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101001
Major
Marten Turner Read
1914/02/17 - Born Holburn, London
Son of Arthur and Ellen (nee Turner) Read
Brother to Arthur Henderson, Jessie Mary, Margaret Turner
Marten was educated at Mersers School London and Middlesex Hospital Medical School. Graduating M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. and holding appointments at the Middlesex Hospital.
Profession Doctor
Marten married Alison Brodie of Montrose, Scotland, who was a fellow student at the Middlesex Hospital.
Next of Kin Wife, Alison Read, Guildford Road, Horsham, Sussex
Royal Army Medical Corps
196 Field Ambulance
Service
1939/10/03 - Enlisted
1939/10/05 - Made 2nd Lieutenant
On 1st December 1939, the 161 (East Anglian) Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps - Territorial Army, formed a training cadre for a new duplicate unit -The 196 Field Ambulance of the Royal Army Medical Corps.
An infantry Field Ambulance at that time comprised of a Medical Officer, his batman, 13 officers and 225 other ranks (Sergeants, Corporals and Privates). The unit also had 42 vehicles including 8 six wheeled motor ambulances, which were driven and maintained by members of the Royal Army Service Corp, who were attached to the unit. There were three Field Ambulances per Division and 1 per Corps. The 196 Field Ambulance was destined to become part of the 18th Division, 54th Brigade along with the 4th Royal Norfolk and 4th and 5th Suffolk Regiments.
The Headquarters of the 196 started in the Royal British Legion building in Coleman Street/St Margarets Plain, Ipswich, where they stayed until January 1940. During this time men from the 161 Field Ambulance were transferred to the 196 and the unit began to take shape.
On the 15th January 1940 the unit, with around just 30 men in total transferred to Necton Hall, Norfolk. This hall has now been demolished it is sad to say. The unit stayed at Necton until May 14th 1940 and during this period the 196 rapidly began to take shape as a unit. The 5th March 1940 saw the largest number of men enlisted to the unit.
During the period at Necton, more men came from the 161 (EA) Field Ambulance and some from other units such as 2/5th (East) Battalion, The Essex Regiment. The men were sent on courses and equipment such as War Department motorcycles and vehicles and clothing were gathered. Men were promoted within the War Establishment to Staff Sergeants, Sergeants, Corporals and Lance Corporals.
As this complement of men were increased the 196 and it’s training were put to use, as Germany had now invaded France and the Low countries and the first Luftwaffe raids were seen over East Anglia. 51 men moved to establish Advance Dressing Stations (ADS) at Loddon, Coltishall and Acle in Norfolk. With the move of the ADS’s, the HQ of the unit was based at White House in Trowse on the 15th May 1940. The unit was formed into three companies, A, B and HQ. Each company was broken down into three sections. Each section contained a Medical Officer, a Sergeant, two other Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) and fourteen men. There is also a cook, a Lance Corporal motorcyclist and three Drivers from the Royal Army Service Corps (RASC). Each section from A & B companies formed Advanced Dressing Stations (ADS), that collected wounded from Regimental Aid Posts (RAP) and transferred these to the Main Dressing Stations (MDS). The MDS was usually formed from the HQ Company.
Major Read was transported oversea to France with the Light Section No.1 Casualty Clearing Station (C.C.S.) and was very courageous on route to Dunkirk in May to June 1940.
For his courage in action, saving wounded and personnel of No.6 Casualty Clearing Stations (C.C.S.), helping them escape capture and reach Dunkirk, he was awarded The Military Cross.
In July 1940 the unit was based at Witton House in Witton near Norwich having moved there on 6th July. On the 5th July Lieutant Colonel Huston reported for duty as the officer commanding the 196 Field Ambulance. He would stay as the last officer to command the unit.
Winston Churchill took a tour of inspection during late July of 1940, which included the 18th Division:-
Taken from "Forgotten Warrior", by Michael Snape
A few days later at the beginning of August 1940, Brigadier Merton Beckwith-Smith was made Major-General and was given overall responsibility for the 18th.
A few weeks after this, on August 23rd the King also reviewed several of the units during what was described as a "whirlwind visit". One of the units specifically mentioned was the 196th Field Ambulance, the King had arrived via Norwich Thorpe station, the unit being based nearby at this time.
