by Damien Lewis
By some means or other the Commander of the ship had been able to supply all personnel with life belts. There had not been a great deal of time to check up on the exact numbers on board the ship or get their names and Regiments, particularly as in getting to the ship on Singapore Island our parties had been very badly shelled and cut up, and many of the other ranks had lost their Officers in charge. It was however estimated that the Naval crew amounted to 73 and that the total number of persons on board was about 225 i.e. 152 Army personnel of various Regiments that were made chiefly of men from 2nd Battalion The East Surrey Regiment, The 1st Battalion Manchester Regiment, my party of Headquarters, 6/15 Indian Inf Brigade, a few R.A.F. and a few miscellaneous people such as Intelligence Corps. The majority of the other ranks were quartered in, what I believe, was the ratings Mess Deck, aft.
From below we soon heard the aircraft circling overhead which carried on for some minutes, and from my position, which was sitting on the floor forrard, the next thing I knew was a colossal explosion and a complete ceasing of all avoiding action by the ship and the immediate stoppage of the engines, which had appeared to be going full out.
It was obvious to us that something very serious had happened and we therefore filed up the companion-way on to the deck.
On looking round I was able to see that the very worst had happened and that the entire ship, aft of the smoke stack, was just a mass of twisted metal, and the stern of the ship had completely disappeared. It is my belief that the depth charges which were in position for use had exploded, causing the chaos. On going closer to the gap it appeared that it would have been impossible for any man to be alive who had been in the after Mess Deck. However, we managed to get one or two very badly wounded men out through a bomb hole. It was not possible to do very much as the ship was by this time a good deal more than half submerged.
One leading seaman by the name of Brennan (I have reported this to the Navy C/O H.M.S. Sultan Colombo) by great presence of mind managed to get the one sound Whaler into the water. We also got clear two small khali floats. We managed to get the wounded that were lying about the deck into the one boat and a certain number of other able-bodied personnel got into it as well, before it became obvious that we would have to push her away or she would sink with the Gunboat. I along with a number of others remained on deck until Commander Sprott gave the “abandon ship,” when we jumped overboard and swam away from her. At this time Commander Sprott was still on the bridge.
It was now a little after half past ten in the morning. I got some 100 yards away from the ship and turned round just in time to see her take the final plunge. As she was going under I saw two Naval Officers jump out of the bridge onto the ship’s side, slip down her bottom and into the sea. All that remained of her to be seen after this was a short piece of her bows, and she remained in this position for some hours. The actual period which she took to sink from the time of the bomb hitting her I estimate as being a maximum of 5 minutes.
The next thing I saw was the Whaler on the far side of the wreck from me with a number of people hanging onto her life ropes. One empty khali float and the other with a number of men on it.
All this time large numbers of aircraft were circling round in squadrons and I was able to vouch for well over 60 planes. They had by this time seen our fate and had turned their attention to H.M.S. “Grasshopper.” They were doing the same to her as they had done to us. Pattern bombing by squadrons. For a time she appeared to bear a charmed life and never seemed to be hit. Literally hundreds of bombs must have been dropped near her. She was at this time perhaps up to half a mile away from us circling round in avoiding action. It is possible that some of those bombs severely shook some of those people swimming in the water so as to render them unconscious. We eventually saw the “Grasshopper” circle as if in avoiding action and make for an island which we could see in the far distance. I estimated that she had been hit, which turned out to be correct, and she was endeavoring to beach herself which she eventually did successfully before her after-magazine blew up.
I was given to understand later that H.M.S. Grasshopper only sustained some 8 or 9 fatal casualties.
To turn back to the plight of the survivors of the “Dragonfly” the Whaler was now collecting those that she could find in the water and she was getting very full.
The empty float had been occupied by large numbers and was seen to be making away in a direction that I presumed to be Sumatra where a very vague outline of coast could be seen.
The other float was making off to the nearest island which I have mentioned before.
There were still a number in the water who were some distance away from the Whaler. I found myself, after endeavoring to collect people into a bunch as I considered that way we should have a better chance of rescue or getting ashore by swimming, the only officer, I took charge of those that I had collected, a number of about 6 and shouted to others to join us. There were a few whoever who swam off on their own in the direction of the nearest island. I only saw one of them again. I should mention here that all the personnel I had been able to collect were Naval ratings.
By shouting and making signs at the Whaler, which was too far away to recognize persons, we were led to understand that she was too full to take more than the men that were in her immediate vicinity. I and my party therefore decided to endeavor to swim ashore which we set out to do.
