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February 15, 2019
remembrance ni
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On this day 1942: Singapore forced to surrender
British forces in Singapore have surrendered unconditionally to the Japanese seven days after enemy troops first stormed the island. A war correspondent of the Japanese News Agency in Singapore reported that fighting ceased along the entire Malayan front at 2200 local time. The British and Japanese commanders-in-chief, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival and Lieutenant-General Yamashita
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Tomoyuki met in the Ford motor plant at the foot of Bukit Timah Hill to sign the surrender documents. The British capitulation comes one week after Japanese forces invaded Singapore and only two weeks since their onslaught on the Malay Peninsula forced the British troops' withdrawal to the island.
�According to reports from Japanese headquarters the final deal was signed at 1900 local time and the ceasefire came into effect three hours later.
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Under the terms of the surrender, 1,000 British troops will be left in Singapore city to maintain order until the Japanese Army complete their occupation.
The invasion began under cover of darkness on the night of 8 February when at least 50 boats laden with members of the 5th and 18th Japanese army divisions crossed the narrow Johore Straits, which is all that separates Singapore from the Malay Peninsula.
By morning thousands more troops had landed. The well-trained and battle-hardened Japanese forces were also supported by aircraft and tanks.
Although they met some spirited counter-attacks, it was soon clear the island's defence had been poorly planned. In attempting to defend the island's entire coastline, the General Officer Commanding, Lieutenant-General Percival had spread his forces too thinly.
The Allied force consisting of Australian, Malay, Indian and British soldiers, many fresh from defeat on the Malay Peninsula, were also short of weapons, poorly trained and with inadequate air support. Against them, the Japanese troops moved swiftly across the island. The last line of defence, Singapore City, fell earlier today.
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Leading Aircraftman Daniel Lamont from Ballymoney died on this day in Singapore. Aged 23, he was the son of Mr & Mrs John Lamont, and the stepson of Lena
Prime Minister Winston Churchill described the fall of Singapore as "the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history".The Japanese claimed to have taken 60,000 Imperial troops in Singapore - 16,000 British, 14,000 Australian and 32,000 Indian soldiers. They also captured a large amount of equipment. The high number of prisoners was not surprising as the troops had been ordered to defend Singapore until the last possible moment so no major evacuation had been ordered. Lt-Gen Percival, the British General Officer Commanding, said he had been forced to surrender when the loss of food, water, petrol and ammunition made it impossible to carry on the struggle. The Japanese advance continued, taking US held Guam, Wake Island and the Philippines. The heroic resistance of the US garrison at Corregidor ended on 6 May 1942. In Burma Japanese forces reached the Indian border before pausing for breath. The Japanese advance in the Pacific was only finally halted in June when all four of its aircraft carriers were destroyed by the US in the Battle of Midway. An attempt to invade India from Burma was halted by British and Empire troops in 1944
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Lamont of Ballymoney. He is commemorated on the Singapore Memorial.
Roll of Honour - February 15
The following from Northern Ireland died on this date and represent their comrades
WW1
+McKNIGHT, AlexanderRoyal Irish Rifles. 12th Battalion. Rifleman. 6214. Died 15/02/1919. Alexander was born at Mallusk, Co. Antrim on 23 March 1898 and later moved to Templepatrick. He enlisted in the 12th RIR, aged 17, in May 1915 and embarked for France in October that year. He was wounded in action three times and discharged with the Silver War Badge on 08/02/1919. He died a week later in the Flu Pandemic. Not commemorated by CWGC. Believed to be buried in St Patrick's C of I Templepatrick. (Photo courtesy of Great War Ulster Newspaper Archive)
+NUGENT, RobertRoyal Inniskilling Fusiliers. 1st Btn. Private. 9836. Died of wounds 15/02/1917. Aged 23. Robert, from Percy Street, Belfast, enlisted in March 1910 and served with the Inniskillings pre-war at Tientsin, China and Secunderabad India, He embarked with the Battalion and took part in the landing at Cape Helles, Gallipoli in April 1915, serving there until January 1916. He moved to France with the Btn. and
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fought at the Somme where the 1st Inniskillings sustained 549 casualties on 1 July. Robert was wounded, probably at Carnoy on the Somme in January 1917 and succumbed to his wounds at a Military Hospital at Rouen. He was pre-deceased by his younger brother James who was Killed In Action with the 2nd Bn. Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers at Festubert on 15 May 1915. St. Sever Cemetery Extension Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France
+WILSON, Robert Henry
RAMC. Captain. Attached 84th Royal Field Artillery. Died of wounds 15/05/1917 in the Duchess of Westminster Hospital, Le Touquet. Age 26. In France from 02/10/1915. Robert had been tending a wounded soldier when he himself was injured by a shell splinter. In his book, ‘Sailing Ship and Sugar Planter’, Hubert Greer records that his older brother John Wilson of Ballylagan was with him in the days before he died. Educated at RBAI and QUB (M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O. 1915). Son of Mr and Mrs Henry Wilson of Straid, Ballynure. (Report of wounding Belfast Newsletter 02/05/1917 and 5/5/17. Roll of Honour in Belfast Newsletter 23/05/1917). Interred Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France. Memorial in Ballynure Methodist Church. Ballylinney Presbyterian Church, Ballyclare WM. RBAI WM.
