Events Leading Up To The Surrender on 15th February 1942.
Extracts from the War diary 25th January 1942.
08:30 hrs 14.9.39 Singapore. 3527701 Pte R Howley died at Singapore General Hospital. Howley, Private, RICHARD HENRY, 3527701. 1st Battalion The Manchester Regiment. 14th September 1939. Age 25. Son of Richard and Mary Elizabeth Howley,26 Hebron Street, Heyside, Royton, Oldham.
Buried in Kranji War Cemetery Singapore. Grave 36 .C. 3. GP
12:15 hrs 29.7.40 Singapore 3529495 Pte V C O'Neill "D" Company died in the reception station Changi as a result of injuries received from a falling tree. O'NEILL, Private, VINCENT, 3529495. 1st Battalion The Manchester Regiment. 29th July 1940. Age 22. Son of Vincent and Elizabeth Jane O'Neill,12 Wilmslow Road, Fallowfield, Manchester.
Buried in Kranji War Cemetery Singapore. Grave 36. D. 17 GP
There are very few entries in the War Diary for February 1941 however it is known that 3770001 Pte Walter George Diamond died on 25th February 1941 as recorded by the CWGC.
3770001 Pte. Walter George Diamond. Grave 35. G. 24 GP
Son of Walter and Margaret Diamond of Bradford, Manchester.
At first he was buried in Bidadari Christian Cemetery Grave 1618-G, later re buried in Kranji War Cemetery Singapore.
Note:
Bidadari Cemetery is a defunct cemetery in Singapore. It used to serve the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sinhalese communities, and accepted burials between 1907 and 1972. The area was earmarked for development in the government's 1998 land-use masterplan. Between 2001 and 2006, all known graves, consisting of 58,000 Christian and 68,000 Muslim graves, were exhumed. The majority of the Christian graves were unclaimed. The remains of Muslims were reburied at the Pusara Abidi Cemetery in Choa Chu Kang, while unclaimed Christians remains were cremated, and their ashes scattered at sea between 24 and 29 March 2008. All known military graves were exhumed and re buried in Kranji Military and War Cemeteries.
18:45 hrs 1.8.41 3528818 Pte D Grant "C" Company died at Military Hospital Alexandra due to injuries sustained whilst performing the duties of Dispatch Rider. GRANT, Private, DONALD, 3528818. 1st Battalion The Manchester Regiment. 1st August 1941. Age 23. Son of Martin Grant, and of Mary Grant, of Farnworth, Lancashire. Buried in Kranji War Cemetery Singapore. Grave 36. B. 5 GP
09:50 hrs 1.12.41 All Leave Cancelled.
26.1.42 Singapore L.Cpl Latham died as a result of accident. LATHAM, Lance Corporal, FRED, 3527467. 1st Battalion The Manchester Regiment. 26th January 1942. Age 27.
Buried in Kranji War Cemetery Singapore. Grave 36. C. 11 GP
19th January 1942
3528007 L.Cpl John Jackson. Died on 19th January 1942 aged 23.
Recorded by the CWGC - No further information found.
Remembered on Column 76 of the Kranji War Cemetery Singapore Memorial.
Men Killed, Wounded and Missing In Action.
5th February 1942
As we pulled up at Telok Paku, there was smoke coming from a burning truck that had been hit by Japanese aircraft, men were pulling out what appeared to be burning rags from under the truck, they turned out to be Sgt Keating, Sgt Carney and Colour Sgt Durward. Sgt Keating was dead, Colour Sgt Durward was badly wounded and died three days later, Sgt Carney had been wounded in the head, later he had a plate fitted in his head.
3523252 Sgt James Keating. Grave 18. A. 18 GP
3518143 C.Sgt Quentin Longshaw Durward (Known as cush). Tanglin Barracks, Singapore. Grave 23. B. 1 GP
Originally buried in Reformatory Road Cemetery. Grave 3.
The two men above are buried in Kranji War Cemetery Singapore.
3524990 John (Jackie) Carney. 245 Cheltenham Street, Collyhurst, Manchester. RC LQ
He was awarded a BEM for services as a POW and was Bantamweight boxing champion. He remained in the Regiment and returned to Malaya from 1951 to 1954.
3524990 John (Jackie) Carney like my father 3525679 Arthur Phillips (Cliff/rafboy) were amongst about a dozen former Manchester Regiment POW's who remained in the Army and continued to serve with the 1st Battalion The Manchester Regiment, my father transferred to the Royal army Pay Corps but stayed with the Battalion when it went to Malaya in 1951.
There are two notes in the back of Robert Bonner's book "Jungle Bashers" which refer to John Carney and his step brother Norman 'Tinker' Bell:
End Note 39:
Company Sergeant Major Jackie Carney BEM. Stepbrother of Tinker Bell (End Note 58) Enlisted as a boy soldier in August 1931 and for 10 years was a member of the band. A fine boxer he won the Boys Army Championship in successive years and was undisputed Battalion Bantamweight Champion. Received a fractured scull during Japanese raid on Singapore and was 3 1/2 years a POW. Awarded the BEM for his work as a POW and twice Mentioned in Despatches. Following retirement he enlisted into the Territorial Army and was a Company Sergeant Major with the 9th Battalion The Manchester Regiment (TA). He died on 4th January 1972 aged 56.
