Edwin Arthur Alderton was born on the 25th of January 1908, in Headley near Bordon in Hampshire, the youngest son of James and Minnie Alderton (Nee Taylor). Edwin was Baptised by the Rector of Headley, W.H. Laverty, on the 25th of October 1908 at All Saints Church. In the 1911 census Edwin aged 3 and his elder siblings, Ernest, 10, Harry, 6 and Wilfred, 4, were living at Whitmore Vale Road, Churt, Farnham, Surrey with their parent James, 41, working as a labourer and Minnie, 33 and the census shows that 2 of their children had died.

2nd World War Service

The German invasion of Poland on the 1st of September 1939, led to Great Britain and her Dominions, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa along with France declaring war on the 3rd of September. A period known as the 'Phoney War' ensured with no major battles until the British victory at the Battle of River Plate in December 1939. The German Invasion of neutral Belgium and France in May 1940 saw the British Army send an Expeditionary force to the European Continent again, 21 years after the end of the Great War.

The British Army in 1939 was a small professional army of volunteers, much like the Army of 1914, although limited conscription had begun in early 1939, with full conscription shortly after the declaration of war. Edwin's 2nd World War Army Service Records have not been released by the National Archives under the Disclosure rules so I cannot be sure when Edwin was conscripted into the Army.

Edwin joined the Royal Regiment of Artillery and was posted to 125th Anti-Tank Regiment, known as 'Sunderland's Own'. Edwin was Regimental No. 1094125 and his Rank was Gunner. The Regiment was originally a Field Artillery Unit but had changed to an Anti-Tank role, after the army reorganised, following the Dunkirk Evacuation in May and June 1940.

The Badge of The Royal Artillery

By November 1940 the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment was placed under War Office orders and began to mobilise in preparation to move overseas. Equipment and tropical clothing arrived and under extreme winter conditions the Regiment moved to Scotland and begun 'desert' training with snow laying on the ground!

In March 1941 orders were received to embark on the P&O liner 'Strathaird', at Gourock, Renfrewshire, Scotland. After 10 days aboard the ship, including some days at sea, the Regiment was forced to return to port for repairs. The repairs the ship required were quite extensive and the Regiment's move overseas was cancelled indefinitely. The 125th Anti-Tank Regiment's equipment was sent to other Regiments and the 125th had to begin preparing from scratch.

Liverpool And The Blitz

The War Office had no spare equipment to refit the Regiment and the men began a period of civilian roles such fire watching, firstly in Glasgow and then in Liverpool.

During the Blitz of 1940 - 1941, Liverpool, Bootle and The Wirral, were the most heavily bombed areas of the country, outside of London, due the importance of the docks there. Around 4000 people were killed in the Merseyside area during the Blitz and news report on the bombing were kept low-key. During Liverpool's 'Blitz' the men of the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment did sterling work night after night, helping in the chaos, whilst German bombers droned overhead dropping their deadly loads. By day the men helped to search the damage done, looking for survivors and the remains of the dead. It was during this period that the 125th Regiment suffered its first casualties of war. Whilst in the course of duty during air raids, Sergeant. E. V. Edge, Gunner. E. R. Allan and Gunner. G. Bannaghan, lost their lives.

Liverpool City Centre May 1941

The Regiment moved to Cheshire where they received new equipment and begun serious training. A move to the training area in Trawsfyndd, Wales followed and here the men begun target practise, and almost overnight a rivalry between the Battery's ensured that each tried to be better than the other. After a few weeks of intensive training, orders were received from the War Office that the Regiment was to embark overseas.

Overseas

On the 28th of October 1941 the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment embarked on the 'S.S Oronsay', at Avonmouth, Bristol. Leaving at midday the ship was pulled by tugs and commenced a journey that would see the Regiment travel over 20,000 miles to their ultimate destination.

The ship steamed north-west towards Iceland and after 7 days at sea, it was learned that the 1st port of call would be at Halifax, Nova Scotia. The same day the small escort of British destroyers left the convoy replaced by a gigantic force of American warships. Nova Scotia was sighted on the 8th of November and by midday the ship was in port. The men were not allowed to disembark as orders were received to transfer to an American ship and this was completed on time before they sailed again at midnight.

On the 10th of November 1941 the ship sailed past the Cliffs outside Halifax, heading south-west to Trinidad in the Caribbean. The ship the men sailed on was the U.S.S Dickman, a troopship which the men found strange as it was covered in the Stars and Stripes and the food was American. They sailed past New York and Carolina, past Florida and then through the Caribbean Sea to Trinidad. Again the men were not allowed ashore and after the Ship and the American crew were 'refueled' the ship left for Capetown, South Africa.

