Lawton R 1061885 ASM
Escaped from Singapore on the Minesweeper Jarak
Minesweeper JARAK
Left Singapore 16:00 Hrs on the 12th February
1942 and spent the night anchored at the southern end of the swept channel
as the ship was going to be the
lightship for the other craft designated to
leave Singapore on the 13th of February heading for Java carrying
manly RAOC personnel to set up a workshop in Batvia .
The Ship set sail
at 06:00 Hrs on the 13th and after 3hrs anchored between two small
islands , several enemy aircraft flew over the ship but did not attack.
At 13:30 hrs on the
14th of February an enemy
reconnaissance seaplane came down to
observe the ship but took no further action , ten minutes later three ships
appeared astern of the Jarak and closed rapidly , about 1 hr later when the
ships were approximately 10,000 yards away they turned broadside and singled the
Jarak with a lamp , the ships turned out to be two Japanese Cruisers and a
Destroyer , the Jarak Captain returned
singled a code challenge group , the Japaneses replied “No No No” and opened
fire .
The Captain gave the order “Hard to Port” , after 20 to 30
six inch salvos the Jarak to evasive manoeuvres , the cruiser ceased fire and
the seaplane reappeared and mad two dive bombing attaks which the Jarak managed
to ovoid . During the attack Lewis guns and rifle fire were levelled at the
seaplane and also the Jaraks 12
pounder gun maned by Petty Officer Tucker was employed , firing shrapnel
set on a sort fuse.
Shortly after the seaplane attack , the Japanese Destroyer
appeared to be coming along side the Jarak so the order was given to throw all
confidential documents overboard. The Destroyer opened fire at about 2,000 yrds
range , hitting the bridge and the forward hold
. A Mr Hooper had kept firing signal lights during the action and it may
have been due to this that the Destroyer deported shortly after the Jarak ships
complement began to abandon ship.
Two of the Jarak boats were used to row to a small island
about 12 miles away and landed there about midnight .
At about 8:00 hrs that morning , 15th February
the Jarak was sighted , still afloat , a
small party of Navel rating under Lt Huntly R.N.V.R returned to the Jarakand
successfully managed to pump out the engine room and brought the ship back to
the island to at about 18:00 Hrs . The next day , 16th February the
Jarak was attacked again by a seaplane , which strafed the ship and the beach
but there waere no casualties as the personnel we already dispersed .
New of the fall of
Palembang was heard on the ships radio so it was decided to head for Rengat in
the Indragiri River , but on route the engine bearings gave out and the ship was
stopped at southern end of Sinkep Island, after removing all the ships stores
the Jarak was taken offshore and skuttled.
The men stayed near the beach while Mr Huntley reconoitered
the island in a sampan , returning on the20th February
, they then sailed to Daba on Sinkkp Island . on the 22nd February the party
sailed to Rengat and then on to Padang.
RAOC men onboard the Jarak :-
Captain F E Coulthold 74056
“Z” AOW
AQMS A E Wyatt 7582954
“Z” AOW
ASM R Lawton
1061885
“Z” AOW
ASM Lawton was Captured in Padang
Worked on the
Sumatran Railway
, he is mentioned in the Roll of men
Liberation Questionaire
Many of the evacues from Singapore tried to make for the Indragiri River in
Sumatra ,
in an attempt to cross Sumatra and reach Padang and the hopefully board a boat
to
India or Columbo (Modern day Sri Lanka)
In Geoffrey Brookes Book "Singapores Dunkirk" , he states
the escape route was
Traveling West along the Indragiri River to Tembilahan
Then onto Rengat, Finally onto Iyer Molek.
Transport was provided to the Rail head at Sawahunto and then by Rail to Padang
The Escapees were assisted by the Duch and Sumatrans with the help of Armed
forces Officers
who volunteered to stay behind , knowing full well that they would eventualy be
captured by the Japanese .