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Men of Sherwood
Lifeboat Escape
On Friday the 13th at 11pm, myself and Sgt. Barrowcliffe were called to B.H.Q. and told the following people were to report to Brigade:-
Major Barnett
Captain Price
C.SM. Maddock
Corporal Wood
L/Cpl. Lee
Oweing to Barnett being in hospital, Eric Morgan was substituted. We said good-bye to the C.O. Paul, Tinny, Bill Thirlby and Coxon and went off. We were told we were to evacuated with exactly the same numbers and ranks from each battalion. Had to report to Clifford Price for H.M.S ....... at 0200 hours on Saturday morning. We arrived and found 30 formed up. We were told the boats taking us had gone already with women, children and male evacuees. As it happened all three were later sunk, so we were lucky. At dawn, the Japs shelled the docks and we were ordered to go to the Y.M.C.A.. We collected here at 0800 hours and an officer from Command said,
“Tomorrow, Sunday 15th a capitulation will come into force”
We were astonished.
Boats were being arranged to take us off - We stayed here and each party was given a supply of tinned food. We joined up with the Beds & Herts party:- Major Thompson, Captain Sladen, Andy West and five other ranks.
That afternoon, the Japs put around six shells round the house - we didn’t take much notice. About 8p.m. we found some blinds had been let up in the top windows and the lights were streaming out. A Malayan had been seen leaving the building. Shortly afterwards, they started whelling us properly. About one third of us were getting rations in the dining room and canteen. They smashed all the windows and one landed on the top, we started evacuating by parties outside to the trenches, our party got as far as the door and one landed right in the canteen. All O.K.. We passed through the hall and the next shell landed in the hall. I don’t remember much about the next hour or so. Cpl. Wood and L/Cpl Lee were taken to hospital and about five dead from the shell in the hall. I had two gashes in the leg. We got down to the docks in parties and found that except for two boats most had been taken. We were ordered to make our way as best as we could to Sumatra. Beds & Herts and ourselves (Sherwood Foresters), 12 in all, 8 of them (Beds & Herts), four of us (Sherwood Foresters):-
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Major R G B Thompson
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5th Beds & Herts
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(Escaped to Bombay)
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CSM Colburt
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5th Beds & Herts
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(Escaped to Bombay)
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Captain A T Price
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1/5 Sherwood Foresters
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Captain H F L Sladen
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5th Beds & Herts
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(Killed in Action Sumatra)
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Captain Eric Morgan
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1/5 Sherwood Foresters
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2nd Lieutenant. West
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5th Beds & Herts
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(Escaped to Bombay)
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CSM Maddocks
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1/5 Sherwood Foresters
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Sergeant Barrowcliffe
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1/5 Sherwood Foresters
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Lance Sergeant Templeman
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5th Beds & Herts
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(Escaped to Bombay)
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Lance Corporal Harris
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5th Beds & Herts
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(Escaped to Bombay)
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Private Cuzon
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5th Beds & Herts
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(Escaped to Bombay)
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Private Paul
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5th Beds & Herts
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(Escaped to Bombay)
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One of the Sherwood Foresters mentioned above wrote this report
We went up and down the docks searching for a boat. Major Thompson found a lifeboat with oars and we got petrol tins of water.
Sketch by 2/Lt Andrew West, Beds & Herts
At about 4,30p.m. Sunday morning we got away rowing like hell against the tide. I can’t go on next for it would take too long, but Andy and I kept a diary and I will send you a copy shortly.
Sketch by 2/Lt Andrew West, Beds & Herts
We stopped at various islands moved by the tides. Had a small square sail, but it was not much use - we had to rely on rowing. We arrived at Ringat on the 25th of February, taking 9 days.
Sketch by 2/Lt Andrew West, Beds & Herts
We crossed Sumatra by truck and rail and were evacuated on the 28th, I think - and arrived at Colombo by boat. Slept the night in a convent and went on the next day.
Officers casualties up to midnight Friday 13th were Barnett, Welmer, Renwick, Costly, Scholfield. All in hospital O.K.
Don’t know what happened after that in Singapore
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