My Wartime Memories

as recalled by

Eddie R Hawkins (Royal Engineers)

Editors Note:

Eddie had previously contacted me after searching the internet for information regarding the first ‘HMT Nevasa’, the troopship on which he returned from service in Burma at the end of the war. This was to be the final voyage of the vessel before being scrapped. He supplied a photo of the trooper tied up in Singapore, undergoing repairs, and some details of a very eventful passage. The photo and text can be viewed at the following link. HMT Nevasa. He has now added a few memories of his service life and these can be read below………

Eddie writes…….

Hello Trevor, I am afraid that my memory is not very good now. However, I can say that I was not in Burma for very long - probably less than a year. I have been studying family history for a long time and I have just decided that I should enter my war time experiences.

Education - Porchester Road, Infants School, Woolston, Southampton.

Ludlow Road, Boys School, Woolston, Southampton.

Greggs Commercial College, Southampton. (Book Keeping, Typewriting, Shorthand, English, Mathematics, etc. Age 13 when war started. Evacuated to Canford, Nr. Wimborne. Dorset. 1940. Stayed about a year and returned to Southampton. Living in Porchester Road, Woolston, Southampton, when air raids started.

Worked as junior clerk {reserved occupation}, for the Petroleum Board, at Northam, Southampton. The office then moved to below bar near Dolphin Hotel, because it was becoming too dangerous near petrol tanks at Northam during the air raids. Office was again moved to a garage at St. Cross, Nr. Winchester, because the air raids were becoming too bad.

Left the Petroleum Board because of the difficulties in travelling to St. Cross.

Obtained work with British Rail as trainee ticket office clerk.

Worked at Sholing, St. Denys and Woolston ticket offices, during air raids. Also, Woolston goods yard office.

Joined the ATC (Air Training Corp 1943), 1917 Squadron, Itchen College, Southampton.

Lessons in Morse, Navigation, Mathematics, Semaphore, Aircraft recognition, etc.

Played in band.

Volunteered for RAF and passed entrance examinations in London for air crew. (Pilot, Navigator and Bomb Aimer). Waiting to be called up for over a year. Eventually received a letter from Sir. Archibald Sinclair, (Minister for Air Defense), saying that because the war in Europe was coming to an end, there was no longer a demand for PNBs, only air gunners. Volunteered for air gunner!!! Still did not hear anything for three or four months. Then received a further letter to report to an hotel in Torquay, Devon, together with hundreds of other volunteers, for a week's further examinations. Only two in a thousand passed these examinations. However, everyone who failed was given the choice of being recruited into another branch of the services.

Opted for railway section of the Army. (Royal Engineers). Eventually called up 1944. Basic training - Lincoln, and Longmore Camp, (Nr. Liss), Hampshire.

On VE day - at home in Woolston, on embarkation leave for the far east,. (operation ZIPPER) Reported to a barracks in Cardiff and joined 903, Port Operating Company, REs. Travelled to Greenock, Scotland, overnight by train, to join last convoy to leave Britain. The war in Europe being over.

Learned how to play chess whilst on board the Empress of Scotland (Was Empress of Japan) After approximately four weeks, arrived at Bombay.

Based at Kalyan, north of Bombay. Monsoon about to arrive. Everyone employed on digging monsoon ditches. Commuted by train from Kalyan to Bombay to work in docks, loading up ships for invasion of Malaya. (Operation code named Zebra and also called Zipper).

Atom bomb dropped on Japan, whilst in Bombay.

Saw Ghandi in a demonstration in Bombay.

Selected with two others for a post in Rangoon. Travelled by train from Bombay to Madras, to join ship. Train over 36 hours late arriving Madras. Missed ship. Had to return to Bombay. Thank goodness!

Joined convoy for Malaya, on board one of the smallest cargo vessels ( ss Tamilee ? spelling). Six Army personnel on board. Had to break into one of the crates on board for food which was in short supply. Daily task of carrying water from one end of the ship to the other!! Convoy took about six weeks zigzagging across the Indian Ocean to reach Malaya. Whilst on ship - met Malayan intelligence officer who had been living in Wales for the duration of the war. His job was to seek out the communists living in the Malayan jungle!

