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Royal Artillery
135 Field Regiment
The Hertfordshire Yeomanry
18th Division
The 135th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery was formed in September 1939 it consisted of three batteries:
Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey, was promoted from second-in-command of 59th (4th West Lancashire) Medium Regiment to command 135th (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment in 1941.
1941/10/30 - Left Liverpool for Halifax in Convoy CT.5.
1941/11/08 - At Halifax transferred to American liners
1941/11/10 - Left Halifax with Convoy William Sail 12X, destination unknown, believed to be Middle East.
Above Photo of Convoy William Sail 12X 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)
1941/12/08 - Japan entered war by bombing Pearl Harbour and invading Malaya
18th Division diverted from Middle East and sent to Singapore
Deployed to Fortress Singapore the 135 Field Regiment were still serving with the 18th Division when Singapore surrendered by the Japanese 15th February 1942.
Ordered to join the evacuation of Singapore, Toosey refused and remained with his men during their captivity.
Lieutenant Colonel Philip Toosey was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for heroism during the defence of Singapore.
As a PoW Toosey was the senior officer at Tha Makham in Thailand. The men under him built the Bridges at Tha Makham.
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