WW2
+BROWN, Howard JohnRN. Able Seaman. DEMS Gunner. D/JX 181631. Died 15/02/1941. Age 30. SS Alnmoor - Defensivly Equipped Merchant Vessel. Hit by U 123. On strength of HMS
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President. Son of William and Margaret Brown, Belfast. Husband to Elizabeth Brown, Belfast. Plymouth Naval Memorial, Panel 46
+CARSON, Robert JamesRM. Marine. PLY/15760. Died on 15/02/1941. Aged 47. Son of Thomas and Tilly Carson; Husband to Annie Carson of Belfast. Belfast City Cemetery, Glenalina
+QUIREY, JohnRoyal Corps of Signals. Signalman. 7006083. Died on 15/02/1941. Aged 42. Died at Holywood Military Hospital. 3 HAA Divisional Signals, Attd 12 HAA Divisional Signals. Son of John and Eliza Jane Quirey; Husband to Mary Quirey of Dunadry. Belfast City Cemetery, Glenalina
+DEMPSTER, William AlexanderRN. Leading Stoker. C/KX79089. Died 15/02/1942. Aged 32. HMS Cleopatra. Born 16/01/1910. The cruiser Cleopatra and destroyer HMS Fortune came under attack from Luftwaffe JU-88 bombers near the harbour. A 500kg bomb hit HMS Cleopatra, exploding and killing twenty members of the crew. The damaged ship made it to port and underwent repairs. John was killed in the action. Born 16/01/1910. Son of Frederick James Dempster and Eliza Jane Dempster of Ballymaccarron, Killyleagh. Malta (Cappucini) Naval Cemetery. Killyleagg WM
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+WATSON, Robert JohnRM. PO/X 4372. Died 15/02/1946. Aged 23. Son of Mollie Watson, Dunmurry. Derriaghy (Christ Church) C of I Churchyard. Lisburn WM
Events on this day - February 151940
+Hitler orders that all British merchant ships will be considered warships.
1941
+Great Britain breaks off diplomatic relations with Romania as it is now clear that the Romanians are firmly allied to the Germans.
+Norwegian Lutheran bishops denounce Nazi brutality.
1942
+LAMONT, Daniel
RAF. Leading Aircraftman. 632213. Died 15/02/1942. Aged 23. Son of Mr. and Mrs. John Lamont, of Ballymoney; stepson of Lena Lamont, of Ballymoney. Singapore Memorial
+HUME, John FrenchRAFVR. Corporal. 297832. Died 15/02/1946. Aged 44. Husband of Nancy Hume of Belfast. Dundonald Cemetery
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+Churchill broadcasts to the nation and says the Mediterranean will close to all allied shipping.
+Singapore surrenders to the Japanese, a decision prompted as much as anything by the plight of the 1,000,000 civilian inhabitants of the island. 9,000 British, Australian and Empire troops are killed and 130,000 captured, many of which will find themselves working as slaves on the notorious Burma-Thai Railway. The Japanese casualties’ amount to around 9,000 killed or wounded
+“Enemy aliens” ordered to be removed from restricted military zones in California.
1943
+British Eighth Army arrives at German Mareth Line in Tunisia.
+Actress and pin-up girl Betty Grable leaves prints from hands & one leg at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
1944
+Monte Cassino is devastated by 422 tons of bombs as the Indian and New Zealanders begin their offensive to capture the monastery which is now occupied and defended by paratroopers (the Green Devils) of 1st Fallschirmjäger Division.
+Hitler permits Field Marshal Models troops to withdraw to Panther Line and also allows the Korsun pocket defenders to break out towards the relieving forces.
+The heaviest raid ever on Berlin is conducted, during which 2,500 tons of bombs are dropped.
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A boy in Britain drives alongside an American M5 artillery tractor and greets the soldiers as they assemble for the Normandy landings in southern England, spring 1944.
+The USAAF decimate a Japanese convoy off New Ireland.
1945
+Japanese forces are now trapped in the Manila rectangle, which is just 5,000 yards by 2,000 yards.
+US Sixth Army lands at Mariveles on tip of Bataan peninsula on Luzon, takes Mariveles and its airfield.
+As Japanese advance, US Fourteenth Air Force evacuates last of its eastern China airfields, can no longer raid South China Sea.
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+Russian troops are now covering the approaches to Danzig. The Red Army captures Sagan in Silesia. The German 11th SS Army begins a counterattack ‘Operation Sonnenwende’ with three Korps (39th Panzer, 3rd SS Panzer and the 10th SS Korps). However, only the 3rd SS Panzer Korps (11th SS Panzer Grenadier Division ”Nordland” and the 27th SS Grenadier Division “Langemarck”) are ready and begin their attack South towards Arnswalde,about 30-35 kms southeast of Stargard.
Acknowledgments CWGC
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