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5772596
Private
William George Chapman
1913/10/05 - Born Cawston, Norfolk
Occupation Greengrocer
Royal Norfolk Regiment
5th Battalion
53rd Infantry Brigade
Service
Late 1939 the 5th Battalion HQ was at Dereham with Lt.-Col. G.N.Scot-Chad in command with other units at Aylsham, North Walsham and Holt. For the first few months individual training was at Holt and Weyborne and the men were given the task of building and manning the North Norfolk Coastal Defences. The battalion colours were in Sheringham Church, as Lt.-Col. Scot-Chad carried the Kings Colours and Maj.B.Savory the Regiment Colours.
5th Battalion at Sandringham
In March 1940 section training begun and Lt-Col. E.C.Prattley, who had served with the 2nd Battalion in France, took over command of the battalion and Maj. H.T.Crane took over as second in command. In May company training begun only to be interrupted during the early summer months, after Dunkirk and with the threat of invasion, the battalion was given the job of manning the Coastal Defences at Weyborne. Whilst building the defences they carried on with their training and were achieving a high degree of skill as a unit.
With the threat of an invasion past the battalion was issued with transport vehicles and advanced training was then carried out. The battalion was moved to Gresham School at Holt in September and they now had an assault course in the woods. Being now brigaded with the 6th Royal Norfolks and the 2nd Cambridgeshire’s to be part of the 53 Brigade of the 18 Division, brigade training was applied.
On April 7th the brigade was moved to Marbury Hall, Northwich, near Liverpool, this move had two reasons. The city had very heavy bombing raids and needed the troops for fire watching duties plus full scale brigade attacks were to be carried out in the Birmingham and Carlisle districts. The battalion took alternate roles in attack and defence in these exercises.
The 5th battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment were in residence at Marbury Hall Military Camp from April 1941 until early October .
William was a dispatch rider for the 5th Battalian
Taken in Scotland 1941
They were now a fighting team ready for action. One final move on October 5th 1941 was back to Glasgow where on the 22nd a detachment of one officer and 55 other ranks were inspected by the King before going overseas.
1941/10/30 - 5th Royal Norfolk Regiment were transported from Liverpool in Duchess of Atholl Convoy CT.5
1941/11/08 - Transferred to USS Mount Vernon at Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Contained the 53 Infantry Brigade. 18th Division sailed from Halifax in Convoy William Sail 12X
Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney
Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.
Front Line Top to Bottom
USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)
Back Row Top To Bottom
USAT Leonard Wood - USS Vincennes (Heavy Cruiser) - USS Joseph T Dickman
(USS Orizaba Ap-24 also sailed with Convoy though not pictured in photo)
After a brief visit to Trinidad to refuel, Cape Town was reached on December 9th. Shore leave was granted before sailing on the 13th December for Bombay only to be then ordered on the 23rd to sail for Mombassa and then finally Singapore. She was escorted by the H.M.S. Emerald in convoy DM.1 and reached Singapore Harbour on January 13th 1942, the battalion disembarked in heavy rain and moved to Tyersall Park Camp by truck.
Before the troops were moved, some hurried jungle training took place by officers who had been fighting in Malaya. This training was very sparse as the troops were needed to stop the Japanese who had landed and infiltrated behind the allied lines in Malaya.
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Johore - Malaya
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Detail from Royal Norfolk Regiment
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The 53 Infantry Brigade moved into Jahore on the 16th January and were under the command of the 11th Indian Division.
Moving in military transport they reached the area of Ayer Hitam and took up positions around Yong-Peng but very soon were on the move again to Jemaluang, east of Ayer Hitam. Having made no contact with the Japanese the battalion was moved into divisional reserve at Ayer Hitam on the 20th January.
The Japanese were attacking the coast at Batu Pahat and also trying to infiltrate the allied lines by landing troops further south near Senggarang and Rengit which was over ten miles behind their present positions.
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Senggarang - Jahore
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Detail from Royal Norfolk Regiment
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That evening the road from Ayer Hitam to Batu Pahat was crossed by the Japanese but the next morning the road was still in allied hands. It fell to the battalion to keep it open, at 4pm the enemy crossed the road again and gained possession near the 73rd milestone.
