Description
Object description
A detailed ms letter (13pp) written to his mother on 24 March 1942 from Bombay, India, giving a detailed account of his part in the Malayan campaign since his mobilisation in December 1941 until the fall of Singapore (February 1942) and his subsequent escape from Singapore and his arrival in Bombay, with bitter and scathing attacks on the British Government and accusations of cover-ups in the press, the lack of organisation both civil and military and the unpreparedness of the defences, his service as a volunteer stationed in various beach defence posts in Singapore Harbour, coming under air and artillery fire, helping to dispose of dead bodies, the evacuation of civilians, including colleagues from the Straights Trading Company for which he worked as an accountant, details of the battle for Singapore as he understood it, being told of the surrender but that "The officer in charge of us told us that this was an order but also if any of us cared to attempt escape, he wished us the best of luck", his own escape by sailing in an old Japanese fishing junk, via small islands, changing to a Chinese tonkang to Selat Panjang, Sumatra, being taken in by the Dutch military authorities, travelling to Padang, before sailing on various craft to Colombo, Ceylon, and then Bombay, India, with reflections of how lucky he was compared to many others. Mr Denham subsequently enlisted in the Indian Engineers. Together with photocopies of: his Record of Service; a letter regarding his Emergency Commission with the Corps of Indian Engineers (May 1942); letters relating to his release from active military duty (August 1946); a letter relating to his medals (October 1947); a reference from The Straights Trading Company Ltd (January 1947); and photocopies of two photographs of Denham in uniform, and a group photograph.
Content description
A detailed ms letter (13pp) written to his mother on 24 March 1942 from Bombay, India, giving a detailed account of his part in the Malayan campaign since his mobilisation in December 1941 until the fall of Singapore (February 1942) and his subsequent escape from Singapore and his arrival in Bombay, with bitter and scathing attacks on the British Government and accusations of cover-ups in the press, the lack of organisation both civil and military and the unpreparedness of the defences, his service as a volunteer stationed in various beach defence posts in Singapore Harbour, coming under air and artillery fire, helping to dispose of dead bodies, the evacuation of civilians, including colleagues from the Straights Trading Company for which he worked as an accountant, details of the battle for Singapore as he understood it, being told of the surrender but that "The officer in charge of us told us that this was an order but also if any of us cared to attempt escape, he wished us the best of luck", his own escape by sailing in an old Japanese fishing junk, via small islands, changing to a Chinese tonkang to Selat Panjang, Sumatra, being taken in by the Dutch military authorities, travelling to Padang, before sailing on various craft to Colombo, Ceylon, and then Bombay, India, with reflections of how lucky he was compared to many others. Mr Denham subsequently enlisted in the Indian Engineers. Together with photocopies of: his Record of Service; a letter regarding his Emergency Commission with the Corps of Indian Engineers (May 1942); letters relating to his release from active military duty (August 1946); a letter relating to his medals (October 1947); a reference from The Straights Trading Company Ltd (January 1947); and photocopies of two photographs of Denham in uniform, and a group photograph.
History note
Cataloguer SJO