by David B Hill
One source of my growing understanding lay in my father’s books. The titles speak for themselves. Ion Idriess and Tom Jones’s The Silent Service, Hilary St George Saunders’s The Red Berets, Roy Farran’s Winged Dagger and Wavy Navy, edited by Lennox Kerr and David James concentrate on special units. Len wasn’t a specialist in this sense, but he found himself in special circumstances. Ralph Barker’s Down in the Drink, Paul Brickhill’s Escape or Die and Eric Williams’s Wooden Horse offer remarkable stories of escape. Singapore Tragedy by S E Field describes life in Singapore before the war and vividly details the collapse, uniquely, from a New Zealander’s perspective. Noel Barber’s Sinister Twilight and Richard Gough’s The Escape from Singapore further describe the collapse. Alfred Allbury’s Bamboo and Bushido, Kenneth Harrison’s The Brave Japanese and Rohan Rivett’s Behind Bamboo describe the prisoner-of-war experience. Two texts by Edward, Lord Russell of Liverpool, The Knights of Bushido and Scourge of the Swastika, are essentially summaries of the war as perpetrated by Russell’s enemies.
It was clear to me that my father’s thinking about the war was broad, and extended well past its end. The authors that Len and Tim Hill suggested, privately, best reflected their personal experiences were Ion Idriess and Rohan Rivett respectively.
I am given to colonising second-hand bookshops, and have acquired a number of invaluable texts, including The Royal New Zealand Navy: Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945 by S D Waters, Blue-Water Rationale: The Naval Defence of New Zealand 1914–1942 by I C MacGibbon, The Rise and Fall of the Singapore Naval Base, 1919–1942 by W David McIntyre, the wonderful book about the RNVR by Brian Lavery, In Which They Served, and the essential Anzacs at War by John Laffin. My collection includes classics like Duff Cooper’s Old Men Forget – a first-hand account of events surrounding the fall of Singapore, from the inside.
The contribution, to the historical record of the RNZNVR from those who served – Jack Harker, John McEwan and Ken Cassells – is vitally important, as is that of Gerry Wright.
Of many possible sources, Australian Peter Brune’s Descent into Hell presented me with the best current interpretation of the Malayan campaign.
There are photographs. And there is the internet, of course, the marvellous tool that allows us to uncover information from the farthest, most labyrinthine recesses of our collective knowledge.
★ ★ ★
For me the most valuable sources of information – the most authentic – were the men themselves. It was my great privilege to have known not only Len, of course, but also Lofty Neville, Tim Hill and Johnny Bull. I can still hear the sound of their voices. In fact, Lofty Neville’s voice can still be heard, in the Navy’s Oral History archive. I knew others, too: men who served on the light cruiser Achilles and in the Solomons. The reader should not think that any of them gave information easily – but what little they did give was not easy to forget. Over tea, Johnny once told me ‘We didn’t row so much as bail for our lives.’ This image stayed in my mind ever after. On another occasion, fifty years after the event, Johnny confessed to me that he still carried the burden of survival, and the fate of his men continued to haunt him.
One of the voices in this narrative is that of Richard Pool, the young Sub-Lieutenant and survivor of the sinking of Repulse. Pool’s 1987 book, Course for Disaster, speaks of the fall of Singapore and the escape of ML310. Should the reader look closely, he or she will find differences between Pool’s narrative and mine. The reason for this is that my father and Johnny Bull disagreed with Pool’s account in several respects. Businessman and analytical thinker that he was, Len once wrote a letter to Johnny Bull in which he detailed, item by item, those aspects of Pool’s book with which he took issue. When Johnny read the letter, he countersigned each point and wrote the words ‘I concur’ beside his initials. In choosing the direction of the narrative, I went to primary sources and the original reports of proceedings and documents of record first, wherever possible. Taking this and, most significantly for me, Len’s letter to his Commanding Officer and Johnny’s subsequent response, into account, I leaned in favour of their account.
What is powerfully evident to me is that these men never forgot their experiences, but maintained a dialogue throughout their lives in search of the truth. Their silence was not due to absence of memory. In fact, many dedicated a significant part of the rest of their lives to understanding and preserving the facts; not for posterity, but privately, for their own peace of mind.
