|
13350
Lieutenant Colonel
Alec Albert Johnson
Known as Albert
1897/05/07 - Born East Grinstead, Sussex
Son of Alexander Howard and Emily Kate Johnson
Brother to Rowland Nicholas, Cecil Howard, Kathleen Mabel, Trevor Henry and Laura Elizabeth Martha
Occupation Regular Officer
Next of Kin- Wife, Hale House, Bickleigh, Devonshire
Suffolk Regiment
Officer Commanding 4th Battalion
18th Division
Service
4th Battalion
The 4th Battalion were formed with territorials from the Suffolk area. After some basic training they were put on guard duty in Lowestoft, patrolling the dry docks where Allied submarines were serviced. A few days were then spent at Loddon before returning to the Waverly hotel, in St Olaves, returning to guard duty at Haddiscoe railway station. Further training took place at Langley Park, Loddon, where marching, and camp life were the order of the day. A farm at Cawston in Norfolk was the next venue, with the luxury of sleeping in a farmers barn but the training was increased. The next stage was from late July to the end of September doing guard duty near the harbour mouth at Great Yarmouth. The guard duty consisted of twenty-four hour stints, two hours on, four hours off, one day a week was a rest day.
A move to Hatley St George, Bedfordshire occurred in September 1940 living in disused cottages on the Hatley Hall Estate. Training was increased with long route marches. Just before the new year the battalion was moved to Stobbs Camp, Harwick in Scotland, and housed in Nissan huts, the weather was bitter. The training lasted till April.
The battalion was then bussed to Pilsmouth Bleach Mills, Bury in Lancashire where training continued. In August the battalion was moved again to wooden huts near Hereford , where training and farm work was carried out.
King George VI inspected the battalion in Hereford at the cathedral whilst the Suffolk Regimental band from Bury St Edmunds played.
Once more we were on the move - ‘It was dark when we left Hereford. We knew we were going abroad, but not where’.
SS Andes
The battalion was then entrained to Liverpool, where the boarded the SS Andes, it was believed their destination was the Middle East.
The SS Andes passage was to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, across a very rough sea.
USS Wakefield
The 4th battalion, being part of the 54 Infantry Brigade, then changed ship to the American liner ‘USS Wakefield’ and became part of the Convoy William Sail 12X.
The Convoy William Sail 12X with six American troopships, two cruisers, eight destroyers and the aircraft carrier Ranger, the Convoy William Sail 12X was under way on the 10th November, destination still unknown.
Convoy William Sail 12X
Above Photo supplied by the late Maurice Rooney
Detailed Account by Thomas M. Allison
A reproduction of an account by Thomas M. Allison who is understood to be serving as an American Naval officer in the convoy.
Aircraft
Vought SB 2U Vindicator Scout Bomber - USS Ranger which was flying an Anti Submarine patrol over the convoy.
Ships Front Line, Top to Bottom:-
USS West Point - USS Mount Vernon - USS Wakefield - USS Quincy (Heavy Cruiser)
Ships Back Line Top to Bottom:-
USS Leonard Wood - USS Vincennes (Heavy Cruiser) - USS Joseph T Dickman
The convoy passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo.
Arrived at Trinidad 17th November in glorious sunshine so troops changed to tropical kit, but no shore-leave, left Trinidad after two days of taking on supplies. The equator was crossed soon after leaving Trinidad on the 24th, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
After a month the convoy arrived at Cape Town, and soon after on the 8th December news reached the regiment that Japan had attacked Pearl Harbour and Malaya.
Britain and America were now at war with Japan and the rumours were that the convoy was now heading for the Far East and not the Middle East as first thought.
Up till now the destination of the convoy was the Middle East but with Japan entering the war, it became obvious that the 18th Division would be sent to the Far East.
At this point the convoy was split with one part going to Mombassa and then on to Malaya and the Wakefield going to India, arriving at Bombay on the 5th January 1942, then on by train to Ahmenager, which was inland from Bombay where more training took place for the Far eastern climate. The 54th Infantry, which included the 4th Suffolks stayed at Ahmenager for three weeks, then back to Bombay where the Wakefield had waited, sailing once again this time to Singapore arriving 29th January, just two days before the causeway was blown between Malaya and Singapore.