On the 28th of November 1941 the U.S.S Dickman crossed the equator at Longitude 40º 27' West. Shortly after this an armed raider was reported to the south, and the ship sailed round in circles for a few days until they moved in a dead calm sea and boiling hot weather further South. Cloudless skies, the sea, with nothing to look at apart from the rest of the convoy and the shoals of flying fish made the days drag. At night the ship was dreadfully hot, and those who were allowed to sleep on deck were extremely fortunate - down below the men gasped for breath in a bath of perspiration. The further south they got the weather begun to get cooler and the flying fish were soon replaced by the Albatross.

The ship went through 2 days of heavy seas just before sighting land, and gradually the outline of Table Mountain could been seen and the ships in the convoy formed a line ahead and at 'Action Stations' the convoy moved slowly through minefields into Capetown. The ship arrived at Capetown on the 9th of December 1941 and the men waited anxiously to hear if they were to disembark. Orders were issued and the men enjoyed 4 days in Capetown, attending many dances, tours of the countryside etc.

Convoy WS-12X

On the 13th of December the men departed Capetown, and soon were steaming in Convoy WS-12X, although no longer escorted by the American warships, instead H.M.S Dorsetshire, a heavy Cruiser, was in sole charge.

The convoy's course northwards took it through the Mozambique Channel, where 2 ships left the convoy heading for Mombassa. At this time the men thought they were heading for the Middle East as this was the direction of travel, but the course was altered and the convoy headed to India.

Christmas Day 1941 was spent at sea in the Indian Ocean, and the men found that roast turkey, with all the trimmings, was just as good when eaten in tropical conditions, as when in the colder climate of home. On the 27th of December, Bombay was sighted and by 6pm the ship was anchored in port. The following day the men were allowed ashore and the men got to see the East, most for the first time, although those men who had served in India before, were in great demand, for help with the currency and places to go and see.

The men spent 4 days in Bombay exploring the sights, culture and were intrigued by the 'Tower Of Silence'. The Parsi, ethnic Persians who emigrated to India around the 8th-10th century, would bring their dead to the Tower of Silence, where the city's vultures would quickly eat the corpses. The reason given for this practice is that earth, fire and water are considered sacred elements, which should not be defiled by the dead. Therefore, burial and cremation have always been prohibited in Parsi culture.

New Years Day 1942 the men entrained for Ahmednagar, arriving at 5.30am the following day. The men marched to the East Ridge, and this was home for the next 3 weeks. Here the 125th Anti-Regiment, Royal Artillery, begun to get used to working in tropical conditions and training regimes ensued. Rumours abounded about the Regiments destination, although all proved to be untrue. The majority of the 18th Division had left India, leaving the 18th Battalion Reconnaissance Corps, 9th Battalion Northumberland Fusiliers, 251st Field Park Company, Royal Engineers, 197th Field Ambulance, 18th Division Workshops and the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment. Orders were received suddenly, and on the 23rd of January 1942, the men were at the docks in Bombay, where they embarked on the coal burning, Canadian Pacific Railway Liner, Empress of Asia.

Empress of Asia

The Empress of Asia had served as a troopship in the First World War and when the men embarked they considered that it hadn't been cleaned since then. The ship moved off slowly about 3.45pm and the men still didn't know where they were headed. Charts showed the course to be headed to the Middle East and the men felt sure this was where they were headed. After passing Ceylon (Now Sri Lanka) on the port (left) side, charts showed a direct course to Australia. This course was continued for a few days, but when positioned about 8º south of the equator, it suddenly changed and passed through the Sunda Strait, dividing Sumatra and Java. Here half the convoy left for Batavia, and the 125th Regiment Anti-Tank Regiment aboard the Empress of Asia continued north and the men now knew their destination - Singapore.

From occasional Radio reports the men learned that the Japanese force were successfully advancing through Malaya, and it was thought that the Japanese would flank Singapore, based on the belief that Singapore was an impregnable fortress. Extra precautions was taken aboard the Empress of Asia, in case the Japanese did flank Singapore. The ship already had a 3" Anti Aircraft gun, a 6" Anti-submarine and Surface Raider weapon, 6 Oerlikons (Cannons) of approximately .55 calibre and 10 Lewis machine guns. To this complement was added 14 Bren Gun from the Regiment, 10 from the Recce. Corps, and two, with 100-round containers, from the Divisional Workshops. The ship was literally bristling with guns and it was felt that should it be attacked by low-flying aircraft, the men felt sure they would be in a position to give a good account of themselves.