It is a sad fact that, at the time of writing, there is very little on record about those New Zealanders who served in Singapore. Furthermore, there are no records held by the Navy Museum for either the 80th or the 81st Fairmile Flotilla. It is as if the service of those young men of the Royal New Zealand Navy Volunteer Reserve was superficial, lacking in distinction, or of insufficient merit to warrant inclusion in our history. That is not the case. Happily, there have been other writers who have focussed on this omission, and it is hoped this modest effort will also help reverse that travesty.
I believe it is only appropriate to honour these men by using their real names. Not having had the privilege of knowing Richard Pool, Ernest Spooner or Ian Stonor, among others, their characters were difficult for me to express. The Admiral seemed to me to be a man of dignity and conscience, a staunch servant of King and country, and Ian Stonor a leader of men. In bringing these characters to life, I have tried hard to be fair-minded.
Otherwise, in joining the dots, I have made every effort to conform to the facts. These include the vexing story of New Zealand-born Patrick Heenan, whose treachery is best described in Peter Elphick and Michael Smith’s book Odd Man Out. It is unsurprising that such a devastating element of the Singapore story can have remained obscured for so long. Seeking the truth was difficult, and aspects like time, date, number and spelling offer enormous potential for error and contradiction, which seems to expand exponentially according to the amount of source material one has to hand. I still can’t be certain exactly who was on the crew of ML310, for example.
Perhaps the most valuable sources – over time – were, of course, the wives. As a boy growing up in the 1950s, I was regularly told by my mother, ‘Eat your Vegemite. It saved your Uncle Tim!’ I did not realise at the time of course, but that was a reference to Tim’s prisoner-of-war experience. Years later, in preparation for this narrative, Ava prompted me over things I had no knowledge of, or found difficult, pre-empting one line of enquiry with ‘You mean the gold?’ In between, the facts began to present in similarly small portions. Somewhere I even have a single Singapore Straits dollar bill.
The children too made huge contributions, particularly Tim’s older daughter Christine Dwight, and Johnny’s daughter Anne Heise, both of whom tolerated my random communications and offered heartfelt encouragement. Anne was able to deliver a wealth of written material.
I must acknowledge Michael Wynd, researcher for the RNZN and Petar Djokovic, researcher for the RAN, not to mention staff at the Imperial War Museum, London, and the Dutch Naval Archive in Amsterdam.
Dean Parker has been a particular source of inspiration and support. My friends and mentors Christopher Johnstone, author and arts administrator, and Jo Emeney, poet and educator, have both been tolerant listeners and invaluable sounding boards for my literary pretensions.
My deep gratitude goes to Huia Publishers and Creative New Zealand, who saw some potential in my manuscript, granting me a Te Papa Tupu award for emerging Māori writers; mentoring in the form of Mary McCallum, who provided stability, clarity and every encouragement in a wonderfully empowering partnership; and a very patient publisher in Eboni Waitere.
Finally, nothing would be complete without acknowledging Susan Haywood, classicist, educator, linguist and grammarian, who brought a rigour to the project that defies measure. She is also my wife (which helped). This book would never have been completed without her.
Nor would I.
David B Hill
Freemans Bay
April 2018
Index
Page numbers in bold refer to images.
