Evans-Henry-John

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

904537

Gunner

Henry John Evans

Born 1919/11/25, South East London

Son of Arthur and Violet Anne Florence Evans

Husband of Violet Ruth Evans

Occupation Lorry Driver

Royal Artillery

118 Field Regiment

18th Division

Service

The 118th Field Regiment was formed in October 1939 with two batteries, 259 (23rd London), 260 (24th London). They were trained at Woolwich as part of the 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division. In the following April, the 12th (Eastern) Infantry Division infantry moved to France, but the artillery remained in England training.

The regiment consisted of a number of gun troops who were responsible for manning the guns and who were formed into the two batteries, 259 and 260. A detachment of five men would man each gun, and each gun had a driver who supplied mobility for the gun and crew. Four guns would make up a troop, two guns to the left and two guns to the right. Each troop had its own surveyors who would do the reconnaissance to find the best firing positions for the troops guns and mark their proposed positions on the ground. Two troops would make up a battery of eight guns.

On 30th June 1940, the 118th Field Regiment was transferred to the 18th Division and then based in East Anglia on defensive duties until the end of the year before moving to Scotland for training. On 18th May 1941 the 483 battery was formed, making a total fire power of 24 guns for the 118 Field Regiment. Each member of the regiment also had been rifle trained.

The 118 Field Regiment was informed of oversea mobility and departed for overseas service with the 18th Division on 28 October 1941 as part of the 55 Infantry Brigade, 18th Division they arrived at Liverpool.

Orcades

Leaving Liverpool on the 30th October 1941 with the ‘Orcades’ in Convoy CT.5, sailing for Halifax, the final destination was unknown but was thought to be the Middle East.

‘USS West Point’

On reaching Halifax on November 10th, they were transferred to USS West Point as part of the 55th Infantry Brigade and departed Halifax in Convoy William Sail 12X.

Convoy William Sail 12X continued with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way, destination still unknown.

Convoy William Sail 12X

Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney

Detailed Account by Thomas M. Allison

A reproduction of an account by Thomas M. Allison who is understood to be serving as an American Naval officer in the convoy.

Aircraft

Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.

Ships Front Line, Top to Bottom:-

USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)

Ships Back Line Top to Bottom:-

USAT Leonard Wood - USS Vincennes (Heavy Cruiser) - USS Joseph T Dickman

The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo.

Arrived at Trinidad 17th November in glorious sunshine so troops changed to tropical kit, but no shore-leave, left Trinidad after two days of taking on supplies. The equator was crossed soon after leaving Trinidad on the 24th, there was a crossing the line ceremony.

After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, and soon after news reached the regiment that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbour and Malaya on the 8th December. Britain and America were now at war with Japan and the rumours were that the convoy was now heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.

On the 13th December 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 on 27th December and were transported by train to Ahmednagar for further training. After a few weeks of training they were transported back to Bombay and again boarded the USS West Point on the 17th January.

The USS West Point formed part of Convoy BM 11 which left Bombay on 18th January, sailing with a British escort. The escort included HMS Exeter and HMS Glasgow with British and Australian destroyers, destination was now the Far East.

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 Japanese Planes, there was no damage.

The convoy reached the safety of Keppel Harbour, Singapore on 29th January. 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 day after the 118 Field Regiment arrived the causeway over the Strait of Jahore which linked Singapore to Malaya was destroyed. This did not delay the Japanese who landed at the North West of Singapore Island on the 8th February.

The 118 Field Regiment were transported about two mile to be housed at the Tanglin Barracks. The next morning some gunners were sent back to the docks to collect the gunners personal possessions which had been loaded into the Empress of Asia. Women and children were seen boarding the USS West Point. The sky filled with Japanese bombers heading out to sea, On the way back above Keppel Harbour, the Japanese released more bombs and a bomb shelter was hit which caused the death of those 118 Field Regiment inside. The next day the remaining gunners were told the Empress of Asia had been sunk and all their personal gear was lost.