The occasional enemy aircraft were spotted after leaving Batavia, and on one day a Catalina flying boat kept company with the convoy for a short while. Standing Orders in the event of enemy attack were posted throughout the ship and everyone became quite conversant with them. The men had been given a few practice 'Alarms' and the best and quickest method of getting to Action Stations had been developed to a fine art.

On the 4th of February 1942, at about 11am an alarm was sounded and the men rushed to their stations but this time it was no practise. A formation of about 18 Japanese Bombers was flying over the convoy at high altitude and the convoy escorts broke positions and began zig-zag maneuvers. 3 months had passed since the men had heard a gun fire or bomb explode and now within 24 hours of their destination after sailing over 20,000 miles, the men heard the familiar whistle of enemy bombs once again. A number of bombs fell encircling the Empress of Asia, the nearest about 10ft from the ship, but other than 2 lifeboats being holed and some splintering of the decks by bomb shrapnel, no harm was done.

The Colonel of the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment had decided to alter the existing Standing Orders that afternoon, and after drafting new Orders and getting the Captain to agree to them, he called a meeting of all Commanding Officers and gave out his amended orders, which were to become operative at once. In future, instead of all officers not on duty collecting in the Officers' Lounge, only Commanding Officers, Adjutants, Battery Commanders and a maximum of one other officer from each Unit would muster there. All the remaining officers would go with their men to troop decks. Likewise, Warrant Officers and Sergeants were to keep away from their cabins and W.O's. Lounge and proceed to troop decks. Final arrangements were made for disembarking the next day, when the Empress of Asia was due to dock in Singapore

5th February 1942

On the morning of the 5th of February 1942 the men of the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment were busy preparing their kit, rifles, and ammunition for disembarking, and the men could see on the horizon, smoke rising above Singapore, although at the time it was thought to be clouds. An alarm sounded, and within 2 1/2 minutes everybody was at Action Stations.

The Empress of Asia was approaching Sultan Shoal, traveling at a reduced speed of 5-6 knots in preparation to meet the pilot tugs to bring the ship into port, when at 10.45am Singapore time, a formation of 27 Japanese bombers flying in a 'V' formation, flew over the convoy at high altitude and disappeared into clouds without dropping any bombs. 15 minutes later, about 11.00am the bombers returned this time singly or in pairs and attacked the convoy.

The Japanese bombers attacked from all directions, both at high and low altitudes, diving down from 15,000ft to 3,000ft but never dropping below, and every ship in the convoy opened fire at once, with bombs falling all around the ships. The Empress of Asia as the biggest ship in the convoy, easily recognised with its 3 funnels to the Japanese for its peacetime voyages to the country, seemed to be the main target of the attack.

The Felix Roussel was the first ship in the convoy to receive a direct hit and was soon on fire. The ship then received a 2nd direct hit, which luckily hit a water tank and the rush of water put out the fire from the first strike. The Japanese bombers rushed overhead, dropping bombs that made great spouts of water shoot up all around the Empress of Asia, when it too received a direct hit. The bomb had passed over the Bridge, through the roof of the Officers lounge and exploded below decks. 14 Officer were in the lounge at the time, flames removed hair and eyebrows, tin hats and water bottles were removed from the Officers bodies by the force of the explosion. An Officer from the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment was killed and 2 others seriously wounded.

Smoke was pouring out of the Empress of Asia, on the starboard side of ship near to the forward funnell, but the men continued to fire at the attacking bombers although now thick smoke was reducing visibility. The ship received 2 more direct hits and the ship was now burning out of control. The Bridge was burnt out, and the Colonel of the Regiment joined the Captain on the flying bridge, but this position soon had to be abandoned with the Officers there, having to climb down a rope to the forward well-deck. The atmosphere below decks was unbearable with thick smoke circulating, and it was necessary for all men to move up on the deck.

The Empress of Asia on fire after being bombed, 1942

The fire on the Empress of Asia made the ship virtually cut in half with men gathered at either end. The Captain had tried to bring the ship close to land and was positioned about three quarters degree east of Sultan Shoal Lighthouse, about 11 miles to the westward of Singapore. The deck was almost too hot to stand and with the help of the 125th Regiment the Captain ordered the anchor's dropped, first one then the other. The order to Abandon Ship was given and those who could swim were the first to leave. The Yarra rendered excellent service by coming alongside aft and taking on board all remaining personnel from that end of the ship. It was estimated that she took off well over 1,000 troops and crew. Burning wreckage was falling into the sea, ammunition was exploding and everywhere heads could been seen bobbing about in the water.

