their offices immediately they received their notices, and proceeded to arrange their private affairs. I did the same, and when I reported on Wednesday morning I knew that I had done everything possible for my wife and children should I never see them again.

That Wednesday morning I joined my section of the Singapore Royal Artillery, and we took over our two Eighteen-pounder guns and our searchlight.

Volunteer Headquarters had never been such a hive of activity, yet everything went off very smoothly. Our guns were hooked on to two lorries, and off we rattled at ten miles an hour to our pre-arranged position on a Singapore beach. At Headquarters the opinion was expressed on all sides that if the Japanese wanted to fight we were more than a match for them, and there was much light-hearted badinage.

Our section consisted of fourteen men under an officer and four N.C.Os., and when we arrived at our gun position we worked until midnight getting things into position. About midnight our ammunition arrived and, dog-tired as we were, it was necessary to unload it.