Beckwith-Smith later described the King's visit as "a great success".
They stayed at Witton for a few months, not moving on again until December 1940, nearly a year since the unit was formed. The MDS was based at Witton House and there were two ADS’s at Acle - “A” Coy, and Barton Hall - “B” Coy. There was also detachments of Regimental Aid Posts at Rollesbury and Great Yarmouth. Private John Margerum remembers tearing down the “Acle straight” when Great Yarmouth was raided by the Germans, to help with the injured at the hospital there.
It appears that between moving from Witton to Newton Hall, Newton, Cambridge in December 1940, the unit was based at the Old Hall, Hethersett. “A” coy moved from Somerleyton Hall to Chatteris, Cambs and “B” coy from Witton to West Wratting, Cambs. This continued into January 1941 with the HQ operating a Main Dressing Station (MDS) and “A” and “B” Coy operating ADS‘s at Chatteris and West Wratting.
On 3rd January 1941 the unit moved to Yeltholm, Kelso, Roxburghshire, Scotland. It was reported that weather conditions were poor with snow and ice present during this time. Some of the unit were given leave during January during some severe weather conditions at times.
In April 1941 the whole unit stayed in Bury, Lancashire at “Two Brookes Mill”, Hawkshaw until August 1941. The Nursing medics of the unit attended a course in Manchester at a rate of 12 men every 14 days. Training continued throughout July with courses on Law, messing, clothing and equipment as well. There was also joint exercises with other units from the 18th Division and Western command.
The unit moved on the 13th August 1941, by road and rail, to it’s final British location of Norton Manor, Prestigne in Radnorshire, with all of the unit arriving by the 18th August. There it pitched in a tented camp and continued training as part of the 54th Brigade, 18th (East Anglia) Division. Here the unit had it’s picture taken outside the manor.
On 24th September Lieut Col Huston was told that the unit would proceed overseas at an early date as part of the 18th Division. The unit was then given embarkation leave at 30% of the unit a week, starting 26th September 1941. This leave lasted for seven days.
By the 27th October 1941 the unit was back to together at Norton Hall. Around 0830hrs they marched through the streets of Prestigne to a special troop train, that took them to Avonmouth and the Bristol Channel. This was the final step on the 196’s journey of Britain.
SS Oronsay
The men boarded the SS Oronsay, which was an Orient Line British ship of 20000 tonnes. There were two other Field Ambulances that were part of the 18th Division as well. These were the 197 and 198 Field Ambulances and were attached to 55th and 53rd Brigade’s. A lot of these men were from East Anglia as well. The whole of the 18th Division boarded their troopships including the British vessels Reina Del Pacifico, Orcades, Andes, Warwick Castle, Durban Castle, Duchess of Atholl and Oronsay. There was also a Polish ship the MV Sobieski. These were escorted by British cruisers, Destroyers and Corvette class ships.
Around 15 men of the 196 had already left for Liverpool for embarkation there and they travelled on the SS Andes to meet the rest of the convoy. On each ship there was a detachment of Royal Army Medical Corps personnel away from the main body of their individual unit. This was known as “trooping” and had the purpose of caring for combatant troops medically when they went abroad on a ship.
On 28th October 1941 The SS Oronsay left Avonmouth and headed up the English coast in stormy weather, with nearly all of the 196 and around 3000 other troops.
On the 30th October the SS Oronsay arrived at Greenock in Scotland where it joined the rest of the fleet for an, unknown at that time, journey across the Atlantic to Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada. The 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment were also on the SS Andes. A lot of the men realised that they were heading West and for Canada or the US.
The 2nd of November, in the middle of the Atlantic, saw the British convoy meet up with an American convoy of escort ships that would escort them to Halifax. The British escorts then left the convoy and this job was taken over by the US Navy. Of course the United States had not joined the war at this stage, so this convoy remained secret. They arrived in Halifax on 7th November 1941 and barely had chance to stretch their legs before embarking once again for another unknown destination.
USS Joseph T. Dickman
The 196 and most of the Division were kitted out for Desert fighting, so speculation ran that they were set for Africa or the Middle East. Transport this time was provided by the US Navy and the 196 Embarked on the USS Joseph T Dickman, an American troopship.