The Japanese bombers finally dispersed and small craft began to come to the mens aid. The craft would drop the loads of men at the Sultan Shoal Lighthouse and would come back to rescue more when eventually everybody was rescued from the water. The relief of getting off the burning ship and subsequent rescue of the men who ended up in the water, subdued any feelings the men may of had about losing all of their equipment and personal belongings.

The men were a sorry looking sight, some without shirts, some without shorts and the majority without footwear, and the job of collecting of the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment's men began. The following day about 60 men were still unaccounted for, but by late afternoon on the 7th of February the Officers of the Regiment were in a position to account for everybody. The Regiment had only 1 death, Lieutenant R.B Wilson, killed when the bomb exploded in Officers lounge, but about 60% of the men were wounded, suffering from burns and other injuries.

The Fall Of Singapore February 1942

Singapore, an island at the southern end of the Malay Peninsula, was considered a vital part of the British Empire and supposedly impregnable as a fortress. The British saw it as the "Gibraltar in the Far East".

The Japanese onslaught through the Malay Peninsula took everybody by surprise. Speed was of the essence for the Japanese, never allowing the British forces time to re-group. This was the first time British forces had come up against a full-scale attack by the Japanese. Any thoughts of the Japanese fighting a conventional form of war were soon shattered. The British had confidently predicted that the Japanese would attack from the sea. This explained why all the defences on Singapore pointed out to sea. It was inconceivable to British military planners that the island could be attacked any other way – least of all, through the jungle and mangrove swamps of the Malay Peninsula. But this was exactly the route the Japanese took

On the morning of the 8th of February the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment received a message from Divisional Headquarters,

FOLLOWING FROM HMS DANAE BEGINS STOP FROM THE ACCOUNTS I HAVE RECEIVED FROM VARIOUS OFFICERS THE TENACITY AND STEADINESS OF THE MILITARY IN THE EMPRESS OF ASIA IS WORTHY OF THE HIGHEST PRAISE STOP ENDS GOC MALAYA AND DIVISION CONGRATULATE ALL RANKS ON THEIR SOLDIERLY CONDUCT.

That same day the Japanese began their assault on Singapore Island, across the Jahore Strait with 23,000 men. They advanced with speed and ferocity. Many of the Allied troops were based to far away to influence the outcome of the battle.

The 125th Anti-Tank Regiment was moved into the line on the 9th of February, and owing to the loss of their equipment were acting as Infantry, all except 'H' Troop who were the proud owners of 4 anti-tank guns. 'A' and 'C' Batteries along with the Regimental H.Q. moved to Serangoon, where patrols were mounted of the coast of Jahore in darkness.

On the 10th of February 1942, The Royal Air Force left the island in the evening, taking all planes and personnel with them. 'A' and 'C' Batteries were separated from the Regiment and came under control of 154th Infantry Brigade and they did not rejoin until after the battle. After leaving Serangoon area they spent the remainder of the battle on the Bukit Timor Road. 'B' and 'D' Batteries and Regiment H.Q. went from Divisional Reserve to Seletar Aerodrome alongside the Northumberland Fusiliers, taking up positions along the coast line and airport. From this area they withdrew to the perimeter defence of the town taking up positions on Grave Hill.

On the 14th February 1942, the Japanese advanced towards the Alexandra Military Hospital, where a British Lieutenant, waving a white flag, approached the Japanese forces but was bayoneted. After the Japanese troops entered the hospital, a number of patients, including those undergoing surgery at the time, were killed along with doctors and members of the nursing staff. The following day about 200 male staff members and patients who had been assembled and bound the previous day,many of them walking wounded, were ordered to walk about 450 yards to an industrial area. Anyone who fell on the way was bayoneted. The men were forced into a series of small, badly ventilated rooms where they held overnight without water. Some died during the night as a result of their treatment, with the remainder bayoneted the next morning. Many who had not been imprisoned in the tiny rooms in the industrial area were systematically taken away in small groups and bayoneted or macheted to death. This continued for 24 hours, leaving 320 men and one woman dead.

By the morning of the 15th of February 1942, Singapore was being shelled from almost every angle except dead in rear, which was the centre of the town. The enemy actually had an observation balloon up for about three hours and owing to the lack of Allied aircraft nothing could be done about it. At 3.pm the Colonel arrived at Regimental H.Q. with news that stunned everybody and just could not be believed at first.

Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, Commander of the Garrison of Singapore had decided in a meeting with his senior Officers, that a counter-attack by Allied forces would not be successful and surrender was the only option. The position was grave and the water supply had been cut, but surrender, the very idea had never entered the heads of the Allied troops. However, it was only too true and, acting according to orders, the 'cease-fire' sounded at 4p.m and the troops destroyed all secret and technical equipment, ciphers, codes, secret documents and heavy guns, and Lieutenant-General Percival had formally surrendered shortly after 5.15pm, although the enemy were still dropping bombs on the town as late as 6.45 p.m.

Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, Surrender of Singapore 1942

The fighting in Singapore had lasted from the 8th of February until the surrender on the 15th and was the largest surrender of British led military personnel in history. The Japanese captured about 80,000 British, Australian and Indian troops in Singapore, many who had just arrived like the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment and not fired a shot in anger.

The Japanese marched into Singapore, and the flag of the Rising Sun was flown from the tallest building. The men of the 125th Regiment were quiet and subdued, lost in thoughts of their own, as they had all heard about how the Japanese had treated the prisoners captured in Malaya. The men were pretty much left to their own devices that first day with the Japanese not bothering them.

Prisoner Of War

Prisoners held by the Japanese were subject to horrific conditions during their captivity with beatings, starvation, forced labour, poor medical treatment, unhygienic living conditions and summary punishments, a daily part of life for the men captured. The Japanese hadn't signed the Geneva Convention, as they viewed surrender, as dishonorable and many orders were issued from the Japanese High Command, not to take prisoners.

Gunner Edwin Arthur Alderton and the men of the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment were marched to Changi on the 17th of February 1942, about 20 miles from the centre of Singapore and here they began their captivity. Whilst at Changi nominal rolls were prepared many times and handed to the Japanese for transmission to England showing battle casualties, but it was not until a few months later when postcards could be sent home, although only 3 lines were allowed to be written.

The men of the 125th Regiment stayed at Changi until March 1942 when the Japanese separated the sick and sent working parties to Singapore. The Colonel manged to prevent the Regiment from being split up, but on the 3rd of April the majority were sent to River Valley Camp. Some of the men were lucky and were taken by truck but the rest had to march the 20 miles to the camp. On arrival a wonderful sight was met as some Chinese were standing near the entrance and had baked bread, the first the men had seen since before their capture, and soon enough the men were fed. The Japanese counted the men again and again, but once satisfied the men were allowed to settle into their new camp. Everywhere the grass was long and soaking wet, the ground was pitted with shell holes and bomb craters full of water and covered with frog spawn, latrines were conspicuous by their absence, there was no cookhouse, the huts were dark and dirty and lizards flitted about everywhere.

Easter Day 1942, Major Wylie performed Holy Communion, in the absence of a Regimental Padre, in the early morning half light of the Rice hut, and the congregation included troops from almost every part of the world - British, Canadian, Indian, Malaysian, Australian etc.

At River Valley Camp working parties of men were sent into Singapore to help clear the debris, pushing handcarts from point to point loaded with sand and bricks. Officers at this stage were not required to work but went out with the parties to help the men with the treatment from the guards. The Japanese took delight in belittling the men in front of the natives at every opportunity but little did they know that the natives and the men were smiling inside at something happening under the guards noses.

Sergeant Oag, the Regimental Armourer, who was the son of an Armourer, was quietly working in camp repairing arms for the Chinese underground organisation. Hundreds of rifles and revolvers and at least three Light Machine Gun's were serviced and returned safely. All these weapons were smuggled into camp in various ways and, after the necessary repairs had been completed, were pushed under the wire at night. This was all Sgt.Oag's own work and for quite some time, even men living quite close to him were unaware of the dangerous work he was performing.

By August 1942 rumours were rife in the camp, that all prisoners would be moved off the island of Singapore and either sent up country, into Malaya and Siam, or shipped overseas to Japan. A small party of men had already been sent to Siam (Now Thailand), and soon after all Officers above the rank of Lieuntenant-Colonel, were sent to Japan.

Before leaving the 18th Division's Commander Officer sent this message:-

"On my departure for Japan I wish to take what may be my last chance to thank all ranks of the 18th Division for their cheerful service and loyal support on many shores and seas during the two years I have had the honour to command the Division.

I regret I have been unable to lead you to the success in battle to which your cause and sacrifice is entitled, and although I leave you with a heavy heart, I carry with me many precious memories and a sense of comradeship such as could only have been inspired by the trials and disappointments which we have shared in the last few months.

