Other hazards included coral reefs, mines, storms, and even sharks, although these creatures hid because of the explosions

Sir Shenton Thomas was determined that panic be averted. For this reason, newspapers and broadcasting stations were censored so that Japan’s rapid advance down Malaya’s east coast was kept a closely guarded secret. This move was so successful that even by the beginning of the second week of February, civilians in Singapore could not believe that the enemy had not only landed on the island but had reached the outskirts of the city.

As evening fell, Angus’s party made a dash for the docks. On the waterfront there was a smell of tar and burning wood as dozens of storage sheds burned down. Flames from burning oil tanks on the nearby island of Pulao Samboe made the sea look crimson.

Keppel harbour was cluttered with abandoned cars. Surrounding them was the flash of shells, an occasional flare-up marking a demolition and, in the background, coastal batteries firing northwards at the enemy.

Men who had sheltered from the bombing at the YMCA joined them.

Risky business

Like Paris and his staff, these servicemen came from a variety of units to form a new army in India later. Each man waited in an air of unreality for a berth in a vessel.

This was their last chance to escape, as official evacuation was to be suspended that night. Heading out into a mine-laden sea aiming for the Sumatran coast was a risky business.

If caught, the Japanese would show little mercy. Tokyo Radio warned the British that they would not be permitted another Dunkirk and Japanese planes (now based at Tengah on the island) switched their attacks to the docks and allied shipping.

In the end, Angus and his brigadier found the Celia, a small well-made harbour launch with a twin diesel engine. She was 50 ft long, 10 ft in her beam, and had a seating capacity of 30. As darkness fell they departed Singapore with 67 persons on board.

The passengers included Brigadier Paris, the Commander of the Royal Engineers, another Colonel, Angus Macdonald, Michael Blackwood, the Commanding Officer of the Indian Army Medical Corps, 40 British other ranks and Captain N. W. Frisby, adjutant of the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force.

Because they had no naval personnel on board, Angus and Michael Blackwood took charge of the navigation. But they were ill-equipped for a sea voyage; all they carried was a map (80 miles to the inch) and a military pocket compass but they had no torch, chart, or plan of the area’s minefields.

Apart from Michael Blackwood’s knowledge of the inner field, they trusted to luck and their small draft of 3ft to carry them out of danger.

They knew that Japanese fighter, bomber and reconnaissance sea planes were hovering in the sky above them.

In their favour, however, these planes did not often attack small vessels but the escapees took the precaution of following the example of larger ships, which laid up in day-time on the banks of an island, and camouflaged the Celia by covering her with branches.

Seen from the sea, their last view of Singapore was horrific, as the whole city appeared to be enveloped in fire. The night of the 14th was moonless and the pall of smoke coming from Singapore made it feel even darker.

Sumatra’s east coast had three river mouths, up which evacuees could travel: the Kampar, 80 miles south of Singapore, was the closest, followed by the Indragiri and the Djambi, opposite the Banka Straits.

Overloaded

The Celia headed for the first. They were given a bearing of 210 degrees to take them to the Kampar’s mouth but it was not until they detected an error of 50 degrees that the deviation was noticeable.

Being overloaded (the Celia was carrying double her recommended quota of passengers), the launch was hard to steer and she swung off course.

While negotiating the minefield and within sight of Singapore, the boat’s engines failed. As they floated close to a blazing ship, beached on a small island, they feared they would be caught the next day in this exposed condition.

But after an hour, an engineer managed to re-start one engine, and they carried on using that.

However, steering the Celia became even more difficult. Looking to their rear they saw, silhouetted against the flames of another burning ship, a rocky island they had just missed blundering into.

Other hazards included coral reefs, mines, storms, and even sharks, although these creatures hid because of the explosions.

The men’s worst fear was detection by a Japanese fighter plane or bomber. Evidently, the party was unaware of the food dump at Moro Island in the Durian Straits, where they could have collected provisions stashed in four-gallon petrol cans (each containing enough food and water for six men for two days).

Also available were vital navigational instructions to Priggi Raja at the mouth of the Indragiri river.

An hour before daylight on the 15th, the fugitives sensed they were near land as the water appeared shallow.

Rolling in an uncomfortably heavy swell, they anchored, waited until dawn and found themselves in a bay with no outlet and realised they had strayed northwards from their course; to right themselves, they had to turn south-eastward, skirting round an island until they could reach the proper channel.

Off course

Later that morning, two single Japanese reconnaissance planes hovered over them, followed shortly afterwards by seven Japanese bombers flying south at 2,000 feet.

The helmsman took evading tactics but the Celia was doubtless too tiny to interest the enemy. By this time, they were about 50 to 60 miles from Singapore, they could still see clouds of smoke in that direction.

Because they had no charts, they failed to find the mouth of the Kampar river and sailed eastwards off course. In the distance they could see a ship which they hoped was a Dutch patrol boat that might help them.

But when they reached it they discovered it was a wreck. However, close by lay an island that looked as if it was inhabited.

Several passengers swam ashore and made contact with the Malayan lighthouse keepers on the summit.

These men gave them charts and fresh water, telling them they were on South Brothers Island and they should make for the Kateman estuary, the nearest part of the Sumatran mainland.

From there, they could find their way by land to Rengat, a town on the Indragiri river.

More tomorrow