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6021141
Private
Edward Henry James King
1916/11/15 - Born Tilbury Docks, Essex
Son of Edward and Blanch King
Suffolk Regiment
4th Battalion
54th Infantry Brigade
18th Division
1941/10/31 - Sailed from Liverpool in the Andes, Convoy CT.5, destination Halifax
1941/11/08 - Reached Halifax and transferred to USS Wakfield (Ex Manhattan)
1941/11/10 - Left Halifax in Convoy William Sail 12X which consisted of six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way, destination unknown.
The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo, arriving at Trinidad on 17th November in glorious sunshine so our tropical kit came out, but unfortunately no shore-leave, we left after two days of taking on supplies. On 24th we crossed the equator, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, South Africa. By this time the Americans were in the war as the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbour and attacked Malaya and the rumours were that they were heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.
On December 13th the convoy left Cape Town and sailed along the coast of East Africa past Madagascar and into the Indian Ocean heading for Bombay. After 17,011 miles at sea Bombay was reached December 27th 1941.
Embarked on 17th January back onto the Wakefield. The convoy sailed the next day with a British escort, the H.M.S. Exeter and H.M.S. Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers. Japan had entered the war by attacking Malaya on 8th December 1941, destination was the far East. The Prince of Wales and the Repulse had both been sunk by the Japanese off Malaya. Passing Colombo, (Ceylon), crossing the equator for the third time, the convoy passed through the Sundra Straits between Java and Sumatra and then the Banka Straits. The convoy was then bombed by Jap Planes, there was no damage, the Wakefield was the first of our convoy to reach the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore on the 29th January 1942. Ships were ablaze in the harbour, clouds of smoke drifted across the sky and the smell of fumes was overpowering, this was not the best of greetings. The Japanese had taken most of Malaya in the last three weeks and were only thirty miles away from Singapore.
The 18th Division was moved to hold the north-eastern part of the island near the Changi Peninsula.
On the 5th February the Empress of Asia bringing military supplies, including ammunition for the 18th Division, was hit by bombs and went aground on the Sultan Shoal, this did not help the now desperate situation the battalion was in. The following days saw heavy bombing and bombardment from the Japanese. On Sunday the 8th February, using makeshift rafts, the Japanese 18th Division and 5th Division began the movement across the Straits separating Malaya and north-western end of Singapore. The Australian troops who faced them didn't get the artillery support they needed, and shielded by the dense smoke, the Japanese soon got a foothold, the fighting was soon hand to hand.
The situation on the island was now very critical with many troops over run and the enemy threatening to take control of the water supply. The end came very quickly, at noon on the 15th a car travelled down the Bukit Timah road with a white flag above a Union Jack, Singapore had capitulated.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. 1121
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/06/24 - Transported to Thailand in June Mainland Party, Train 4
Commander Major Percy Duncan Weir, RA, 118 Field Regiment
and
Major Marten Turner Read, R.A.M.C, I/c 196 Field Ambulance Pers.
New PoW No. 1825
Transported to Singapore when Railway was completed
1944/07/04 - Transported from Singapore in the Hofuku Maru to Borneo where ship developed engine problems and left convoy SHIMI 05 to the Philippines for repairs
1944/07/19 - Arrived Philippines
The PoWs were kept on board during the engine repairs
1944/08/24 - Edward taken off ship at Manila as he was sick
1944/09/20 - Hofuku Maru sailed for Japan
1944/09/21 - The Hofuku Maru was sunk after leaving Manila
1945/06/08 - Edwar was liberated Bilibid Prison Camp, Manila, Lucerne
Liberation Questionnaire
Information
Convoy William Sail 12X
KEW:- WO 361/2167, WO 361/758, WO 392/25, WO 345/29, WO 361/2177
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