Difficult days may still be ahead, but I know that the spirit which today animates all ranks of the Division will prevail and will form the corner-stone on which one day a just and lasting peace will be found.

God grant that day may not be long delayed and that we may soon meet again.

Meanwhile GOOD LUCK, HEADS UP, KEEP SMILING.

M. BECKWITH-SMITH Major General. 18th August 1942

Major General M. Beckwith-Smith, never did get to meet his men again, he died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp in November 1942.

The Selarang Square Squeeze

On the 30th of August 1942 the Japanese Commander, General Fukuye, called upon every prisoner of war in Singapore, regardless of rank, to sign a certificate stating that the they would not attempt to escape, as 4 escaped prisoners, 2 English and 2 Australian's, had earlier been caught. The pledge read:

"I the undersigned, hereby solemnly swear on my honour that I will not, under any circumstances, attempt to escape.".

With 3 exceptions,every man refused. This was unacceptable to the prisoners as they saw it as their duty to escape if they could, and as a result on the 2nd of September 1942, the Japanese Commander ordered all ranks, except those sick in hospital and the 3 men who had signed, to proceed to Selarang Barracks.

The Selarang Barracks had been built by the British in 1938 as part of the Singapore Garrison and had housed the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. The barracks consisted of blocks of buildings forming three sides of a rectangle with an asphalt square in the centre. In peace time the maximum accommodation was for 850 men. The Japanese crammed 17,000 Allied prisoners of war into a parade ground of about 128 by 210 metres and its surrounding areas.

The Selarang Barracks Incident 30th August - 5th September 1942

The first and most urgent problem was the lack of toilet facilities, and the man worked by flickering gas light by overnight that first day, digging deep trenches all over the square. The Japanese cut the water supply and only allowed the men water from 1 tap, and there was a continuous line, night and day. The men were allowed 1 water bottle of water a day, and this was for drinking and washing.

After the first day, the Japanese threatened to further cut the water rations, and within 48 hours cases of sickness and dysentery were being reported, and the men were taken to an improvised shelter awaiting transportation to Changi. A further threat was made by the Japanese, to bring all the sick from Changi Hospital to Selarang, but the men remained resolute.

When on the 3rd day the men still refused to sign, General Fukuye ordered the Commander of the British and Australian troops in Changi, Lieutenant-General E.B. Holmes and his deputy, Lieutenant Colonel F. Galleghan, to attend the executions of the 4 recent escapee prisoners, Australians; Cpl. R. Breavington and Pvt. V. Gale, and English soldiers; Pvt. H. Waters and Pvt. E. Fletcher.

Cpl. Breavington pleaded to no avail that he was solely responsible for the escape and that he alone should be the only man executed. The executions were carried out by the Indian National Army guards with rifles on the 2nd of September 1942, and the first shot was non-lethal and the wounded men pleaded to be finished off. Despite the executions the Allied troops, held in appalling conditions at Selarang, still refused to sign the pledge.

The British senior Officers were in continuous consultation and arguments were put forward and against signing. Without food and little water available and coupled with latrine pits, kitchens and hospital beds crowded into an area of about a square kilometre, dysentery broke out quickly and the sick began to die. Realising that more would die needlessly, the prisoners’ commanders decided on the advice of the Senior Medical Officer, that they and their men would sign the pledge "under duress".

On 4 September, Lt-Gen Holmes issued a written order to his men:

The requirement by the Imperial Japanese Army, issued under their Order No.17 dated 31 August 1942 that all ranks of the POW Camp Changi, should be given the opportunity to sign a certificate of promise not to escape, has now been amended in a revised Imperial Japanese Army Order No.17 dated 2 September 1942 to a definite order that all Officers, N.C.O's, and Men of the POW Camp shall sign this undertaking. I therefore now order that these certificates will be signed by all ranks, and handed by Area Commanders to Command Headquarters by 1100 hrs on 5 September 1942. The circumstances in which I have been compelled to issue this order will be made the subject of Selarang Special Order No. 3 which will be issued later.

As the Japanese were not familiar with British names, the POW's used many false or meaningless names, and the most common used by the Australians was 'Ned Kelly', the famous Australian folklore hero. After the signings were complete the Japanese, sent the men back to their various camp on the 5th of September 1942, and this ended the incident we now know as the 'Selarang Barracks Incident' During the Singapore War Crimes Trial in 1946, General Fukuye was sentenced to death and executed by firing squad at the spot where the four POWs had been shot three years earlier.

