Bangka Island

Singapore February 1942

When the advance of the Japanese, it was realized thet Singapore would fall, therfore Senior Commanders ordered the Evacuation of Civilians and Service personal.
There is not much information on which ships the service men were on when they left Singapore, see Servicemen Roll below, compiled with the help of Michael Pether and Jonathan Moffatt.

There were two routes the evacuation ships took, one was the escape route set up across Sumatra to Padang, the other was to sail to Java through the Bangka Strait.

Click on Image to enlarge (click back to return to this page)

The escape route across Sumatra involved sailing up the Indragiri river to Tembilahan, then on to Rengat and Iyer Molek, road trasport was used to reach Swahlunto and finally a train to Padang. Ships to India/ Cylon or Java left from here. The personal that failed to get on one of these ships became prisoners of war or Internees.

Escape Route across Sumatra (click on image to enlarge

The Evacuation ships heading to Java ran into a Japanese invasion force that was tasked with seizing Bangka Island and the oil refinery in Palembang.

Bangka Strait (click on image to enlarge)

The sinking of the ships in the Bangka Strait resulted in a great loss of life but for some of the survivors that reached Radji Beach , Bangka Island their ordeal became worse , the Japanese Army separated the service men , civilian men and women and the Nurses , the Service men were marched around a headland and ordered to line up as the Japanese set up machine guns , some of the men knowing they were about to be shot made a run for it . Similarly the nurses were ordered to wade into the sea and the Japanese proceeded to machine gun them . Some men injured on the beach where bayoneted where they lay , only three men and one Nurse survived this massacre , one of the men was Private Kingsely of the "Z" AOW RAOC, he met up with the Australian Nurse, Vivian Bullwinkel. Nurse Bullwinkle suffering from bullet wounds and Private Kingsely had severe bayonet wounds they set off together to Muntok were they were seperated into the Womens and mens camps , they were both able to relate the story of the massacre but unfortunately private Kingsely died of his wounds on the 24th of March .
The other service man to suvive was Ernest Alexander Lloyd of the Royal Navy , having ran into the sea to ovoid the Japanese , he eventually came ashore and walked down the beach , there he saw the bodies of the Nurses then further on the bodies of the civilians who had been either shot or bayoneted , he also eventually gave himself up to the Japanese in Muntok , there he reconised an American, E H German, who was with the civilians on the beach, the American was later seen in the civilian camp in Palembang.

Bangka Island massacre

Radji Beach (click on image to enlarge)

