Army Did Not Profit By Previous Lessons

Northern Advocate, 18 February 1942, Page 6

Army Did Not Profit By Previous Lessons

LONDON, February 17

The Australian Broadcasting Commission’s war correspondent, who has arrived at Batavia from Singapore, says that, in the final stages of the attack, the Japanese disrupted the British communications, and it was impossible to know what was happening in the immediate neighbourhood. In spite of Greece and Crete, where the same thing happened, adds the correspondent, there were no mobile field wireless stations. Yards of telephone wire strung between trees could be destroyed by a single bomb and the safety of whole battalions endangered. Whole parties were cut off from their units, which had to withdraw from untenable positions. A Berlin official news agency message, quoting a message from Tokio, says Singapore has been renamed Shonanko. meaning “bright father of the south.” Japanese Pledge Safely A report from Tokio says the Japanese Commander at Singapore (Lieut.-General Yamashita) assured the British Commander (Lieut-General Percival) that Japan accepted full responsibility for the lives of the British and Australian troops and the British women and children in Singapore. He said: “You can rely on Japanese bushido.” Private advice has been received in London that the Governor of the Straits Settlement (Sir Shenton Thomas) and Lady Thomas have been interned in Singapore. Both are safe and well.