The men of the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment who were not sick in the hospital at Changi, were informed they would provide a party to go overseas. The Regimental Officers decided that they should try to keep pals together as far as possible. 1 Officer was to be sent and names were dropped into a hat. Lieutenant W. Carter's name was drawn, so 'B' Battery men, were the obvious choice to go with him. The Regiment was now split into several parties, the sick at the Hospital in Changi under the Colonel, the overseas party under Lieutenant Carter, 'D' Battery party up-country under Lieutenant Rich, and further party up country under Major Brodie. Every effort was made to keep the men together with at least 1 Officer, but there were parties of men, who were on their own.

Just before the various parties were sent on their way, a consignment of South African Red Cross food and clothing arrived at Singapore and was distributed among the troops. Lieut. Rich's party left River Valley on the 12th of October, to be followed by Major Brodie's party on the 14th; the Colonel followed 14 days later from Changi, with all the fit personnel he could muster.

The overseas party left a few days after the up-country parties and proceeded to Formosa in Taiwan as slave labour in the copper mines. The boarded on the 'Dai Nichi Maru', a 'Hell Ship' under the vilest conditions imaginable. Hell Ships were Japanese cargo ships that carried Allied POW's to locations throughout the Japanese Empire to be employed as forced labor supporting the war efforts of the Japanese military and civilian corporations. Because the transports were unmarked, many were attacked and sunk by Allied submarines and aircraft with the result that over 21,000 Allied Prisoners of War and Asian forced laborers perished at sea. The Hell Ships remain one of the least known tragedies of the Pacific War.

Siam 1942

The majority of the 125th Anti-Tank Regiment were destined to spend their captivity in the jungle and prisoner of war camp in Siam (Now Thailand). The train journey to Siam through Malaysia, saw an average of 32 men into steel railcars amid grim conditions. The heat was intense and the men soon found that for anyone to get even a suggestion of rest, they had to adopt a workable system. In the majority of cases this was accomplished by half the men standing close together at one end of the truck whilst the remainder lay curled up on the floor. After a reasonable period, the position was reversed so that every man got his turn to lie down. The Red cross parcels the men received just leaving, were considered a 'Godsend' on the ghastly train journey of 4 nights and 3 days.

The landscape the men traveled through hardly changed until reaching the Malaysia - Siam Border town of Padang Besar. Up until then, there had been rubber plantations, coconut palms and rugged high ground in the distance but, once past the frontier, the rubber plantations gradually decreased and were re-placed by paddy-fields, which increased until after a few miles inside the border they stretched as far as the eye could see. The men arrived at Ban Pong on the 18th of October and were marched to a staging camp. From here the men begun their march into the interior jungle of Siam.

Burma - Siam Railway 'The Death Railway'

The decision to build the Burma (Now Myanmar) - Siam (Thailand) railway was made following the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway in June 1942, after which the Japanese navy could no longer guarantee the safe passage of supplies to its armies in Burma and New Guinea.

The railway, which would cross 260 miles of mountainous jungle, connected Nong Pladuk in Siam to Thanbyuzayat in Burma. It was expected to enable the Japanese to move 3,000 tons of supplies each day from Singapore and Bangkok to the Indian border.

In early 1942, prisoners of war began clearing undergrowth, felling trees and making embankments and cuttings, using little more than picks, shovels and hoes. In June, the Japanese started moving Australian, British and Dutch PoWs to Burma and Thailand for the start of construction.

The first parties of 125th Anti-Tank Regiment men to set out, marched the whole way to Tonchan, via Kanburi and then through dense jungle. Later parties had transport to Kanburi, but once at the site of work the same grim conditions existed along the entire length of the railway. Tropical rains, tropical diseases, little food, almost no medical supplies, the hard work and the regular beatings began to take a toll on the men constructing the railway. Officers were compelled to work about February 1943, and at one time a party of some 300 officers was brought from Changi supposedly for a rest and change of air and put straight on to railway work and felling trees.

Amid the beatings and hard work, sickness and starvation, there was a never failing sense of humour so typical of the British, even under the worst of conditions. A party of about 25 men parading under a Korean guard, proceeded to number off '1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,Jack,Queen,King' to which the Korean guard replied with a perfectly straight face 'Ok march'. Later the men were made to count in Japanese. One of the ways the Allied POW's kept their spirits going in the hellish conditions was to ask one of the musicians in their midst to play his guitar or accordion for them, or lead them in a group sing-along, or request their camp comedians to tell some rough jokes, and there was always some wag to relieve the tension with some humour.