Achilles 245
Ajax 245
Allied Combined Fleet 231
Alynbank 60–71, 128, 144
American British Dutch Australian force (ABDA) 82, 238, 245–46, 251
Andaman Sea 82
Anniversary Day regattas, Auckland 8, 86
Aorangi 78–83
Aquarius 165, 182
Aquitania 29, 30, 31–33, 35, 38–40, 314
Ascania 285, 286, 287–88
Atkins, George 151, 164, 172, 175, 177, 178, 180, 310
Attack 74
Australia 29, 45
Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Far East bureau 264, 280
Australian Imperial Force, Great War 21
Australian Imperial Force, Second World War
Java 243
Malaya 113, 115, 116, 118–19, 120
Singapore 131
Bale, Arthur 151
Bale, Arthur James 310
Ballarat 265
Bandung 240, 249, 250, 254
Bangka Island 160, 164, 196, 197, 199, 200, 201–02, 204, 208
Bangka Strait 160–70, 197
Batavia 149, 157, 186–87, 208, 214, 221, 231, 235, 236–47, 249, 264, 279
Batu Pahat 107–08, 109, 111, 112, 113–17, 160
Berhala Straits 160
Bettany, Arthur 314
Blackburn, Arthur 242
Blackforce 242
Britain 53, 54–60, 75, 77–78, 83, 85, 124
see also Scotland; and other placenames
British Army 131, 243
18th Division 81, 125
53rd Infantry Brigade 79, 107
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 151, 310
Gordon Highlanders 311
Royal Engineers 151, 310, 311
Brough, Andrew (Jock) 309
contact with Len Hill in later life 306
evacuation of Singapore 151, 157
Fremantle 278, 279–86
General Verspijk, voyage to Fremantle 260–80
Japanese attack, Bangka Strait 163, 164, 165
Java 233, 234–36, 238, 239, 241–65
ML310, based in Singapore 88, 101, 110, 111, 113, 114, 115, 120, 141
repairs to prahu, Katjangan Island 190
shore leave, Singapore 91, 94, 96, 122, 123, 133, 146, 147, 148
Tjibia Island 173, 176, 177, 181, 185–87, 192, 193
travel from Fremantle to Melbourne 286, 287–89
voyage in prahu from Tjibia Island to Merak 197, 198, 200–06, 208, 209, 212–16, 218, 220, 222, 223, 225, 227, 229, 230–31
Brouwer, Henk 262, 266, 267
Bull, Anne see Heise, Anne (née Bull)
Bull, Cecily 177, 297, 301, 302, 303
Bull, Herbert John (Johnny snr) 309
in Auckland, following the war 297–304, 306–307
evacuation of Singapore 144, 151, 152, 153, 155, 156, 157, 158, 159, 301
first meeting with Len and Tim 86–87
Fremantle 278, 279–86, 304
General Verspijk, voyage to Fremantle 260–80
godfather to Len Hill’s son 307
HDML1062 motor launch 99, 111
on HMS Scorpion 90
Japanese attack, Bangka Strait 164, 165, 166, 167, 169, 170
Java 233–65, 304, 311
ML310, based in Singapore 128, 138, 140, 141, 142
photograph, Devonport, 1944 317
repairs to prahu, Katjangan Island 191
Solomon Islands service 299, 305
Tjibia Island 170–80, 181, 185–88, 192–94, 301
travel from Fremantle to Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland 286, 287, 288, 290, 291, 293–94
voyage in prahu from Tjibia Island to Merak 195, 196, 197–201, 202, 204–16, 218–31
Bull, Johnny (jnr) 301, 307
Cant, Glen 227–28, 229, 230, 231, 233, 265, 270, 278
Cape Town 45–46
Cazelet, Peter 148–49
Chan, Teh Ling (Charlie) 89–90, 111, 132, 133, 137, 158, 172, 180, 193
Christmas, Ernest 144, 152, 160, 161, 162, 228
Clark, Victor 144, 160, 161, 162
coast watch stations 7
Collins, John (Commodore, China Force, Royal Australian Navy) 231, 237–40, 244, 246, 250, 251, 280, 284, 304
convoys
DM.1 convoy 81–83
eastern coast of Britain and North Sea 60, 63–71
evacuation fleet from Tjilatjap to Fremantle 265–80
trans-Atlantic convoys 70
troopships, Singapore 125–27
US3 convoy 38, 45–46, 51–52, 53–54, 58
WS.12Z convoy 78–81
Davidson, Alistair 287
Davies, Richard 310
Davis, Sir Ernest 24
Davy, Charles 310
Dawi 195, 198, 201, 204–07, 213–15, 218, 220, 222, 223, 225, 227, 229, 230–31, 233
Depression 8–9
Dimmett, Auburn 311
Dittmer, George 53, 314
DM.1 convoy 81–83