By this time the aircraft, their mission fulfilled, had flown away, but some half an hour later we saw a squadron approaching us at a very low level coming from a direction which I presumed to be East. Before long it was obvious what they were going to do and that was to machine gun the life boat. They came down to what I believe is termed, naught feet, and machine-gunned the life boat in tiers of 2 & 3 at a time, the whole time keeping formation. They repeated this twice on the life boat and having dealt with them passed on and machine-gunned myself and party in the same manner. It was very obvious, even from the distance that we were away from the life boat, that they had sustained very heavy casualties. We were more fortunate in that no one was hurt.
Having, as already said, repeated this twice they flew off in the same direction from where they had come. We saw no more of them.
We saw the Whaler re-arrange itself and start off for the nearest island for which we were also making.
At about half past six that evening the Whaler which had been waiting behind picking up people, caught up my swimming party and some of us were able to assist the few able-bodied men in the boat to get the last half mile to the shore, which we reached about 7 o’clock that evening.
We took a count and if I remember correctly there were 27 men composed of 22 in the boat and the 5 who had swum with me, about 8 of those in the boat were in a very serious condition. Unfortunately we found the island to which we had got possessed no food or water and nothing very much could be done for the wounded, numbering considerably more than half of those remaining. I do not know the name of the island.
The following morning a Sub-Lieut, whose name I believe was Clarke, a New Zealander, arrived walking along the beach with 8 others. They had been on the second float and had got ashore a little further up to coast. This made the total count of 36. Others may possibly have got ashore by swimming to other islands in the vicinity, but in my own opinion, I am afraid that they must have been very few, as the majority of the ships’ total complement, particularly those of the Army, must have been killed outright in the first explosion or were killed during the machine-gunning of the life boat.
The names of personnel that I can remember are give in part III under the heading of having landed or having died in the particular action.
(Sgd.)
General itinerary of survivors from place of loss to Colombo.
c. Referring to the last sentence of War Office Cable which says “state where he landed and possibility of survivors landing elsewhere,” I shall give a short itinerary as it is just possible that other of the ships company did land elsewhere.
As can be seen from the map there are many hundreds of small islands in this area many of which were visited by various officers in an endeavor to collect more survivors of the large number of ships which sank in that area on our about the 14th Feb. 1942. I believe the number to be sunk within a radius of some 40 miles numbered 9 of various sizes, one other of which I believe, was the “St. Briac,” which I gather was a tug and was towing barges of explosives.
Having remained on this small island for 48 hours and having endeavored to make the Whaler more or less seaworthy we eventually were able to contact the crew of the H.M.S. “Grasshopper” by means of a native in a small sampan. We were told to go to another small island where they would endeavor to get a few medical supplies to us. The name of this island to which we eventually got was called I believe Pisec [spelling doubtful]. Unfortunately we were not met here by anyone and it is believed that there must have been a number of places of similar name and we had arrived at the wrong one. Between the time of landing and arriving at this island we had lost a number of the wounded, they having died. See part (c) of the report.
We had been on the second island for about 24 hours when a number of large sampans arrived which were sent by a Dutch Controller of another island some 40 or 50 miles away, he having heard of the various disasters. The town from which they had come was a small Dutch settlement by name of Dabok. We took over the sampans, as by this time the Whaler was completely unserviceable, due to its many bullet holes, and we decided to try and find the personnel of H.M.S. “Grasshopper” which after a night’s travel we were able to reach. They were on still another island some 10 or 15 miles away from where we had been, the name of which I do now know, as the village in which we stayed was completely devoid of all local inhabitants who had, it was presumed, gone into the jungle for safety.
It may here be interesting to note that a few of the locals which we had met previously had informed us that the Japanese had been round these islands previously dressed as fisherman, warning all the natives that they would suffer very considerably if they gave help to any British personnel.
Shortly after joining up with the personnel of H.M.S. “Grasshopper” a motor launch arrived to take us off to Dabok which had also been arranged by the Controller of that particular island. It took us three nights to clear all personnel from this one island. However, all that were there arrived safely at our destination (Dabok). Here many of us were put into the local hospital inclusive of myself. While I was in hospital a Committee was formed consisting of the Controller, Commander Hoffman and one or two others and it was decided that all able-bodied personnel including a large number of civilians which were on this island should be sent off in large country boats to Sumatra, which we were informed was about 80 miles away. While I was still in hospital large numbers of personnel left Dabok for Sumatra in this manner.
It is interesting to note that of H.M.S. “Dragonfly’s” ships company, apart from those which were in hospital with me, I never saw any again. I can only surmise that either they landed on a different part of the Sumatran coast to that which I did or they must have got across the country a good deal quicker than myself and caught a previous boat out of Padang. I have, however, only seen one Naval Officer of our party since I arrived in Colombo, and he being very sick was sent off a good deal earlier than most of the others. The Navy is in possession of all his particulars although I forget his name.