Sgt Carneys father was Pte. 19844 William Carney, he and his brother Pte 19843 Harry Carney served together in The 2nd South Lancashire Regiment, his Father was killed in action on 13th July 1916.
13th February 1942.
S/3533811 Sgt. Mark Bloch. 78 Stock Street, Cheetham, Lancashire.
He had transferred from the Manchester Regiment to the Royal Army Service Corps (Supplies) and was attached to Fortress Headquarters.
Reported as Missing in Action.
Remembered on column 97 of the Singapore Memorial Kranji War Cemetery Singapore.
14th February 1942.
Three of our 15cwt trucks came into the yard with some of our wounded on board, they were part of the two Machine Gun teams from the Jurong Road area who had been overrun by the Japanese, on board were:
3527237 Pte. George Wallace. Grave 8. B. 14 GP
Seriously wounded in both legs.
Died 20th February 1942 in Roberts Hospital Singapore.
Buried in Kranji War Cemetery Singapore.
3525962 Pte. Norman Kinchin.
Pte. Kinchin was badly wounded in the upper body on 14th February 1942 at Grove Road, Singapore. Sadly he was found to be dead on arrival at Alexander Hospital.
Remembered on Column 6 of Singapore Civil Hospital Grave Memorial.
129560 Lt. David William Low.
Died of wounds to his abdomen. Lt. Low was gravely wounded on 15th February 1942 and was taken to the Fullerton Hotel which was being used as a hospital, he was operated on but died later in Singapore General (Alexandra) Hospital.
Son of James and Mary Sophia Low. Husband of Jose Maurine Low of North Finchley, London.
Remembered on Column 5 of the Singapore Civil Hospital Grave Memorial.
3534014 Pte Asa Cook (Acer).
Seriously wounded both legs. Only Asa cook survived his wounds.
Two boy soldiers 3536562 James Walter Martin and 3534748 Pte. Alfred Hogg were killed in the same engagement. 3528935 Pte. Joseph Mitchell was also killed. In order to help the others escape he grabbed as many grenades as he could carry and a 38 revolver and tommy gun and charged into the jungle firing away and throwing grenades. He stood no chance, the jungle was crawling with Japanese. Joe was the battalions heavyweight boxing champion.
3536562 Boy James Walter Martin. Killed in Action 12th February 1942.
3534748 Boy Alfred Hogg Killed in Action 12th February 1942.
Remembered on Column 78 of the Kranji War Cemetery Memorial Singapore.
The following men were Killed In Action on 14th and 15th February 1942.
3527514 L.Cpl. Patrick Boyne. Paya Lebah. GP
3527523 Pte. Charles Brockley. Gaylang Corner. GP
3535952 Pte. Harold Brookes. Gaylang Corner. GP
3526518 Cpl. Ronald James Fensome. Serangoon Road. GP
3533371 Pte. Vincent Kershaw. Tanamera. GP
3524312 Pte. John Lloyd. ?? GP
The men above are buried together in a communal grave 22. E. 12-17. One grave 10 individual headstones.
3534108 Pte. George Edward Harrison. ?? GP
6210430 Pte. George Holdsworth. Paya Lebah. GP
3529690 Pte. Ronald Howe. Gaylang Corner. GP
The three men above are buried in Graves 27.C. 2-4.
3533842 Pte. Thomas Henry Crookes. 27 Albert Street, Ardwick, Manchester. ?? Column 76
Son of Thomas and Hannah Crookes of Ardwick, Manchester.
3528162 Pte. Elmer Cecil Harkiss (Signaller). ?? Column 76
121943 Lt. Dudley Melville Howe. Serangoon Road. Column 75
Son of Henry G and Laura F Howe of Ealing Middlesex.
3526159 Pte. William Lawton. ?? Column 77
3524972 L.Sgt. Martin McGlynn. Bencoolen Street. Column 75
3529147 L.Cpl. William Middleton. Gaylang Corner. Grave 21. A. 6 GP
3534696 Pte. John Mould (Signaller). (C.Company) . ?? Column 77
Husband of Hilda Mould. 35 Moore Street, Congleton.
3534686 Pte. Richard Parr. 21 Hendra Street, Manchester. ?? Grave 26. A. 9 - 12 GP
3530225 Pte. William Anthony Roberts. Bras Bassah Road. Column 77
Son of Michael and Mary Roberts of Dublin.
All the men above are buried in the cemetery or remembered on the Singapore Memorial, Kranji War Cemetery.
It is thought that the men above who are remembered on the Singapore Memorial may have been buried as "Unknown" because their "Dog Tags" had been removed at the time of death therefore they could not be identified later.