Singapore by this time was under siege and the battalion found themselves in old tents in a rubber plantation along Tampines Road. Orders were received to defend the Golf Course which was bombed directly it got dark.
The Battalion then moved to Coastal Defence positions on the Changi Peninsular where they remained for the next ten days.
On the 11th January the battalion withdrew to the eastern side of the Peirce Reservoir to relieve two companies of the 1st Cambridgeshies, now under the 55 Infantry Brigade. Trenches were dug and positions taken by 2pm. A change of plan then caused mayhem as the Battalion were moved by truck on very busy roads and bombing to the Singapore Racecourse to try to stem the Japanese advance. Joining with 4th Royal Norfolks, and ‘Tomforce’, on the right to form a perimeter defence of the MacRitchie Reservoir. The 4th Suffolks were now back under the 54 Infantry Brigade command.
All looked to be in place until an order for the 4th Suffolks to advance towards the Swiss Rifle Club Range, letting the Japanese infiltrate with cover fire from high ground on Bukit Tinggi, which the 11th Regiment IJA already held. This caused the right flank of the Royal Norfolks to be exposed. The enemy quickly took the advantage and completely surrounded the Battalion leaving only a small area free to the east.
At 9am on the 12th the Japanese attacked the forward line at ‘A’ company, Royal Norfolks in strength on the Bukit Timah road, using tanks they forced the company back. A counter attack was planned but orders to withdraw to Adam Road were received. They withdrew though the east gap but the carriers had to go down the Bukit Timah road and came across enemy tanks but against all the odds they managed to fight their way through without loss to Adam Park..
From the 13th the 4th Suffolks fought at Sime Road with ‘C’ company in the Bukit Brown Chinese Cemetery with ‘B’ Company pushing along Sime Road to link ‘B’ and ‘D’ Companies at the Club House, which they now held.
Orders to retreat to the outskirts of Singapore were given just as they arrived at their destination on the 15th February 1942.
Surrender of Singapore
by Leo Rawlings
Percival surrendered, just 18 days after the USS Wakefield had docked at Singapore.
1942/03/09 - WO417/2, Casualty List No.766. Reported ‘Missing’.
1942/12/19 - WO417/004, Casualty List No. 1011. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 766 as reported Missing, 15/02/1942. Now reported a ‘Prisopner of War’.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
PoW No. M-3943
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/10/31 - Overland to Thailand with ‘R’ Letter Party, train 7
Alec Albert Johnson was Commanding Officer
Work Group 2, 8 Work Battalion
New PoW No. II 3701
Thailand Camps:-
Ban Khao - Albert was camp commander
Wang Pho North - Albert was camp commander
Johnson's Camp Tamrong Phatho 244 Km
Tha Khanun, 220 Km from Nong Pladuk
1943/10/25 - The Rail lines from Thailand and Burma were joined at Konkoita, Thailand
Chungkai, 60 Km from Nong Pladuk
New PoW No. II 838
Kanchanaburi Officers Camp
Albert was noted for collecting Butterflies at various railway camps.
1945/09/04 - Liberated Thailand
Liberation Questionnaire
1945/09/19 - WO417/9, Casualty List No.1862. Previously shown on Casualty List No.1011 as Prisoner of War Malaya. Now Not Prisoner of War.
1946/01/04 - WO417/010, Correction to previous Casualty List both List No. 1862 and 1011 referred to in original source. Casualty heading should read Previously reported Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War known to have been Wounded.
1945-46
Service While as a PoW
Recommended by Alfsea for ‘Mentioned in Despatches’
|
Pacific Star
|
War Medal
|
1939-1945 Star
|
|
|
|
Far East Medals
Information
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Convoy William Sale 12X
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
Thailand Burma Railway
Suffolk Regiment 4th Btn.
KEW Files:- WO 361/1504, WO 361/2196, WO 392/24, WO 361/2044, WO 361/2167, WO 361/1504, WO 361/1979, WO 345/28, WO 361/2177, WO 361/1954,
|