The battalion were then ordered to move to Batu Pahat but as the road was blocked they stayed at the 72 milestone and prepared an attack on the Japanese block for the next morning.
The following morning the battalion found the road block to be heavily defended. Capt. A.J.Self attacked with “B” Company but received many casualties including 2nd/Lt. McKean who was killed, later Lt. G.H.Pallister died of his injuries, they were driven back. “C” company led by Maj. C.P.Wood managed to get round the southern side of the road block but the battalion was then recalled to take temporary positions near Ayer Hitam.
Later that evening the battalion made a detour south from Ayer Hitam spending the night near Skudai. Starting early they went through Pontain Ketchil and Rengit reaching the outskirts of Batu Pahat at 7am the morning of the 24th. They met the 2nd Cambridgeshire’s who had been ordered to withdraw from the town. The Royal Norfolk’s were given the task of retaking positions in the centre of the town as a holding operation to allow other troops to withdraw, the operation began at 10.45am. With very little artillery support the task was partly successful, the right flank being heavily engaged by the enemy, there was a constant threat of the enemy getting behind them and cutting off a withdrawal, these threats cam from two high spots overlooking their positions and held by the Japanese. “B” company was given the task of clearing these high positions of the enemy, which they did only to be later driven off themselves. At 4am on the 25th “C” Company with the remainder of the 2nd Cambridgeshire’s attacked these high points again but were stopped by heavy machine gun fire making an advance impossible. The battalion were then ordered to hold their present positions and cover the 2nd Cambridgeshire’s withdrawal. At 9pm, the task completed, the battalion withdrew four miles out of Batu Pahat.
On the morning of the 26th January the battalion found the Japanese had landed south of their lines and cut off their withdrawal. An attempt was made to clear the road for the transport but failed. The Brigade Commander sent orders at 5.45pm to destroy the 250 transport vehicles and continue on foot through the jungle. It was to be a long strenuous 18 mile journey which on the top of the five days of fighting took its toll.
The biggest part of the battalion, 500 in total, kept together under Maj. Wood and reached Benet on the coastal road on the evening of the 27th.
Capt. H.E.Schulman led a party to the coast and were evacuated by the Royal Navy. The men left behind to blow the bridge at Senggarang were cut off from the main party but with the C.O. they successfully made their way to the coast and escaped in a canoe.
The following day, 28th January, the battalion was taken to Serangoon Road Camp on Singapore Island and all allied troops were ordered to fall back to Singapore.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese.
One of William’s greatest disappointments as dispatch rider was losing his motor-bike! He had to throw his bike into the river to stop it getting into the hands of the Japanese!
William was asleep when Singapore surrendered and woke to find himself alone. He walked looking for the others, past stacks of rifles until he found the men.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Became a Japanese PoW
Camp Changi
PoW No. 1916
New PoW No. 2899
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1945/09/02 - Liberated
MS Sobieski repatriated the remnants of the Cambridgeshire Regiment that had survived captivity at the hands of the Japanese in Malaya and Thailand. Also returned former Changi prisoners of war (POWs) from Singapore, sailing via Columbo, in a letter William mentions "hoping to receive some at Ceylon" so presumably on the way to Ceylon and docking at Southampton during a dockworkers' strike. Disgusted, dismayed ex-POWs had to unload their own baggage, such as it was.
