Wakely-Alfred-Charles

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

T/163578

Driver

Alfred Charles Wakely

1913/10/11 - Born Streatham, London

Son of Walter and Rose Wakely

Occupation Driver

Royal Army Service Corps

53 Infantry Brigade Group Company

18th Division

Service

In October 1941, orders were at last received to prepare for foreign service

1941/10/31 - Sailed from Gourock in the Polish Free State vessel, with the 2nd Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment.

‘M,V. Sobieski’ and joined Convoy CT.5 (18th Division) off the Irish Coast

1941/11/08 - Transferred to USS Mount Vernon with 53 Infantry Brigade

Via Port Spain, Trinidad and Cape Town to Kenya

Above Photo of Convoy William Sail 12X supplied by the late Maurice Rooney

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

Front Line Top to Bottom:-

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

Back Row Top To Bottom:-

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

(USS Orizaba Ap-24 also sailed with Convoy though not pictured in photo)

1941/11/10 - Sailed from Halifax in Convoy William Sail 12X

1941/12/08 - Japan invades Malaya

1941/12/29 - Mount Vernon left Kenya for Singapore in Convoy DM.1

1942/01/04 - Mount Vernon anchored at Addu Atool in the Maldive Islands, mail going ashore and taking on water. The next morning at 0900hrs, Convoy DM.1 got under way escorted by HMS Emerald , Exeter and Jumna.

1942/01/13 - At 1315hrs Mount Vernon docked at the Navy Yard, Singapore.

The service personnel of the Royal Army Service Corps, being part of the 53 Infantry Brigade, were attached to the 15th Indian Brigade and dispatched to Batu Pahat in North Johore to relieve a composite Leicester-Surrey Battalion (the “British Battalion”) and prevent the enemy occupying the town and it’s airfield. Within a few hours of arrival on the mainland, the first causalities were sustained from dive bombing attacks.

The Japanese attacked the troop positions of the Field Regiment, taking them by surprise; a company each from the British Battalion and the 2nd Battalion had to be sent to disperse the enemy and rescue the guns. This done with the loss of one gun only.

On the 23rd December, orders were received by wireless for a withdrawal from Batu Pahat to a position some mile down this road, where it was intended that the garrison should halt and fight a delaying action to cover the establishment of a further defence line through Benut.

Throughout 24th, ,the Japanese made a sustained effort to retake the Batu Pahat and pressed heavily on the defenders from all sides; the brunt of these attacks were borne by 2nd Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment and causalities began to mount up.

On the night of the 25th the Batu Pahat force, having fulfilled the demand made upon them, they finally withdrew down the coast road to the village of Sengarang where it found that the last way out of the trap had been already blocked and the force was surrounded. An enemy landing force had erected blocks across the road and prepared strong positions to prevent a break out.

From dawn on the 26th until 1630 hours in the afternoon continual attacks were launched against these blocks in the hope of being able to clear the road to allow the ambulances and other vehicles of the Brigade to pass through; but in vain. Once again, the brunt of this action was borne by the 2nd Battalion, and every man was thrown into the fight, including cooks, drivers, signallers and batmen; the opening of the road was a matter of desperate necessity, for the Brigade was still carrying with it the accumulated causalities of the last four days’ fighting in the town, for whom there was no chance of evacuation to hospital.

When finally it was found to be impossible to open the road for the passage of vehicles (there were found no fewer than six blocks and ambushes between Senggarang and Ringit) the Brigade Commander gave orders to destroy all guns and transport and to attempt to break out through the jungle and link up with the nearest British forces, who were believed to be at Ringit or Benut. A bitter decision had to be made – such of the wounded as were too ill to be moved were left in the village under the care of two doctors of the 168 Field Ambulance. When the 2^nd Battalion Padre heard of this he elected to stay with them and share their fate.

When the break – out order was given at Senggarang, the Battalion was widely deployed amongst the swamps on both sides of the roads with every man in action. As a natural result, it was impossible to collect the scattered sub – units into a complete Battalion in the time given in the order; however, in companies, platoons, sections and groups of every size and sort, under their respective officers and N.C.O’s, the great majority of the Battalion managed somehow to break out of the enemy ring and make their way back to Singapore, 70 mile distant.

Now arrived on Singapore Island there was a complete lack of any sort of defence works, and much digging and wiring was involved, principally by night and often under shellfire from the enemy batteries across the Straits; any movement by day drew artillery and mortar attention. Here the Battalion returned to 53rd Brigade. Air attacks increased in intensity daily.

Shortly afterwards, as a result of the Japanese landings on the west coast of the Island, the 53rd Brigade was ordered to carry out a withdrawal in stages to the south, to conform with the movement of the left of the general line. This operation was successfully concluded although at one time the enemy cut the road behind the Brigade, and nearly caused a second Senggarang. Finally positions were taken up on the evening of 13th February to the north of Braddell Road, but owing to darkness the positions could not be thoroughly reconnoitred the same evening and information of the positions of other units were scanty.

Soon after midnight, the enemy attacked the defensive line in several places, and a force which outflanked the Brigade came in from the left and assaulted Battalion H.Q., which though mustering only 15 all ranks, fought back stoutly and thus contained a complete company on its own. Confused and bitter fighting ensued in the darkness, and the Battalion found itself assaulted from front, flanks and rear.

The following night further attempts were made by strong enemy patrols to find a weak spot in the defences, but these were countered and the line held. Throughout the 15th the Battalion continued to hold its ground though its left flank was now in danger and communication with the rear was no longer possible.

1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered

1942/03/23 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 778. Missing

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

1942/02/22 - Changi Camp

PoW No. I 24942

1942/05/03 - River Valley Camp, Singapore

1942/06/20 - Changi Hospital, Singapore

1942/08/06 - Havelock Road, Singapore

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1942/10/09 - Transported overland by train to Thailand

6th Train from Singapore to Thailand

New PoW No. I 16316

Group 1

1942/10/13 - Ban Pong (Col. Barrett)

1942/12/24 - Nong Pladuk (Commander Col. Toosey)

*Sick Record*	- Supplied by Andrew Snow of Thailand Burma Railway Centre
*From Date*	*To Date*
*1942/10/12*	*1942/12/31*	*Malaria Clin*
*1942/11/24*	*1942/11/24*	*Bengu Fever (infection by Mosquitoes)*
*1942/10/12*	*1943/01/09*	*Malaria Clin*
*1943/02/08*		*Cellulitis on thigh (bacterial skin infection)*
*1943/04/14*		*Malaria*
*1943/06/21*		*Ascariasis (roundworm in intestine)*
*1943/08/04*		*Malaria*
*1943/09/10*		*Chronic Proctitis, Intestinal Colic*
*1943/11/09*		*Malaria*
*1944/03/14*		*Malaria*
*1944/04/12*		*Malaria*
*1944/07/03*		*Malaria*

1944/10/18 - Kanchanaburi (Dutch Col.)

Various other camps in Thailand till liberation

1945/08/30 - Liberated

Flown to Rangoon for Hospitalisation

1945/09/26 - WO417/97_1, Casualty List No. 1868. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1167 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.