Edward Marriott writes that in relation to the SS IPOH that an ex POW was interviewed and he is adamant he sailed on the SS IPOH from Singapore to Sumatra. Captain Jannings (IPOH) last report apparently doesnt mention stopping at Sumatra, but mentions the voyage to Batavia.
The memoirs "LIFE OF RILEY", can be found on the Far East Heroes page of the FEPOW FORUM and the relevant section is the chapter Escape from Singapore onwards. The relevant extract is:-
Ahead of Dennis, on Jan 30th, a convoy of small ships had left with troops and equipment heading for Pladjoe and Palembang in Sumatra. Sam was aboard this convoy. I haven’t yet found out if my dad was with him or Dennis.
The next day, still in Singapore, Dennis’ group came across the 100ft “SS.IPOH,” the only vessel moored up at the quayside lying empty and idle. Dennis heard the captain shouting to the men that he had no fuel (coal), no crew and would not be able to put to sea.
The soldiers looked about the quayside and saw heaps of coal ready to be loaded for ships boilers. Within minutes orders were given and men toiled to shovel the coal aboard as fast as possible. A few soldiers jumped aboard and started stoking up the boiler. The troops on the quayside made their way along the decks, but being so many the boat began to list heavily. Immediately the order was given for a more orderly dispersion of weight across the deck and men were sent below as the decks became crowded.
Eventually the New Zealand Steamship Company’s little ship cast off and slowly steamed away from the hell of Singapore. Building up speed she headed towards Sumatra, everyone on board praying that the ship would not turn turtle with so many aboard.
Above them a lone Jap bomber had spotted them and released three bombs. Already patched up from previous damage, Dennis wondered just how much more this craft could take as he held his breath watching the line of bombs heading toward them.
Fortune was smiling on them as the bombs hit the water yards away exploding in a line and showering the huddled troops with water. A lad from Bridgenorth, *Jimmy Green of the 6th HAA, suffered an injury to his leg from shrapnel. Dennis did not know if any other injuries occurred to the rest of the men.
* Eventually, Jimmy would have to have the leg amputated in the P.O.W. camp and Dennis would make him crutches.
The picture of the SS IPOH was provided by Edward and is from an an oil painting kindly sent to him from Alex Norrie. His grandfather owned the painting after serving as an engineer aboard her in the 1920’s.
Another ship that Edward is looking for information on is a ship named the SS DARVEL that left Singapore on the 31st Jan 1942. If anyone has any information about the SS IPOH or can verify this information relating to the IPOH and Sumatra and or information relating to the SS DARVEL I would be happy to pass the information on. Thank you Edward for this contribution!
9 comments:
My step-grandfather, Mr Buckley, 95said that he and his friend escaped on the last boat out from Singapore on 15 Feb 1942 to Batavia. It was the SS Ipoh.
My Father, Wally Mahoney, now 91 was with the RAF and left Singapore on the SS Ipoh for Batavia in 1942.
He has many wonderful stories.
Are you still interested?
My pa, who passed away a few years ago, told me about the British commandeered the SS Darvel and set sail for Australia, crammed with soldiers including the Malayans. One day off Jarkarta, the SS Darvel was bombed by Jap's dive bombers, there was a big hole on one side, and the ship had to sail tilted that way until Jarkarta, with the soldiers standing on the other side to stop it capsizing.
Hello my name is Miguel Rodas and I have the original bronze bell of this ship, with the inscriptions " S.S. IPOH" and I want to sell it, if somebody is interested my e-mail address is galros@hotmail.com
Dear Mrs Fod,
Apologies, I did not see your response. How is your father? My grandfather, Mr Buckley, just turned 99 in January.
My Dad was a Colour or Staff Sergeant (Ralph Carter) commando, in the Royal Marines, and he used to tell my brothers and I about the SS Ipoh. He said it was abandoned on the dock by the Chinese crew that were terrified of the Japanese and they disappeared into the jungle. Dad was one of the few survivors from the Repulse (he could swim) as the ship went down he was pulled under the water and he thought "I'm a gonner". An air bubble popped him up to the surface that was on fire from the oil. I digress, Dad said someone organised the troops as they reached the dock and they filled the ship with coal. They left and headed towards the Straight of Malacca. He also said the Captain was careful that the ship was vertical to get through the straights. I don't think the SS Ipoh was a New Zealand ship. Dad passed away in 2019 aged 97 and 8 months in Australia.
Margaret
In 1941 my uncle Rodney Ralph Swinbourne, a 25 year-old engineer, was seconded from Malayan Collieries at Batu Arang for Royal Navy work with Thornycrofts in Singapore. With other Thornicroft staff he was one of the 600 or so persons for whom the old SS Ipoh provided a remarkable last-minute escape to Batavia - and a great deal of hot and dirty work, thanks to his experience with reciprocating steam engines. Fortunately, in the late 1990s Rod agreed to share his story, which I have in an MS Word document. The manuscript's final chapter explains the loading of coal into the Ipoh's bunkers, the narrow escape from Keppel Harbour, bombing victims from the Soubadah and arrival at the frenetic Tanjong Priok (harbour), Batavia. Margaret, you are correct; Ipoh was a Straits Steamship Company vessel, not a New Zealand ship.
My late Father, George Edward Massey, known as Ted, was also on the SS Ipoh when it sailed from Singapore to Sumatra. The SS Ipoh was a river boat and never meant to go to sea. My father was attached to the RAF Padre, a Sqn Ldr Giles, Welfare Officer. Loads of books were sent out from the UK to be distributed between the various units based in Singapore. The people of Singapore donated a Ford V8 Shooting Brake for this job. Everything was going well until the Japanese attacked RAF Seleter. When my father got the order to evacuate, he used the Ford V8 to ferry people down to the docks. He abandoned the vehicle on the quayside and joined the SS Ipoh.
My late father, Cyril Venton, served with 60 Squadron of the RAF. He died three weeks ago at the age of 101. Some years ago he contributed to a book called They Also Served about WWII memories of men and women in the Midhurst area of Sussex.
"During the night of Sunday 8 February 1942 the Japanese landed on Singapore Island. We retreated to Singapore City. Everywhere was in turmoil. I remember approaching an officer asking for information and he ordered me to climb aboard a nearby lorry. The lorry made for the dockside where a riverboat, the SS Ipoh, was moored. I was fortunate to get aboard this already crowded boat. We left Singapore on 12 February. The next three days and nights were spent on deck, moving from port to starboard to keep the vessel afloat - she had no ballast. Food supplies were rationed to three hard tack biscuits and water a day. During the voyage we saw other vessels attacked and sunk. When the SS Ipoh reached Batavia we were disembarked and handed 5 guilders each for food. A number of us camped out in a derelict house on the outskirts of the city. We eventually made our way to Tjilitjap where we boarded the Kota Gede which sailed to Ceylon."
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