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Died
3rd January 2007
Verse Written in William’s Diary
Transcribed by Miranda Pointer
The End of the Tale I know Not
I've heard talk about the hard times
Our Dad's had in their war
So I'll unfold you a little story
Round a place called Singapore
-o-
We enlisted in Britain
To go and fight the Hun
As soon as we had signed up
We felt the War was won
-o-
They drilled us in the day time
And taught us stunts at night
They learnt us how to shoot too
And told us we could fight
-o-
We were loaded into trains at night
With all our flaming gear
We were off for embarkation
Leaving all that we held dear
-o-
They packed us on a mighty boat
And jammed us in damned tight
But no-one seemed to care much
Who we were going to fight
-o-
We sailed away from Blighty
From City, bush and town
We knew we would not fail them
Nor would they let us down
-o-
We were not sure where we were going
And no-one seems to care
We were headed for the horizon
And what fate might bring us there
-o-
To tell of our trip upon the sea
Would only be a bore
But when we finally landed
We found ourselves in Singapore
-o-
Everything here seemed queer to us
When first we lamped this joint
And queer things kept popping
Out from every flaming point
-o-
Damned near every race on Earth
Seems to have got tangled here
And bred and re-bred among themselves
With a result that made things queer
-o-
The smell of the place was awful
Made us curdly in the guts
Trying to make ourselves understood
Would damned near send us nuts
-o-
We were loaded into trucks again
And shipped northwards through Johore
By the time we got to our camp
We were fed up to the core
-o-
The trained us every flaming day
Beneath the boiling sun
Blisters rose up on our feet
And buggered us one by one
-o-
What with tin-ear, pimples, dobies, itch
Red tape pipps and N.C.O.'s
Canned fish and curry stew
The ….... was on the nose
-o-
I ate that many tins of fish
That we got from the other side
That I got the rowing of the guts
And that travelled with the tide
-o-
They found us with a lot of barb
For us to make a tangle
It was said in it the Japs would be caught
And then we would put them through the mangle
-o-
We went into a stronghold at Mersing
That was good on every side
Then God damn and blast it all
We meet the Japs outside
-o-
We ran out miles and miles of this
To protect us fore and aft
And we pulled it down again
Because some one was daft
-o-
The wire wouldn't have been any good
In fact it was a flop
No damned Japs got stuck in it
They flew right over the top
-o-
Everyone took it as a joke
And bragged what he would do
Some said they'd wipe the cows right out
Others chased them to the blue
-o-
Before we knew quite how things were
We started playing pranks
He gave us quite a nasty jar
And tore hell out of the flanks
-o-
In no flaming time at all
He'd grabbed the Naval Base
And came tearing down the coast
Like …... horses in a race
-o-
And in even less time than that
Our backs were to the wall
He even told us over the air
That Singapore would fall
-o-
We withdrew down the mainland
Back through Johore, Bahru
We had no flaming aeroplanes
What the hell were we to do?
-o-
Back across the causeway
Feeling savage, tired and sore
Then we blew the damned thing up
And cut them off from Singapore
Where-ever we had fought them
We had done our level best
But they had savage War-birds
While ours were in the nest
-o-
Every move we made was spotted
Every thought they seemed to know
Their blasted planes were everywhere
Always flying to and fro
-o-
When we retreated to the Island
They bombed us day and night
What the hell could we do?
There was nothing we could fight
-o-
Where was out blasted Air-force
We'd heard so much about
We longed to see some fly over
To chase those bombers out
-o-
The Japs gathered on the mainland
All along the Southern shore
And made ready for a big attack
On the isle of Singapore
-o-
They'd heaped up tons of ammo
For motor and big gun
No one inter (interested?)
