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Captain Wilkes Diary - Transportation to Fukuoka 25B:-
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24/6/44
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Date of Departure From Tha Muang, Thailand
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JOURNEY BY TRAIN TO SINGAPORE. Accommodation 30 men per truck. Average two meals per day which was quite inadequate.
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30/6/44
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Arrived River Valley Rd Camp, Singapore. Australians already in possession.
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Accommodation: wooden platforms with attap roof. No side walls. Two and a half years old, in very bad condition.
Three hundred men per hut in two layers, one, six feet from the ground, the other, one foot from the ground.
In some huts the bottom platform was missing and the men had to sleep on the ground. The huts had electric light.
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04/7/44
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Started work at docks. Loading and unloading cargo ships.
Very heavy work.
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15/7/44
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Two parties, with some Australian Troops, left for Japan.
305 strong.
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01/8/44
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(approx): Party arrived from Nong Pladuc under command of Major Seeking.
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10/8/44
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(approx): Hut collapsed injuring 20 men.
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11/8/44
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8 badly injured in hut collapse and removed to Changi. Some
rejoined the party later.
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Rations: During this period: Rice – about 650 gr. per day. A little
dried fish 2 – 3 times a week and tapioca root. Inadequate
supply of tinned cooking-oil. (Help received from Indian
Troops in next camp in way of curry powder and extra rations).
Complete rations totally inadequate.
Canteen:Very expensive. Japanese making private profit.
Supplies:Coconut, cakes, soap, tobacco, fruit.
Medical: Main diseases: Beri beri, malaria, ulcers, slight dysentery.
Two deaths.
Morale:Morale of troops gradually declined throughout this period.
Discipline: From bad to worse. During this period in River Valley Rd.
Camp, party funds of $850, comprising canteen funds, pay,
and personal money, were stolen from Captain Wilkie. The
criminal was undiscovered.
Amendment 1: Several boxes of British and American Red Cross Medical Supplies were received. A number of bags of rice polishings were provided just prior to leaving the camp.
Medical supplies and rice polishings were taken on board the ship. We commenced receiving mail about two weeks before the departure. This was about one to two years old.
A number of bags of letters which had not been issued were taken on board the ship.
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04/09/44
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EMBARKED FOR JAPAN AS UNDER:-
On vessels: Party split under command of Capt. Keyes 598 and Capt. Wilkie 950, total in Paty 1548
Less: First Japan Party 305
Died at R V Road 4
Left in Changi Hospital 10
Left at R V Road Camp for removal to Chan 12329
Total 1877
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Also on our own transport: Japanese soldiers and some wounded. Nurses, civilian women and children (Japanese). We were in two forward holds. These had only one narrow staircase and two vertical ladders as means of egress. Conditions insufferable and cramped. Sleeping conditions extremely bad: not sufficient room for every man to lie flat. Few were allowed on deck at a time, deck space being very limited. Latrine and washing accommodation very limited, there being long queues both day and night. For two days whilst lying in harbour, drinking water was very scarce.
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06/09/44
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Sailed in convoy as under:
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Two transports, three destroyers, one cruiser, three merchantmen.
Lifebelts were issued to all. Whistle signal arranged.
First: “Don lifebelts.”
Second: “On Deck.”
Third: “Abandon ship.”
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08/09/44
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Food on board ship about same quantity as in Singapore, but
more variety. Wholly inadequate Red Cross Medical Supplies.
Rice polishings and letters withheld from us.
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10/09/44
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Convoy joined by four ships coming from the direction of the
Fillipines.
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11/12-
/9/44
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NIGHT.Convoy attacked by submarines and the following ships
were sunk to the best of our knowledge:
1 trooper carrying party under command of Capt. Keyes.
1 Tanker 1 Cruiser 1 Destroyer.
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Our own boat suffered a slight collision in the bows with the stern of another ship in the confusion which followed.
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12/09/44
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No signs of any of above vessels. We did not stop to pick up survivors.
NIGHT: Own vessel torpedoed well astern. Noise was not an explosion but similar to the noise of the collision the previous night. No orders or information received from the guards, and no warning from ship’s siren. After 15 mins. approximately the ship stopped and began to settle rapidly by the stern. Lifeboats were lowered and rafts slung overboard. Our own officers ordered men up from the hold and the Order given to abandon ship. She sank in about five minutes. Behaviour of our own troops very good. Japanese soldiers & sailors verging on complete panic. No other ships believed sunk that night.
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13/09/44
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MORNING: Japanese soldiers in many cases beat British P O Ws off rafts. Japanese sailors behaved reasonably well. Early daylight, two destroyers arrived, guided by planes and picked up all Japanese survivors and a few British. Empty lifeboats left with us. P O Ws took over life boats. Tinned milk, water and biscuits found on board, very welcome. Life boats continued rescue work.
Very difficult owing to the very weak condition of the men.
Destroyer vanished in direction of a stationary oil tanker which was soon followed by sound of gunfire. This was followed by a huge pall of smoke. This tanker remained burning all through the night and best part of next day.
NIGHT: Spent night in lifeboats in vicinity of blazing wreck.
Morale of troops extremely low. No medical relief and many injuries.
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14/9/44
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:About 1000 hours two small trawlers and two small destroyers arrived and commenced rescue work. All visible survivors picked up. Condition of men: many injured limbs, cuts, oil burns. Some men naked, and in all cases clothes were useless. Eyes were badly seared with crude oil. Treatment was good. Food, cigarettes, water but no medical aid or treatment.
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15/9/44
16/9/44
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Arrived Hai-nan. No medical aid here. Survivors were transferred to another trooper and were joined by survivors picked up by other ships, including Australian troops. These were survivors from Capt. Keyes’s party. P O Ws put in forward holds. Accommodation much more roomy than before but had to lie on steel deck.
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18/09/44
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Sailed in evening. Still no medical aid for wounded. Lifebelts were issued to officers only. Japanese guards and surviving sailors had two to three lifebelts each. About 100 – 120 sick and injured attended by Capt. Matheson R A M C, assisted by R A M C orderlies and untrained helpers. No assistance given by Capt. Richards R A A M C during remainder of the voyage.
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21/09/44
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Arrived Kaolung. No medical aid and still no lifebelts. Part of the time here was taken with making up what records we could of the survivors. All previous records and party funds had been lost in the shipwreck. We had to use what scrap paper we could pick up, no paper or pencils being provided for these records.
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25/09/44
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Sailed in the evening. Destination unknown.
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26/09/44
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Arrived back at Kaolung. in the morning.
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27/9/44
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Sailed in the morning. During the night of 27-28 we had an alarm. One destroyer was torpedoed.
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29/9/44
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Arrived in Moji harbour in the morning.
General:food during this part of the voyage was better in quality and quantity. Latrine accommodation was still inadequate. Washing facilities were better. No medical aid throughout. Five men died en route. Morale and discipline still worse.
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30/9/44
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Landed. Had disinfectant baths and then back into same dirty clothes. Accommodated in a large hall over night. Good meal. Heavy sick were left on dockside to be taken to Moji hospital.
The remaining party was then split in two as under:-
Capt. Wilkie 300 Capt. Pearce 270 Total 570
All records prior to shipwreck were lost and we were unable to make any until we arrived at final destination.
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31/09/44
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Wilkies Diary Fukuoka 25B Record 1944
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