Warne-Albert-Henry

To honour those who served their country

“In this their finest hour”

7599303

Private

Albert Henry Warne

Known as Bert

Born 1919/12/10, Cowse, Isle of Wight

Son of Percy Leslie and Mary Louise Warne

Occupation Boat Builder

1939/09/03 - Enlisted

Royal Army Ordnance Corps

18th Division

Service

1941/10/30 - The main body of the 18th Division left Liverpool for Halifax in Convoy CT.5. After being transferred to American liners at Halifax, they departed 10th November 1941 in Convoy William Sail 12X, their destination was believed to be for the Middle East.

The 18th Division military equipment and supplies were just finished being loaded into the Empress of Asia in Liverpool.

1941/11/12 - The Empress of Asia sailed from Liverpool.

1941/11/13 - Convoy William Sail 12Z was formed off Oversay and included the ships with formation to sail to Freetown:-

13th-16th November 1941 - Escort was provided by the destroyers Badsworth, Exmoor, Vanquisher, Whitehall and Witch

13th-17th November 1941- Destroyer Maori joined convoy

16th-19th November 1941 - Destroyers Foresight, Forester and Fury joined the convoy

21st November 1941 - Approaching Freetown, the destroyers Velox and Vimy joined convoy

22nd November 1941 - the corvette Clover joined convoy

25th November 1941 - the convoy arrived Freetown

28th November 1941 - Convoy sailed from Freetown to Durban

28th Nov.-14th Dec. 1941 - The escort consisted of the destroyers Dulverton and Southwold

28th Nov.-15th Dec. 1941 - sloop Milford and corvettes Hollyhock and Verbena joined convoy

15th-18th December 1941 - corvettes Aster and Marguerite joined convoy

28th Nov.-18th Dec. - the battleship Royal Sovereign for full voyage to Durban

18th December 1941 - Convoy arrived Durban

24th December departed Durban in Convoy William Sail 12ZB to Bombay

6th January 1942 Arrived Bombay

23rd January 1942 - Sailed from Bombay in BM12 (Bombay Malaya 12) destination Singapore

*Troop Carriers*
*Empress of Asia*	**2235 troops and stores (18th Div. ammunition & supplies)**
*Felix Roussal*	**157 troops and stores (Royal Northumberland Fusiliers)**
*Plancius*	*987 troops and stores*
*Devonshire*	*1673 troops and stores*
*City of Canterbury*	*1053 troops*

16th-27th January - HMS Falmouth ((Anti-Submarine) joined convoy

27th-31st January 1942 - Light Cruiser HMS Emerald (Light Cruiser) joined convoy.

31st January 1942 - HMS Danae (Light Cruiser) joined convoy detached Banka Straits

31st Jan.- 4th Feb. 1942 - RNN Java (Light Cruiser) joined convoy, detached as low on fuel.

1st February 1942 - HMAS Yarra and HMIS Sutlej (Anti-Submarine) joined convoy

2nd February - Heavy Cruiser HMS Exeter joined convoy, detached Banka Straits

2nd February 1942 - HMAS Vampire (Destroyer) joined convoy

HMAS Bendigo and HMAS Woolongong (Mine-Sweepers) joined convoy Banka Straits

1942/02/05 - As the convoy entered the approaches to Singapore, they were attacked south of Sultan Shoal Lighthouse by nine Japanese bombers who centred their attention on the Empress of Asia causing a serious fire on board. Anchoring the damaged ship within the Sulton Shoal, crew and troops made their way to the stern to avoid the fire.

The commander of the HMAS Yarra, Wifred Harrington, edged his ship to the stern of the damaged ship and managed to take off 1,804 survivors.

Bert had escaped from the Empress of Asia through a port hole.

The HMAS Bendigo, which had been in the harbour, then rescued a further 78 and the escort vessel HMAS Woolongong took off the last two, the Master and the Chief Engineer.

There were sixteen deaths who went down with the ship, five miles south of Singapore Island. Salvage attempts failed to rescue any of the military equipment or supplies.

1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to Japanese

1942/03/25 - WO 417/40, Casualty List No. 780. Reported ‘Missing’

Japanese PoW

1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore

PoW No. M-4192

Japanese Index Card - Side One

Japanese Index Card - Side Two

1942/10/31 - Transported overland to Thailand with ‘R’ Letter Party, train 7

25th train to Thailand, with 650 PoW to Ban Pong

Commander Lt-Col. A.A. Johnson, 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment

Work Group 1

New PoW No. 24953

Worked at Nong Pladuk and Chungkai

1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand

Liberation Questuinnaire (written after liberation by Bert)

1945/09/29, WO417/97_1, Casualty List No. 1871. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1530 as Prisoner of War ‘Now Not a Prisoner of War’. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.