The convoy set sail on 10th November 1941 and on 22nd November had travelled to Trinidad in the West Indies to refuel. There was no time to allow the troops onto land at this stage though and the convoy soon set sail once again. On the 24th the unit were “victims” of the American Crossing the line ceremony, as the convoy crossed the equator, many of the unit getting an impromptu soaking or haircut, by the US hosts.
The convoy arrived in Cape Town, South Africa only to hear that the Japanese had attacked Pearl harbour and landed at the Thailand border with Malaya and soon after the sinking of HMS Repulse and Prince of Wales, off the Malaya coast, this being a huge loss to the Royal Navy.
The troops were given four/five days shore leave, this being a welcome relief to the unit, having spent 10 weeks at sea. Some of the unit described Table Mountain among other sights they had seen. It was around this time that the convoy was officially being diverted from its original secret destination of the Levant-Caspian front to the Malay Peninsula.
The 196th spent Christmas day in 1941 aboard the Joseph T Dickman. The menu was Roast Turkey, Giblet gravy, pickles, Sage Dressing, Cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and Buttered Peas to start. Plum Pudding, Camperdown sauce and Fruit salad for afters. There was also Bread, Candy, Tea, Raisin cookies, butter and cigarettes. The ship’s food was complimented by many in the unit.
The 27th December 1941 saw the unit arrive in Bombay, India, where they were granted a few days shore leave which they spent in the city. In early January of 1942, they were then taken by train around 150 miles inland, via Poona and on to Ahmednagar, which was an old WW1 barracks area, or fort. The living quarters were huts with a veranda, and the first encounters with mosquitoes were experienced. Here they spent around two weeks acclimatising and performing their final training.
USS West Point
The next stage of this epic journey was a train journey back to Bombay and another sea journey, this time on the 17th January, they embarked aboard the USS West Point. This was a magnificent vessel that had been the SS America, before it was converted into a troopship. The same detachment, originally on the SS Andes, travelled on the USS Wakefield. The West Point and Wakefield were part of a convoy destined for Singapore, and it left Bombay on 18th January 1942. The journey saw the first encounters with the Japanese, as an escort vessel fired on a Japanese plane, apparently on a reece mission.
The convoy reached Keppel Harbour in Singapore and the 196 disembarked on 29th January 1942.
They were taken by lorries to a tented camp on the Tampines Road. They were to provide medical treatment to the soldiers of the 54th Brigade who were now to be deployed in the North East sector of the island, next to 55th Brigade and the Singapore City troops. The men of the Royal Army Medical Corps were not issued with any weapons, and relied on the fighting troops around them for protection, as much as the fighting troops relied on them for medical treatment. This North East Coastal sector faced the Malay peninsula, where the Japanese had been steadily advancing, and were expected to attack from.
Austin K2 Ambulance
The rear body was built by Mann Egerton, could take 10 casualties sitting or 4 stretcher cases.
All of the 196’s equipment had been unloaded and delivered to them by the 31st January. This equipment included:-
- 8 - Austin K2 Ambulances
- 19 - 3 tonne Bedford Lorries
- 5 - Motorcycles
- 1 - Water tank
These vehicles were driven and maintained by members of the Royal Army Service Corps, who were attached to the 196 Field Ambulance since they had been formed.
One Section established a dressing station behind the 5th Suffolks and another Section established a dressing station behind the 4th Suffolks. These contained around 20 men of the 196 each. A further Dressing station was established at the camp where the pool of Ambulances were kept, ready to take cases from Divisional HQ, Royal Artillery and reserve battalions. A lot of the men’s time was taken digging trenches for themselves and for the tents to protect them from small arms and explosive rounds.
On 1st February 1942 the unit experienced the first enemy activity with artillery fire and air bombing. By this time, the Japanese had almost complete air superiority, as the RAF had been evacuated from the Island. Twenty men of the unit formed a dressing station behind the 5th Beds. and Herts, who were part of 55th Brigade, to the left of 54th Brigade.
Between 2nd and 5th February the unit maintained it’s position and treated the wounded from the Japanese fire. The minor sick were treated and held in the Dressing Stations, with the major casualties evacuated in ambulances, to one of three hospitals in Singapore, as they were quite close to the Dressing Stations.