Some days after arriving in hospital I was sent off in a motor launch along with a party of walking wounded to Sumatra. We made for the mouth of the Indragiri River and eventually landed at Tembhilahan. It is my opinion that those who had left before us in country boats probably landed at Jambi, which of course was considerably further south, and it is therefore possible that in view of the fact by this time, the Japanese had landed at Palembang, and were making their way north, that many of them were cut off and unable to make the west coast of Sumatra.
From Tembhilahan we went by river to Rengat and from there on to Ayermulek staying a day or two at each place. From there was were able to get a truck which conveyed us to Sawerleunto and eventually down to Padang. Some of the wounded party which I came over with were not sufficiently fit to complete the whole journey, and a number of them were left in the various hospitals on route. I eventually left Padang in the early morning of the 3rd of March 42 which I believe was after S.S. “Rosenbloom” left the same Port and has been reported lost with all hands. I understood that some 300 persons embarked on this ship although there was no definite method of checking the numbers. I am, however, very much afraid that personnel who left Dabok three or four days before I did may have been unfortunate enough to have embarked on this ship.
I left Padang in the K.L.M. SS “De Weert” and on the day we left, Padang was completely clear of personnel with the exception of a Colonel Warren, Royal Marines, who was in charge of the evacuation from that Port. A wire, however, had been received that same day from the East side of Sumatra, I do not know whether it was Jambi or the Indragiri landing place, but it said that there were some 700 persons still to come through. However, as it would have taken anything up to a week for them to arrive, the “De Weert” could not possibly wait for them.
Documents Three and Four
Author’s note—two reports on the sinking of the SS Van Waerwyjck—renamed the Werweck by the Japanese—the vessel on which Judy was shipwrecked for a second time.
Tranby Lodge,
Hessle,
E. Yorke.
25th May, 1946.
To: The Under Secretary of State,
The War Office,
Edge Lane.
Liverpool. 7.
From: Captain J.G. Gordon,
Royal Artillery.
Sir,
In answer to your letter of the 24th May. reference M/954 I will do my best to answer the seven questions, but would point out that I have issued a full report on this disaster to the Judge Advocate General’s Office and have made several trips in connection with this and other War crimes to London. However, I will repeat for your benefit.
The Japanese vessel on which I was sailing was making a trip from Medan to Singapore, not Palembang as stated by you.
Answers to your questions.
(4) S.S. Van Warweak.
(5) 1400 hours, July 26th 1914.
(6) Two hundred and seven. (Not quite certain).
(7) Sixty-seven including three who died immediately on arrival at Singapore as the result of wounds.
(8)
a. Sixty miles south of Medan on Sumatra side of Malacca Straits, seven or eight miles from shore.
b Three enemy ships in the vicinity which picked up survivors. One Tanker which took the bulk, and two Corvettes.
c Completely out of sight within five minutes, actually under water in three.
(6) All British were rescued by being picked up by an enemy vessel (to the best of my knowledge and belief).
(7) I regret that this is quite impossible owing to all my records being removed from me on more than one occasion by the Japanese during later imprisonment. However, practically all the information was computed and filed with the records at the base camp at Pakan Baroe, Sumatra, the C.O. of which being Wing Commander P.S. David, R.A.F., the Senior Medical Officer of the S.M.O. Officer being Lieut. Col. E.M. Hennessy, R.A.M.C. The latter in the final stages of Japanese surrender was responsible until his transfer to Singapore for all records of lost personnel. If these records were not complete and you care to as
k me for the particulars of any individual, and I am able to remember, I shall be only too pleased to help.
In conclusion I would add that I personally reached a Fishing trap just off the shore by swimming, and was then picked up by one of the small Corvettes. On getting on board, I went up to the Japanese Captain of the ship to thank him for rescuing my party, and asked as best I could if he would go round the wreckage to see if anybody else was left alive on the spot, the main bulk of survivors having already left the scene of the sinking in the other two vessels. To my astonishment he agreed. We then proceeded to go round all the remaining wreckage and rafts, stopping sometimes to examine bodies thereon, and I am therefore able to state that at approximately 1630 hours on the same afternoon there was nobody left alive at the scene of the sinking.
When I later was transferred back to Sumatra I discovered that four allied P.O.W.’s all of whom were Dutch had been picked up by a fishing vessel and taken to the shore of Sumatra. After careful investigation I could find no other trace of any other allied P.O.W.s who had been rescued in this way or who had reached the shore. It is there to be concluded, unless picked up by the Japanese, which was extremely unlikely with an unfriendly local population, and the knowledge that the Japanese brought all Allied P.O.W.s in Northern Sumatra to the base camp at Pakan Baroe; that there were no other survivors other than those contained on the list held at Headquarters Pakan Baroe and at Changi, Singapore, the Changi list being taken to Changi camp by Major P.E. Campbell, Indian Army, approximately a fortnight after the sinking.