Or cared much what they had done
-o-
Their aeroplanes flew over
For positions they did seek
They got ready to let us have it
And were set within a week
-o-
Then on a certain Sunday
When the day was not so old
They began to let us have it
In hill and flat and fold
-o-
All that Sunday afternoon
And all that Sunday night
They rained tons of metal on us
As we took what cover we might
-o-
For seventeen solid hours
They gave us all they had
Things did not look so flaming good
And they turned out flaming bad
-o-
Then they rowed across the channel
That seperates shore from shore
We were ordered “Hold on to your fire”
In the name of the Lord what for
-o-
Next they were right behind us
How in hell did they get there
They banged away on right and left
The cows were everywhere
-o-
Some of our leaders fought real well
Other's didn't know what to do
Some of the B's ran like hell
And left all the men in the stew
-o-
Of the latter I might here make mention
They were great blokes on parade
But most were found sorely wanting
When the acid test was made
-o-
So men who contacted the enemy
Were left to die or get out
While others just blundered around and round
It looked like an Army in rout
-o-
Their bombers came over again and again
And played merry hell where they liked
While we retreat south down the island
Leaving behind guns that were spiked
-o-
Of organisation there was none
You couldn't even get a feed
All you could do was tramp on and on
And sweat and curse and bleed
-o-
Petrol dumps went up in flames
The smoke of which filled the sky
At night it was and awful sight
It appeared that everything would die
-o-
Outside the city we made out last stand
Against all sorts of odds
We were told our Air-Arm was coming
The heads swore it by all their Gods
We hung on through hunger and loss of sleep
With a hope that was worse than all pains
With ever longing looks to the skies
And Prayed God they send us some planes
-o-
But the only planes we were to see
Had a red spot under the wing
They flew around wherever they liked
And felt for us with their sting
-o-
They spotted out every crevice and nook
And where they thought we might lurk
They signalled back to their big guns
Who'd get in their dirty work
-o-
We felt we had been abandoned
That our Country had let us down
But damn it we'd go on fighting
Till every last man was down
-o-
I thought of the men who we had lost
Some of the best boys under the sun
Yet here we were, with no Air-Arm
Just left to die one by one
-o-
Churchill said there'd be no more blunders
No more stories like Greece and Crete
Yet here was a full equipped Army
Without a sign of our Fleet
They shelled hell out of Singapore
And bombed it day and night
Killing hundreds and hundreds of civilians
Poor blighters who could not fight
-o-
For the longest week in all my life
We held on and took all they gave
And swore we'd hold for ever
Or finish in one common grave
-o-
Half fed, dirty, no sleep for a week
We hung on without sign of relief
Not one of our planes were to be seen
It filled us brim full of grief
-o-
Then came another Sunday
It's a day we shall never forget
Words came through from our leaders
To pile arms, we'd lost our last bet
-o-
Why didn't they let us fight on
Many of us would sooner have died
Than suffered disgrace of surrender
And give in to the other side
-o-
We thought of our people back home
And wondered what in hell they would think
We all felt it wasn't fair ending
The whole ….. show was a stink
-o-
Why in the flaming hell were we brought here
Was it just to put up a face
It looked like those, who had the say
Had no intention of holding the place
-o-
It looked like some cows had sold us
Fifth columnists, Malaysians or our own
Maybe the stage was well set up
By someone to us yet unknown
-o-
We were gathered in and marched to Changi
Tired, hungered, sore and depressed
We all felt it was a terrible calamity
And our outlook was far from the best
-o-
Our Colonels and Majors were left with us
Our Captains and Officers too
Maybe that was all for the better
Providing they all proved true blue
-o-
To some of those we have our objections
Those that were not seen to fight
Who shone out like stars on the parade ground
Then blotted out their glamour in fight
-o-
To those I especially made mention
Who yelled we were all one in distress
Yet thought we were not fit to eat with
And still wanted their Officers Mess
-o-
In hospital lay our sick and wounded
With very little to relieve them of pain
Yet some things were used in those Messes
Our stricken could by no means obtain
-o-
Within a month we were broken up in parties
And sent out to big labour camps
Most of us stricken with hunger
Some of us seized with the cramps
-o-
Maybe for us the War's now over
And may be again it is not
Damn it they cannot break our spirit
And we still possess blood that is hot
-o-
Rice is now our stable diet
We get it three times per day
Occasionally they bring us some smokes in
And we buy a few more with our pay
-o-
Three weary months have gone by us
Weeks of work, hunger and hope
Each day we hear thousands of rumours
You long for the fair dinkum dope
-o-
We wonder a lot about our home folks
Whether they have heard about us or no
How we long, yes just to see them
Or of our welfare to let them know
-o-
Some have a moment with their families
As they dream through a restless sleep
Others will not see their loved ones again
For they are at everlasting sleep
-o-
Written by G. Sharpe
In River Valley Prison Camp
after 3 months P.O.W.
7.11.42
W.G.Chapman
William Chapman’s Notebook
Information
Miranda Pointer
Convoy William Sail 12X
Royal Norfolks in the Far East
KEW:- WO 367/2, WO 345/10, WO 361/1946, WO 392/23, WO 361/2229, WO 361/2058
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