On 6th February the Dressing station of the 196 behind the 5th Suffolks area was shelled by the Japanese and Private Moffat was seriously injured by shrapnel and Private Goldthorpe was also slightly injured. These were the first casualties of the war for the unit, this was the day before the Japanese landed a small force on an island opposite 54th brigades position.
The Japanese landed on Singapore island late on 8th February 1942, in the North Western sector. This was held by the 8th Australian division. They quickly established a bridgehead and began to work their way inland towards Singapore City. Lt-Col. Huston noted that he was informed of this landing on 10th February. In between this time he withdrew the Dressing station from behind the 4th Suffolks, due to an Indian Brigade taking over their position.
As the situation began to grow more desperate, thirty men from the Royal Army Service Corps were taken from the 196 and told to report as riflemen. 54th Brigade and forces in the North East now began the move to the West of Singapore, in an effort to contain the Japanese advance. The dressing stations were called back to the main tented camp on the Tampines Road, except one, which remained in support of the 5th Suffolks. The 13th of February now saw the 196 deployed in the Thompson Road/Bukit Timah Road area of the island, just north of Singapore City and almost exactly in the centre. The unit was heavily shelled around Thompson Road, though and almost immediately they were ordered to move from that location. The unit came under Japanese rifle fire as it prepared to move.
The site of the City High School
The further withdrawal resulted in the 196’s Main Dressing Station being set up at the City High School around 1800hrs on the 13th February. Other men of the 196 were still in the thick of the action as the Regimental Aid Posts and an Advanced Dressing Stations were still supporting the fighting line on the 14th February.
At one of the Regimental Aid Posts the Captain commanding the post, and two men were killed by heavy shelling, the Captain was a member of the RAMC, but not attached to the 196. This day was one of the busiest for the unit they treating large numbers of casualties. Private Stewart of the 196 was injured following the shelling of the Thompson Road. The Regimental Aid Posts and Advanced Dressing Stations were bravely assisting the troops where they could and evacuating many wounded men mainly from the 5th Suffolks, 4th Norfolks and 1/5th Sherwood Forrester’s. Men of Tomforce had to surround and protect the 196 Field Ambulance as they attempted to withdraw casualties from the frontline to the Main Dressing Station.
The morning of 15th February saw large numbers of severe casualties received at the Main Dressing Station, and Lt-Col. Huston reports that 200 were being treated. Only the cases requiring difficult surgery were withdrawn to local hospitals. The Main Dressing Station buildings at the City High school were being straddled and strafed by artillery and air attack, Lt-Col. Huston ordered the evacuation of the wounded to hospitals as the morning wore on. The 196 suffered more casualties as Major Read and Sergeant Cain were wounded and Lieutenant Cuthbert was severely wounded at the 4th Suffolk Regimental Aid Post.
It is difficult to tell where individuals of the 196 were at this stage, but the battle was coming to a close. There were many wounded being treated by the medical units, and many men survived due to their skill and care. The War Diary of the unit shows records of 426 men treated between 12th-15th February and 11 of those treated that died. The records are not fully complete and won’t ever be, due to the extremely trying conditions.
Goodwood Park Hotel on Scotts Road
Later occupied by Japanese officers
The early afternoon of the 15th February saw the 196 set up an Aid Post at the Goodwood Park Hotel. Around this time, the commander of the Allied forces in Singapore unconditionally surrendered the Island and City to the Japanese. The Japanese had complete air superiority and had captured the Islands water reservoirs, giving Percival no choice but to surrender.
The 196 Field Ambulance had come through the battle with five men wounded, but no deaths.
1942/04/11 - WO417/2, Casualty List No.795. Reported ‘Missing’.
1943/04/29 - WO417/004, Casualty List No. 1121. Previously shown on Casualty List No. 795 as posted Missing, 15/02/1942. Now reported a ‘Prisoner of War’.
1945/09/28 - WO417/9, Casualty List No. 1870. Previously reported on Casualty List No. 1121 as Prisoner of War now Not Prisoner of War. Previous Theatre of War, Malaya.