On the 6th February the 118 Field guns and ammunition were collected from the Polo ground outside Singapore.

On the 9th February the 118 Field Regiment were ordered to the Seletar Airfield to join the 55 Brigade. The Japanese shelled their gun transports on the way to Seletar. On arriving the guns were set up on the markers positions. The site they were now defending overlooked the Straits to the mouth of the Seletar River and beyond to the mouth of the Punggol River. Warning of Japanese infiltrators had the batteries on high alert with the transports well hidden, as to lose the transports lost the ability to move the guns.

The guns were trained on the Japanese across the Strait, with the gunners using 25 pounders.

On the 10th February the 118 Field Regiment were ordered to move to cover the 55 Infantry Brigade troops near the Peirce Reservoir. The journey was under Japanese air attacks and in heavy traffic, no casualties occurred the journey.

Arriving mid afternoon positions were set up on the north bank. The Japanese guns opened up and the 118 Field had their first fatalities. Japanese observation balloons had compromised their positions and with no allied planes to take them down, they felt like sitting ducks. Later in the day orders were given to move further south and the transports were heavily camouflaged before moving them into positions to move the guns.

Bukit Timah Map

The next move on the 12th February was round the MacRitchie Reservoir to positions near the golf course and the race track. On the 13th and 14th February Japanese bombers hit the 118 Field causing many deaths.

Late on the 15th February the gunners were told to put their guns out of action as Singapore had surrendered.

Surrender of Singapore

1942/03/20 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 784. Reported ‘Missing’

Japanese POW

1942/02/15 - Captured

Changi

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1943/04/27 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘F’ Force, train 10

73rd overland train to Thailand

The route in cattle trucks to Thailand:-

Kuala Lumpur (0300 hrs), had rice and dried fish at Ipoh

Reached Pai (0200 hrs), arrived Haadyi (1700 hrs)

Water in cattle trucks very short, heat stifling in trucks all day..

1943/05/02 - Reached Ban Pong

The PoWs were ordered off the Cattle trucks on arrival and after a walk of nearly a mile to a transit camp where they were then informed they would be marching North West along the railway route in 14 mile stages. Many of the PoWs tried to sell their possessions to the Thais but not at a good price as the Thais knew the the PoWs from ‘F’ Force were already in bad shape and could not carry their baggage for long.

After two days of walking through the night, as it was too hot in the daylight sun, they reached the small town of Kanchanaburi. Many who tried to carry their possessions left them at this staging camp.

Walking at night caused many problems as the track was uneven with bamboo shots cutting into their feet, in time tropical ulcers would form.

Reached Kami Songkurai, many of the PoWs had dropped out along the route.

New PoW No. 4161

Camps included:-

Kami Songkurai - 299.20km from Nong Pladuk

No.1 Camp, Kami Songkurai, Thailand

1944 - Transported to ‘F’ Force Hospital Kanchanaburi

‘F’ Force had the most deaths on the Thailand Burma Railway

‘F’ Force Summery

	*British*	*Australian*	*Total*
*Departed April 1943*	*3336*	*3664*	*7000*

*Returned Dec. 1943 - Sime Road*	*175*	*165*	*340*
*Returned Dec. 1943 - Changi*	*835*	*2060*	*2895*
*Returned Apr. 1944 - Changi*	*295*	*411*	*706*
	*1305*	*2636*	*3941*
*Less Died at Changi*	17	32	49
	*1288*	*2604*	*3892*
*I.J.A. Custody (Including Changi Hosp.)*	11		11
*Alive as at 30th Apr. 1944*	*1299*	*2604*	*3903*


*Died Thailand Burma Railway*	*2013*	*1014*	*3027*
*Died Changi*	17	32	49
*Missing*	7	14	21
*Total Casualties*	*2037*	*1060*	*3097*

*Casualty Percentage*	*61.03%*	*28.95%*	*44.21%*