In June 1943 mail began to arrive from home and the excitement which greeted the arrival of mail was terrific. Even those who were not fortunate enough to get any mail at all (and there were quite a number) soon had a reasonable picture of what was happening back in the home by means of odd scraps of news issued in bulletin form. The amount of interest created was amazing, and gave everyone something to talk about for weeks and weeks. Letters were treasured and months later were brought out and read and re-read until every word was known by heart.

Map of the Burma - Siam Railway (click to enlarge)

The Burma-Siam railway, previously surveyed by both British and German engineers, and in each case turned down as being too expensive in the inevitable loss of man-power, was slowly growing under the harsh drive of the Japanese. The Regiment was spread in groups along the whole length of the proposed railway in Siam from Chungkai to Niki. The Japanese orders were that, irrespective of any conditions whatsoever, the railway must be completed by a certain date. That date was rapidly drawing near, and in true Japanese fashion the guards and the engineers strove to carry out their orders even though men were dropping dead at work.

During the worst months of the construction period, known as the "Speedo", from mid-spring to mid-October 1943, every few minutes the command "Speedo Speedo Bugaro" would be screamed by one or more irate Japanese guard, and more often than not the command was accompanied by a lash from bamboo rods. In one camp of 1,500 men, where a small contingent of 125th Regiment men were working, after three months there remained only one officer and five men fit to go out to work. Officers were compelled to work about February 1943, and at one time a party of some 300 officers was brought from Changi supposedly for a rest and change of air and put straight on to railway work and felling trees.

Allied Prisoners of War working on the railway

The construction of the railway was completed with the joining of the Burmese and Siamese sections of the line near to Konkoita, on the 16th of October 1943. Actual construction time was about 14 months and was considered a major engineering feat. With unbelievably primitive tools for such a project and a total disregard for human life and suffering, the Japanese built a railway 260 miles long through one of most rugged and pestilence-ridden areas of the world.

Between December 1943 and August 1945 some 220,000 tons of military supplies were carried over the railway. Allied air raids hindered the railway’s operation yet the Japanese continued to move supplies along the route. Today, 130 km of the line remains in use, from Non Pladuk to Namtok.

Allied Prisoners of War Burma-Siam

Of the 60,000 Allied POWs who worked on the railway, 12,399 died. Between 70,000 and 90,000 civilian labourers are also believed to have died. The reasons for this appalling death toll were lack of proper food, totally inadequate medical facilities and, at times, the brutal treatment from guards and railway supervisors.

Gunner Edwin Arthur Alderton died aged 35, during the construction of the railway, on the 16th of September 1943. He is buried at Chunkai War Cemetery in grave reference 6.O.3, which is the original burial grounds started by the prisoners themselves, and contains mostly those who died at the hospital.

Sketch drawn by prisoner Jack Chalker. The Hospital at Chungkai

The hospital consisted of two long atap huts and an atap operating theatre. The illnesses varied, from scabies to malaria, the bamboo bed shelf was full of bugs and lice, as there was no disinfectants. Treatment for all forms of dysentery was salts and starvation, three days on tea and then a further two days on fluids only.

The Japanese in charge of the Chungkai Base camp was Colonel Yanagida and Chungkai was about four kilometres away from Tamarkan. The camp increased from seven huts to about twenty, this including the hospital. It had about six large trees which gave shade, clumps of bamboo and groups of mango trees, there were small forests on the hill slopes. The prisoners also built a church in the grounds, made from bamboo.

Chungkai War Cemetery Today

The 125th Anti-Tank Regiment's men who had survived the construction of the railway, still had over 2 years of captivity in Japanese prisoners of war camps, and although the work was a little easier after the construction of the railway, the regime of starvation rations and ill treatment by the Japanese was endured until the end of the war.

Gunner Edwin Arthur Alderton is not related to me but the suffering that Edwin and all the Allied prisoners of war endured should never be forgotten.

Lest We Forget

Lee Thomas. August 2013

125 Anti Tank Regiment Royal Artillery

Registers of War Dead

Buried in Chungkai War Cemetery Thailand

Buried in Kanchanaburi War Cemetery Thailand

Buried in Kranji War Cemetery Singapore

Buried in Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery Burma

The Singapore Civil Hospital Grave Memorial

Missing at Sea

Buried at Sea

Buried in Manila

Killed on ‘Empress of Asia’

Killed at Liverpool

Those whose graves cannot be traced from Registers

* killed in Singapore – February 1942