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R 248985
Catering
Peter Christian
1915/12/04 - Born Liverpool
1915/12/13 - England Roman Catholic Parish Baptisms, Liverpool
Son of William and Rose (nee Fitzpatrick) Christian
Brother to Deborah, William and Sarah
Peter was a Liverpool Amateur Boxer
Merchant Navy
RMS Empress of Asia
Service
While the Empress of Asia was off Africa between Freetown and the Cape of Good Hope, the Japanese entered WWII.
1941/12/08 - Japan enters World War Two by Bombing Pearl Harbour and attacking Hong Kong and Malaya. Japanese troops land the Malayan border with Thailand at Kota Bharu (Malaya), Singora and Patani (Thailand).
Peter was part of Empress of Asia crew.
The Empress of Asia was a prominent luxury ocean liner and renowned for bridging the East and the West, she operated primarily on a regular transpacific route between Vancouver, Canada, and Hong Kong/Yokohama for nearly 30 years. The Empress of Asia was one of the few merchant vessels to see active service in both World War, being Converted into a full-time trooper in 1941, moving troops to North Africa and across the Atlantic. In February 1942, she was part of a convoy rushing vital Allied reinforcements to reinforce Singapore against advancing Japanese
1942/01/23 - Convoy BM12 departed Bombay for Singapore
Ships in the Convoy were EMPRESS OF ASIA, FELIX ROUSSEL, PLANCIUS and DEVONSHIRE. CITY OF CANTERBURY (ex WS14) joined at sea.
1942/02/05 - As the convoy neared Singapore, Japanese aircraft attacked the convoy. With very little air cover, the convoy was hit hard.
The Empress of Asia was hit by bombs and the order to ‘Abandon Ship’ was given as fire swept the ship. As most of the stairs were destroyed, many of the portholes were used to abandon the ship. Survivors were rescued by HMAS Yarra and taken to Singapore, but the stores and service equipment on the Empress of Asia was lost. Out of more than 2,600 people on board, fewer than 20 died during the attack, which due to the velocity of the attack, was remarkable .
As the Japanese had taken the airfield at Kota Bharu, the Allied troops fighting in Malaya had very little air cover and by the 31st of January 1942, Allied Troops were pushed back to Singapore. The causeway joining Singapore to Malaya was blown to stop the Japanese advance.
By the 15th February the Japanese were in danger of taking control of the water supply at the reservoirs, which would endanger the Singapore City water supply. General Percival had no alternative but to surrender.
1942/02/15 - Singapore surrendered to the Japanese
Japanese PoW
Peter was a PoW at Changi Prison, Singapore
Changi Prison sketches by Mary Mildred Buckley
1945/11/02 - Liberated
General Seishiro Itagaki, Japanese Commander of Singapore, would not accept the surrender. Plus it gave him time to cover up all Japanese Atrocities in Singapore. The allied naval landing force 'Operation Tiderace' were delayed as it was still understood the Japanese would dispose of all the PoWs in Singapore if they landed. Mountbatten ordered British paratroopers into Singapore to protect the camps. To many of the PoWs in Singapore, those red berets of the paratroopers were the first signs that the war had ended. All this delayed organising the PoWs. It wasn't till the 12th September that Lord Mountbatten accepted the Japanese surrender at the Municipal Building. Hospital cases were the first to leave Singapore 1945/09/10 on the HMHS Koroa. They were soon followed by Repatriation ships which started reaching the UK about the 15th of October 1945. Why many of the liberated PoWs on these ships had November on their Japanese Index cards, I don't know as in other areas of the Far East, PoWs were marked as Liberated at their PoW camps with the correct date. Unless General Seishiro Itagaki did not make the cards available when the camps were liberated.
Post War
1946 - Married Martha Cusack
The daughter of Martha and Charles Cusack
Peter passed away in Liverpool, 19th May 1992
Information
Eileen Christian - Daughter
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
Merchant Seaman
Changi Nominal Roll - Singapore Civilians
KEW Files:- BT 373, BT 373/3718,
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