List of some of the Evacuation Ships

Vessel	Commanding Officer	Departure Date	Final Fate	Ships Crew	Passengers	Survivors	Notes/ Survivors
Elizabeth	Lt Bechwith ex Prince of Wales (Missing)	13.2.42	16.2.42, Sunk by gunfire Bangka Strait
Mata Hari	Lt A C Carston RNR (POW)	12.2.42	15.2.42, Captured S E of Muntok, Returned to Singapore by Japanese	84	400	2	The author of the book “No Bamboo for Coffins” was on-board this ship David Elio Roberts
Tapah	Lt J N C Hancock MRNVR (POW)	13.2.42	17.2.42 Captured at Muntok Light house	19	35	No Casualties	The author of the book “Prisoner of Nippon” was on-board this ship Ray S Stubbs
Rosemary	Lt D Fiennes MRNVR	14.2.42	16.2.42. Captured off Muntok	10	3	No Casualties
Mary Rose	Capt G F A Mulock RN (rtd) (POW)	15.2.42	17.2.42 Captured off Muntok	7	31	No Casualties
Blumut	Cmd R G Fenton Livingstone RN	13.2.42	17.2.42 Captured off Muntok	11	18	No Casualties
Inmas	Lt R G Banks MRNVR (POW)	13.2.42	17.2.42 Captured off Muntok	13	8	No Casualties
Siang Wo	Lt Woodley RNR (POW)	11.2.42	13.2.42 Beached after being bombed ay Muntok	89	141	Only one Casualties
Excise	Cmd H B Moorhead R N (POW)	13.2.42	17.2.42 Captured off Muntok	2	5	No Casualties
Launch 36	Cmd P H S Reid RN (POW)	14.2.42	16.2.42 Captured off Muntok	5	18	Only one Casualties
Rien Kwang	Lt Briggs RNR	13.2.42	14.2.42 Scuttled after bombing at Pom Pom Island		approx. 300
Trang	Lt H Rigden MRNVR (POW)	13.2.42	14.2.42 Aground, 15.2.42 Scuttled		Approx. 94
Malacca	Lt J Morphat MRNVR		Sailed up Indragiri River, Crew and Passengers reach Padang and Escaped
Lipis	Lt Steele (Killed)		Bombed and sunk at Singapore
Ban Hong	Lt Butler RNR	7.2.42
Bulan	Commr G Bayley RNVR	11.2.42	Beached at Batavia, Later sailed for Ceylon
Shu Kwang	Commr Thompson RNR	13.2.42	14.2.42. Sighted by Tapah proceeding south, no further information
Circe	Lt Bruce RNR	2.42	Reached Batavia
Straits Steam Ship	Lt Brown RNR
Banka			12.41, Sunk by bombing east coast of Malaya
Kampar	Lt B Hamer RNR		Bombed, Beached and blowen up at Penang 10.1.41
Kudat			Bombed and sunk at Port Swettenham 1.42
Larut			Bombed and sunk at Belawan
Pengail	Lt N G Bell MRNVR	13.2.42
Ping Wo	Lt J Fant RNR	11.2.42	seen 40 miles ahead of Siang Wo in Durian Strait on 12.2.42,
Panglima	Lt N G G Richards MRNVR		Arrived in Batavia
Wo Kwang	Lt Robinson RNR	11.2.42	Arrived in Batavia
Hungjag	Lt R Henman MRNVR (POW)	13.2.42			40
Raub	Lt Lawes RNR		Sunk by bombing early January
Kalantan	Lt Richardson RNR		Proceeded from Sabang to Cylon at the end January
Panckor	Lt W Sutherland RNR (POW)
War Sirdar			Ran aground near Batavia 28.2.42 Crew rescued by Dutch Minesweeper
HMS Jeram	Lt J H Evans MRNVR	9.2.42	Arrived at Batavia 14.2.42 left 26.2.42	2	17
HMS 54	Lt Butcher MRNVR	2.42	Left Batavia 27.2.42
	Lt Cable MRNVR
M.L. 310	Lieut. H.H. Bull, RNVR (Missing)	13.2.42	Aground 14/2/42 in Phillip Channel. 14/2/42 refloated		Air Vice Marshal C.H. Pulford, Rear Admiral E.J. Spooner, staff officers	10 All probably lost, no certain news	—
M.L. 311	Lieut. W. Christmas RANVR (Missing)	13.2.42	15/2/42 Sunk by gunfire south of Muntok		Lt Cdr V C F Clark RN, Major C H Lyddon R Signals RN = 2, Army = 55	14 Survivors	Lt. Com. V.C.F. Clark, Major C H Lyddon
M.L. 432	Lieut. L.H. Herd, RNVR (P.O.W.)	13.2.42	17/2/42 Captured off Muntok		RN = 5, Army = 55	11 No casualties	—
M.L. 433	Lt. Comdr. H Gampey RANVR (P.O.W.)	13.2.42	15/2/42, Sunk by gunfire North end of Banka strait		Army + RAF = 60	Estimated 6 survivors	—
M.L. 1062	Lieut MacMillan	13.2.42	16/2/42, Sunk by gunfire south of Bangka Strait		Army = 35, RAF. = 1	3 Survivors	Lt. G K Stein MRNVR (P.O.W.)
M.L. 1063	Lieut. C. Inns, NZRNVR	10.2.42	Arrived at Batavia approx 16/2/42. Last see in action 1/3/42		Unknown	No info on passengers	—
GRASSHOPPER	Lt. Comdr. Hoffman, RN (Retd.)	13.2.42	14/2/42, Beached & Burnt after Bombing, Sebayer Straits		Est 50 to 100 Army and Civillians	Estimated 100 survivors	—
DRAGONFLY	Lt Iley RN	13.2.42	14/2/42, Sunk by bombing off Sebayer Straits		100 men	Est 70 survivors	—
SCORPION	Lt. Comdr. C Ashworth, MRNVR (Missing)	13.2.42	13/2/42, Sunk by gunfire		RN. = 35, Army = 60 ish, Police = 3	Estimated 36 survivors	Lt. J.C. Wallace MRNVR (P.O.W.)
ML PAHLAWAH	Lieut. P.D. Cork M.R.A.N.V.R. (P.O.W.)	13-02-42	15/2/42 Captured North Muntok aftrer Naval engagement	3 Officers 11 Men	Army - 5, RAF - 7	2 Missing, believed killed	—
TUG ST. BREOCK	Lieut. A.G. Clarke R.N.	11-02-42	14/2/42 Sunk by bombing in Banka Seybayer Strait	Not known	—	24 survivors picked up by ML 432	—
LI WO	Lieut. T S Wilkinson R.N.R. (Missing)	13-02-42	14/2/42 Sunk by gunfire in Banka Straits	8 Officers 84 Men	Army - 5, RAF - 2, Civ - 1	Approx. 8 survivors	Sub. Lieut. R.G.G. Stanton RNR (P.O.W.)
FUH WO	Lieut. N. Cook R.N.R. (P.O.W.)	13-02-42	15/2/42 Beached and destroyed on Banka Straits	6 Officers 40 Men	None	No casualties	—
VYNER BROOKE	Lieut. E.G. Borton R.N.R. (P.O.W.)	12-02-42	14/2/42 Sunk in Banka Straits	7 Officers 45 Men	Approx 105 Civilians, 65 Australian Nurses and a few Servicemen	Civilians recorded in Sumatra	—
YIN PING	Lieut. P.O.H. Wilkinson M.R.A.N.V.R.	13-02-42	15/2/42 Sunk in Banka Straits	1 Officer 9 Men	RAF - 18, Civ - 3 , RAF 50	14 survivors	—
HONG TAT	Lt J Bull	13-14-2-42	Capture in the Sunda Strait		20 Army and 33 Australian Imperial Force	1 Casualty
ML FANLING	Lieut. Upton N.Z.R.N.V.R. (P.O.W.)	13-02-42	16/2/42 Sunk by gunfire south Bangka Strait	Est. 47 incl. 21 Army	—	3 survivors	Lieut. Col. R H. Long. 2nd Rajputa Army (P.O.W.)
PULO SOEGI	Lieut. Martin R.A.N.V.R. (Missing)	13-02-42	16/2/42 Sunk in Banka Straits	3 Officers 8 Men	Lieut Day RNVR Army 2 Officers and 66 Men	25 survivors	Major J W P Marsh RAOC (POW) (P.O.W.)
RAF Auxiliary ‘AQUARIUS’		10-02-42	Bombed and Sunk near Pulau Tjebia / Pulau Tujuh	Crew 32	60 to 70 Passengers	3 survivors, picked up by ML 310
KUNG WO (ex Indo China S.S. Co.)	Lieut. E T THOMPSON R.N.R.	13/2/42			NO INFORMATION
JARAK (Straits S.S. Co.)	Lieut hOOPER,M.R.N.V.R. (P.O.W.)	13/2/42	Sunk 14/2/42. Damaged by gunfire. Scuttled south end of Singkep Island.		R.A.O.C. 2 Officers, 25 O.Rs.	All surviving when landed on Singkep Island.
SIN AIK LEE (ex HO AH LEE & Co.)	Lieut. J M BRANIER,M.R.N.V.R.	9/2/42	Arrived at Batavia 14/2/42. Sunk 1/3/42 by gunfire leaving Batavia S.W. of Pulo Babi		Approx. 24	5 Malay. Casualties 2 killed, 2 died of wounds.
RAIDMAN (Straits S.S. Co.)	Lieut. G UPTON, M.R.N.V.R.	11/2/42			NO INFORMATION
HWA TONG (Straits S.S. Co.)	Lieut. BROWN, R.N.R.	Approx. 11/2/42	Approx 13/2/42, Sunk by gunfire at Palembang River		Officers and ships reported proceeded by train and ferry to Batavia
KLIAS (Straits S.S. Co.)	Lieut. SMITH, M.R.N.V.R.	Approx. 11/2/42	Approx 13/2/42 scuttled in Palembang River to avoid capture		NO INFORMATION
JERANTUT (Straits S.S. Co.)	Lieut. G COOPER, M.R.N.V.R.	Approx. 11/2/42			NO INFORMATION
TANDJONG PINANG	Lt B SHAW NZRNVR	13/2/42	Sunk 17/2/42, by gunfire North of Pulo Ubar		About 150 civilians including women and children.	Survivors 3
Landing Craft "O"		13/2/42	Accidently beached and sunk in the Durian Strait		NO INFORMATION