Japanese PoW
1942/02/15 - Captured Singapore
1942, February Changi, Singapore
PoW No. M-92
Japanese Index Card - Side One
Japanese Index Card - Side Two
1942/06/24 - Transported overland to Thailand with June Mainland Party, train 4 (18th Division)
Commander Major P.D. Wier, 118 Field Regiment, Royal Artillery and
Major M.T. Read, 196, Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
Camps in Thailand:-
1942, June - Ban Pong, 2km from Nong Pladuk
1942, December - Chungkai, 60km from Nong Pladuk
New PoW No. II-15470
1943, July - Kanchanaburi No.3 Hospital, 52 km from Nong Pladuk
1943/10/25 - The rail tracks from Thailand and Burma were joined near Konkoita, Thailand
1943, December - Chungkai, 60km from Nong Pladuk
1944, April - 62 Kilo Camp (Lonsii), Burma, 355km from Nong Pladuk
1944, September - 83 Kilo Camp (Apalon Hospital), 332km from Nong Pladuk
1944, November - Tha Makham, 56km from Nong Pladuk
1945, February - Chungkai, 60km from Nong Pladuk
New PoW No. II-1303
1945, March - Petchaburi Group 9, Thailand
Petchaburi Group 9, was situated in the Petchaburi Province, roughly 160 kilometers south of Bangkok, near Kachu Mountain. Established with around 2500 mixed British and Australian PoWs who were forced to construct an aerodrome. The aerodrome was never used by the Japanese, but after liberation it was used to evacuate PoWs.
1945/08/30 - Liberated Thailand
Liberation Questionnaire made out by Marten after being liberated
MV Boissevain
Major Read is known to have travelled home via the repatriation ship MV Boissevain.
1945/09/20 - Departed Rangoon 1945/09/20.
1945/09/23 - Route via Colombo, Suez Canal and Port Said
1945/10/12 - Arrived Liverpool.
(This is indicated in the book by Bill Reed "Lost Souls on the River Kwai", as Major Read had signed off his medical card during their voyage).
Alsea recommendations for the award of ‘Mentioned in Dispatches’
Alsea recommendations for the award of ‘MBE’
Awarded the Military Cross for service rendered at Dunkirk
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Pacific Star
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War Medal
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1939-1945 Star
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Far East Medals
Post War
1946/08/22 - Marten, aged 32, left Liverpool in the ‘Britannic’ (Cunard) bound for Singapore.
Following his wartime service Major Read was appointed to the Colonial Medical Service in late 1946 as a Medical officer in Malaya, based in the state of Kelantan. Earlier in the year he had achieved a further qualification, studying for the Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
Doctor Read would no doubt be aware that Kota Bharu was one of the first locations that the Japanese had begun their attack in the Malaya region as part of their initial campaign which also included their offensive strike at Pearl Harbour.
1950/09/13 - Marten, aged 36, and wife Alison, with their two children, left Southampton for Djakarta, Indonesia in the ‘Willem Ruys’.
During 1954, Doctor Read was appointed as a Deputy Director of Medical Services for Sarawak province.
Doctor Marten Read was later seconded to a new appointment in Brunei, where he received several mentions in the local "Pelita Brunei" newssheet during the late 1950's and again during 1960.
Translation of above:
The sick at the Government Hospital, Brunei City and prisoners at Jerudong Prison were treated to Hari Raya cakes and drinks by the Brunei Islamic Association as in previous years.
Three members of the association's junior kuaso office were seen posing for a picture with children at the hospital along with doctors and nurses.
From left: Awang Hussin bin Pehin Orang Kaya di-Gadong (secretary), Puan B. Berthoud (matron), Awangku Momin bin Pengiran Damit, Pengiran Momin bin Pengiran Othman, Dr. M. T. Read, Puan Fong (sister), a nurse and two members of the hospital staff.
His new appointment was first confirmed during early May of 1956. Doctor Read had arrived for a brief visit towards the end of April of 1956, and was expected to take up his new position around a month later. As part of this initial visit he met with the architects of Penaga Hospital, as at the time the hospital was planned to be built in the Penaga area, between Kuala Belait and Seria and was currently pending with the Brunei government to establish a suitable administration.
Information
Phil Bradshaw
Tim Lloyd
Andrew Snow - Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Convoy William Sail 12X
Fall of Malaya and Singapore
Thailand Burma Railway
196 Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps
KEW Files:- WO 361/2044, WO 460/423, WO 345/43, WO 392/26, WO 361/2180, WO 361/1954, WO 361/2196, MO 361/2167, WO 361/1979, WO 361/2196,
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