Docherty, James 311
Dunkirk 53, 54, 59
Durban 79–81
Dutch East India Company 240, 241
Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) 179, 193, 241, 249, 253–54
Dutch Navy 279
Dwight, Christine (née Hill) 307
Empress of Asia 126–27, 131
Empress of Britain 29
Empress of Japan 29
Endurance 19
Exeter 82, 245
Fairbanks, Charles 310
Fairmile motor launches 77–78, 87, 88, 100, 127–28, 136, 143, 149
see also ML310; ML311
80th Fairmile Flotilla 305, 315
Far East 75, 77, 78, 80, 85
see also Malaya; Singapore
Firth of Forth 62
Flower, Robert William 309
Fort William 74
Frampton, Pendarvis 151, 164, 172, 309
Freetown 46, 51–52, 79
Fremantle 35–38, 259, 264, 278, 279–86
Freyberg, Bernard 15
Galway, Lord 10
Gaspar Straits 204, 208
General Verspijk 260–80, 283–86
Gibson, Bert 310
Gifford, Jack 298
Ginn, James 310
Gneisenau 45
gold, Singapore 134–36
Graf Spee 245
Great War 15, 16, 18, 19, 20–22, 48, 71–72
Guadalcanal 299
Harbour Defence Motor Launches see HDML1062; HDML1063
Hauraki Gulf 2–3, 13, 24, 78, 307
Hayward, Jackie 309, 316
Alynbank 61, 70
Auckland waterfront and RNVR 2, 7
Japanese attack, Bangka Strait 164, 165, 167
ML310, based in Singapore 87, 99, 111, 149, 152
Royal Navy training, and leave in Britain 74, 78
shore leave in Singapore 93–94, 95–96, 97, 122, 123, 130, 132
Tjibia Island 173, 182–83, 184–85, 188, 284
voyage to Britain 52, 53, 58
HDML1062 87, 88, 99, 109, 127–28, 144, 155, 158, 228
HDML1063 87, 88, 127–28, 144, 155, 160, 228, 242–43
Heenan, Patrick 159, 323
Heise, Anne (née Bull) 301, 302, 307
Heke, Ree 21–23, 25, 43, 47, 103
Heke, Richard 22
Henderson, Malcolm
evacuation of Singapore 144, 156
Japanese attack, Bangka Strait 164, 166, 168, 169–70
ML310, based in Singapore 87, 88, 90, 102, 104, 118, 119, 128, 138, 142, 143, 309
Tjibia Island 173, 175, 191, 193, 291
Hendrick, Monk 298–302, 303, 304
Hermes 45
Hill, April 307
Hill, Arthur 10, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26–27, 28, 48, 103, 295–96
Hill, Ava 6, 9–10, 28, 39, 92–93, 133, 182, 203, 290–91, 307
&
nbsp; Hill, Bill 6, 10, 18, 20, 22, 25, 26, 43, 48, 103, 303, 315
Hill, Christine see Dwight, Christine (née Hill)
Hill, Joy 10, 21, 22, 25, 26, 295
Hill, Kate 20, 21, 22, 23, 36, 37, 39, 48, 93, 103, 289
and Len’s departure for Britain 24–26, 27
and Len’s return home 294–95
Māori woman 10, 42, 43, 47, 49
Hill, Leonard Bruce (Len), personal life
in Auckland, 1943 315
in Auckland, following the war 302–08
‘being Pākehā’ 303
boyhood 1–7
contact with Jack Hulbert in later life 307
contact with Jock Brough in later life 306
Māori heritage 11, 22–23, 42–45, 46–51, 54–55, 56
photograph with Jack Hulbert 316
post-war business and retirement 305–06
reading 319–20
sailing 2–3, 6, 8, 307
trip to Singapore and Java, 1980s 306
Hill, Leonard Bruce (Len), war service 309
Alynbank 60–71, 128, 144
arrival in Britain 54–59
embarkation and voyage to Scotland 26–53, 211–12, 279
Fremantle 278, 279–86
General Verspijk, voyage to Fremantle 260–80
influence of uncles’ service and deaths in Great War 20–21, 22, 25, 40, 48, 103, 168, 187
Java 233–65
on leave in Scotland, January 1941 313
ML310 motor launch 87–90, 98–106, 107–21, 125–30, 136–45, 148–53, 155–60, 164–74
ML403 motor launch, Solomon Islands 305
photograph in uniform after Alynbank, before Singapore 316
promotion to able seaman 70
repairs to prahu, Katjangan Island 189–92
return home, 4 April 1942 294–96
in Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, New Zealand 7–10, 14–17, 18–26, 315
Royal Navy training 59–60, 74, 77–78, 317
Singapore 84–87, 90–98, 120–27, 130–36, 145–53
Tjibia Island 173–74, 175–89, 192–94
travel from Fremantle to Melbourne, Sydney and Auckland 286, 287–94