Landed on beach by 'Duck', at Port Dickson. Code name 'Dog beach'. Worked on beach with beach landing party for approximately four weeks. Supplies and mail arrived by Sunderland flying boat once a week. No bread or flour for about six weeks. Living on pacific 'K' rations. (Biscuits, concentrated fruit, vitamin tablets), also tins of soup, plus eggs and fruit purchased from the local inhabitants. Water obtained from local stream had to be boiled in jerry cans, and sterilized. Two days after landing - visited Seremban by 'jeep', and entertained by inhabitants. Whilst in cinema, had a bit of a fright when some soldiers looking like Japanese entered. However they turned out to be friendly Chinese who had just arrived from the north.

Travelled in cattle trucks by the first train to run from Seremban to Singapore. Stationed at Spottiswood Park, Singapore. (? spelling). Chaos everywhere. Some Japanese roaming around not knowing who to surrender to. Broke into a wooden building in Singapore docks to set up the docks office. Numerous ships arriving and unloading supplies. No military police ???

Went on leave by train to Cameron Highlands, near Tapah, Malaya for about 10 days. Amazing walks through jungle covered mountains. Also stationed at Bukit Chermin (under canvass) (? spelling) and Tanjong Rhu (? spelling), Singapore. In Singapore hospital with dengue fever for about three weeks. Sent home to England for a spell of leave. Cannot remember name of ship. Arrived Liverpool in middle of winter. Found it very cold.

Returned to Singapore from Southampton after three weeks. Troop ship - 'Andes' The journey was just like a cruise. Upon arrival, found that 903, Port Operating Company had disbanded.

Went into Nee Soon transit camp awaiting further posting. Nee Soon camp was a very large camp 'under canvas', situated just outside of Singapore.

Posted to 969, IWT Co. REs. (Inland Water Transport).

Applied for office work in the Singapore Police. 969, IWT Co. disbanded not long after joining them, went into Nee Soon Camp again!!!, awaiting posting. Received no instructions for approximately six to eight weeks. Living a life of Riley!!!!! The administration had forgotten four of us. Heard nothing about Singapore police job. Eventually posted to a REME Co. in Rangoon, Burma. Travelled by troop ship. Name of ship forgotten. Voyage took about two weeks. Camp was situated on the Prome Road, just outside of Rangoon. Once again living on 'K' rations. Trouble with dacoits and communists. Confined to camp for two to three months. Too dangerous to go out. A lot of equipment being stolen at night time. Told to shoot on sight whilst on guard at night time.

Burmese prime minister and members of his government assassinated.

Posted to Mandalay for approximately three days. Under canvass. Very hot.

It rained for about nine months in Rangoon. Applied for a position in the Rangoon Embassy office.

Credited with one week's service in the RAF whilst taking examinations in Torquay !!!!!! This brought demob date forward one month. However, did not help much! Had to wait for a troop ship home. Went into hospital with bronchitis (about three weeks). Heard nothing about Rangoon Embassy job. Recovered just in time for the next troop ship leaving Rangoon..

Travelled on the old 'Nevassa', a coal steam ship!. Her last journey. Returning to UK to be broken up. Ship broke down upon arrival at Singapore. Went into Nee Soon Camp once again !!!!!!!!!! - duration one week.

Journey home from Singapore took about eight weeks. Had to call at every port to take on coal. Called at Colombo, Ceylon. Aden. Suez. Port Said. Malta. Gibraltar. Very, very rough journey after leaving Port Said. Could not enter Valletta harbour because of the very bad storm. Had to Anchor on leeward side of island. An hatch cover had blown off and bellow decks were awash.

Very rough through Bay of Biscay. Over a hundred Portuguese fishermen drowned off the coast of Portugal.

After arrival at Southampton - demobbed at Farnborough

Christmas Dinner Menu, 903 Port Operating Coy. REs, Singapore 1945

Nine days leave pass for the Cameron Highlands. May 1946.

Movement Order for nine days leave in the Cameron Highlands. May 1946

969 Inland Water Company Royal Engineers.

Published: 15th December 2010