PUGH – WILLIAM GORDON S/54084

Jenny Hill writes.....My father was General Wavell and Percivals short hand writer in Singapore and actually wrote the diary of Singapore.  He escaped Singapore on the 13th February and although he was listed missing presumed dead for a long time he (or the 30 men he had in his control) were never captured.

He told the story of the Chinese paddle ship S. S. Wuchang.   They had no guns or ammo so my father got them to upturn a wheel barrow and threw tarpolelin over it and place two broom handles to represent guns.   The paddle ship was torpedoed but as the paddle ship had a flat bottom it went straight underneath and they watched it come out the other side.  They apparently walked across Sumatra 

PUGH – WILLIAM GORDON     S/54084

Enlisted as Clerk R.A.S.C. 1931, to Singapore February 1939

 

Staff Sergeant Major (W/O 1) No S54084, W.Q. Malaya Command, Chief Clerk Gerneral Staff Operations, Captain 366394 on Staff ROYAL ARMY SERVICE CORSPS, authorised to escape from Singapore on H.M.S. MALLACCA to Sumatra where it was scutted, then via H.M.S.DAME from Padang  to Cilicapl Java. Then to Ceylon on Chinese paddle ship S.S. Wuchang, April 1942.

Further staff postings in Ceylon, and UK 1944 S.T. Directorate, War Office, then OIC Pembroke Dock Barracks, and Chief Instructor Hereford Training School. Retired 1948 and joined T.A. as Captain R.A.(T.A.) 425 Pembs. Coast Regt. Transferred to 302 Pembrokeshire Yeomanry Field Regt. R.A. until disbanded .

Decorations – territorial Decoration.

1939-45 Star: Pacific Star, Defence Medal; War Medal.

details: -
Arrived Singapore March 1939. Attached 52 M.T. Coy R.A.S.C. at Alexandra Barracks. Duty with Transp Service ort Office R.A.S.C. Malaya Command and later as Chief Clerk with mixed military responsible for allocation of Military and civilian transport, civilian labour, water transport (held by No.4 Water Transport R.A.S.C. AT Pulan Brani) and all shipping movements and control. (Military).

My father died aged 90 in 2002.