FALL OF SINGAPORE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 29 November 1945, Page 2

FALL OF SINGAPORE

GENERAL BENNETT’S ESCAPE FURTHER EVIDENCE AT INQUIRY Melbourne, Nov. 28. Mr Dovey. counsel assisting the Commissioner (Mr Justice Ligertwood )at the inquiry into the escape of General Bennett from Singapore in 1942. to day read an order (compiled from diaries) irjued just before the Singapore capitulation, saying that among other things officers would remain with their men and not attempt to escape. Tfie Chief Signals Officer of the Eighth Division, Lieut.-Colonel C. H. Kappe, said he was unable to confirm that the order contained this phrase. Kappe told General Bennett’s counsel, M Clancy, that he learned that Brigadier Paris, of the British forces, had escaped and that certain officers including a full colonel of signals, who escaped on 13th February, 1942, were in a boat sunk outside Padang. Kappe told Mr R. Chambers (assisting the Commissioner) that he spoke to General Bennett on 29th January on future movements. General Bennett seemed distressed at the apparent hopelessness of the situation. Some days earlier the . Japanese Domei News Agency had reported that General Bennett h a d been captured. General Bennett remarked: “They will not get Kappe said he visited general headquarters on the night of 15th February about 8 o’clock and was told that General Bennett had gone with Major Moses and Lieut. Walker. (It had been stated that the Japanese cease-fire order was fixed for 8.30 p.m.) Mr Dovey announced that a highly secret document from General Percival would be produced. The document was General Percival’s recollection of his surrender orders from the Japanese and on the grounds of public policy, should not be produced to anyone except the Judge. His Honour said Mr C’ancy should see it. ~lr Dovey said that his information was that there was only one document s’ ned by General Percival and handed to General Yamashita. No copy was given to General Percival. His Honour: Is not General Bennett claiming that there was unconditional surrender on the signing of the document? Mr Clancy: Not exactly. General Bennett is making his surrender claim on what he was told at a conference with General Percival as well as on orders which came afterwards. Replying to a question by his Honour, Mr Clancy said 8.30 p.m. was interpreted as being the time of the surrender. His Honour: It might have been wrong then. Mr Clancy: Well yes. But that was tl.c interpretation. Kappe said he had never thought it was General Bennett’s intention to escape before the show ended. “I have never seen him (Bennett) actually up against a Japanese soldier but I have seen him in other situations which made me think he was one of the bravest and coolest men I have ever seen.” John Raymond Broadbent, assistant adjutant and quartermaster-general of t: e Eighth Division, who led the party selected to leave Singapore before the surrender, told Mr Clancy that General Bennett, in ordering his troops to stand fast, undoubtedly had in mind the greater danger and difficulty which would result if they moved into Singapore and became involved in street fighting. Mr Clancy asked Broadbent whether he had read of the escape of General Freyberg from Crete and General Blarney from Greece. Broadbent said he had read of the incidents. His Honour: I think there was no question of surrender in Greece. Broadbent added that his impression was that Bennett did not want to fall into Japanese hands and that this sentiment was shared by all. The hearing is unfinished.