KUALA	Lt Caithness RNR	13/2/42	Sunk 14/2/42 by bombing at Pom Pom Island	8 Officers and 15 Crew	650 -700 Civillians and Service men	Approx 350 lost their lives	200 of lives lost were survivors who had been picked up by SS Tanjong Pinang, which was also sunk on the 17th February
Giang Bee	Lieut. H Lancester R.N.R. (Missing)	12/2/42	Bombed on 13/2/42 then eventually shelled and sunk by Japanese Destroyer		300 - 350 Civillians	Only approx 100 survivors reached Pom Pom island then they were taken to Sumatra.	Sub Lieut H P E Langdon M.R.A.N.V.R. (P.O.W.)

T he service men captured or lost are listed in the file below.

Servicemen Roll

If using a Window PC or laptop the file is searchable.

Documents

ADM 358/2875
WO 172/357
WO 361 / 2181
WO 208 / 4286
WO 361 / 1405
WO 361 / 1186
ADMIN 1 1895
WO 345
WO 361/1948
WO 361/2192
WO 361/1947
WO 361/1946
WO 1361/1948

Books

Unsung Heroes of the Royal Airforce                             by Les and Pam Stubbs
Unsung Heroes of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines   by Les and Pam Stubbs
Unsung Heroes of the British Army                                by Les and Pam Stubbs
Prisoner of Nippon                                                       by Ray Stubbs
No Bamboo for Coffins                                                by David Elio Roberts
Singapore’s Dunkirk                                                    by Geoffrey Brooke
By Eastern Windows                                                    by William McDougall Jr

Thanks to
Ronnie Taylor
Michael Pether
Jonathan Moffatt

Websites

FEPOW Family Website
Michael Pethers Evacuation Ships Page
COFEPOW Website
Malay Volunteers
Muntok Memorial Peace Museum

Kevin Snowdon 2026
This Website is not public Domain

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