ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23589, 17 March 1942, Page 3

ESCAPE FROM SINGAPORE

REFUGEES REACH AUSTRALIA SHIP BOMBED BY 90 PLANES C0.C.l SYDNEY. March 7. Believed to be the fast big ship out of Singapore, a British freighter reached Australia with 2500 troops, women, and children on board, after an almost incredible series of adventures and escapes. The ship was bombed for five hours by 90 Japanese aeroplanes, and hit three times. Twelve passengers were killed and 25 wounded. With the Japanese driving on the centre ot Singapore, soldiers, a few civilian men. and many women and children crowded down to the wharf, and none was refused refuge. Early one evening the freighter left the wharf. Onlv an officer of the Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders and a tew privates were left there. They cast off the lines tor the escaping ship. Most of the passengers had only the clothes in which they stood. There were women with babies only a fortnight old. The only accommodation was down be ow in the 'tween-deck spaces. There were wounded soldiers and men of non-combatant units of the British Army and the Royal Air Force, and about 80 nurses, some of them Australian, among the 2500, “On the morning a Her w'e embarked we set out for safely in convoy.” said one ot the women. “All went well until 8.45 a.m.. when the Japanese began to come over in waves. We were at once ordered below, and the ship’s crew, the soldiers, and Royal Air Force men manned the guns, "The ship shook and shuddered under the impact of bombs. It was hell down below, but it must have been much worse on deck. We never expected to come out alive. We owe our lives to the skill of our very good captain, and the determination and bravery ot the gunners, who gave those Japs everything they had. Though we were terrified there was never the slightest sign of panic among the women or children. They were grand.” All the nurses behaved bravely, but outstanding were two A.I.F. nurses. Sisters Anderson and Tourney. “They were game, but they were crazy,” said one of the men. "In the thick of the bombing, a gunner on an after position was hit. The two nurses saw him crumple up, and. though the bombers were overhead and the explosions were deafening, with shrapnel whistling around our ears, they left cover and raced up to him. They lifted him, limp and bleeding, to the deck just as the Japs stopped bombing and turned for a run back, machine-gunning the decks. Without any hesitation. Sister Anderson, hurled her body across that of the wounded gunner to protect him from the bullets. Fortunately, none of the bullets hit them, and they dragged the gunner to cover. However, he was so badly knocked died soon afterwards.” The ship’s crew has sent a letter to the Australian Army authorities, giving Iheir citation of the nurses' gallantry and suggesting that they be decorated for their courage.