Escape from Singapore — 2b. A View from England

Background

This introduction is taken from the following sections of
1. My Childhood Escape : Background, The Evacuation, Back with the Family in England.

My father Robert Piriam N. (“Piri”) Napper was a Plant Pathologist at the Rubber Research Institute in Kuala Lumpur. In the 1930s he revolutionised the treatment of diseases in rubber plantations. My sister Rosemary was born in 1934, I was born in 1937, but our mother Maude never recovered from my birth, and died six months later. On the way back from leave in the U.K. in 1939 Piri met and fell in love with a Dutch nurse, Suzanna (“Suze”) Balfoort, who was returning home by boat from Holland to Batavia (now Jakarta in Indonesia). They were married the next year. In the intervening period we were looked after by a young Malay Indian girl, Martha.

The Japanese invaded Malaya, in the North, on December 8th 1941, the same morning as the attack on Pearl Harbour¹. They worked their way towards Singapore, taking Penang by December 18th, and K.L. by January 11th. Our family evacuated K.L. by car, moving to Singapore. Our father had volunteered for the MAS (Medical Auxiliary Service) in K.L. (before the invasion), and offered his services to the MAS again in Singapore. Our step-mother, being a trained nurse, also offered her services.

Women and children were evacuated from Singapore in the troop ships which had brought in reinforcements for the defence of Malaya. As our step-mother knew no-one in England, and was so clearly required in Singapore, she elected to stay on. This was possible because the wife of a close friend, Freda Stanleigh, travelling with her daughter Hazel and her unmarried sister G.E.M. (“Gem”) Davis, volunteered to look after us on the boat, and deliver us to our paternal grandparents in England.

We travelled in the "Empress of Japan", which sailed on January 31st, a fortnight before the Fall of Singapore (Feb 15th 1942).

Our father and stepmother escaped on February 13th, but were lost the next day. It was not till after the war that it was established that they were almost certainly killed or drowned when their boats were bombed.

We went to stay with our grandparents, Granddad Napper, aged about 70, and Grandma, 65, in a small village near Bristol. They had originally retired to a one-acre plot, which my grandfather populated with apple trees, vegetables, tomatoes, chickens and a small garden. However they subsequently built a smaller bungalow in the grounds and their other child, Rowena (“Ena”), moved in to the original bungalow with her husband Felix and children John and Pat. Our cousins were aged 9 and 7 respectively at the start of 1942; we were 7 and 4.

Aunty Ena's husband worked for a Bristol shipbuilding firm, and the house was given the luxury of a telephone for use as an emergency out-of-hours contact number for any of their ships (by radio-telephone). Sadly, and by a dreadful coincidence, Felix died suddenly of meningitis on December 7th 1941, the day which contained the attack on Pearl Harbour and the invasion of Malaya.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

My sister and I have a large collection of letters sent from Malaya by our parents to their parents over ten years. These stopped two weeks before the invasion, so we have no record of our flight from K.L. But we do have letters written by Grandma Napper to our (maternal) Grandma Hough in Manchester.

In the companion page (2a) are given extracts from three letters written in January and February. Below are two letters written in April after we arrived at her home.

I hope these give some insight into the lives of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary events.

I have annotated the letters using square brackets, either to give some explanation, or to summarise material that has been omitted.

Letter sent Wed. April 1st

Whatever will you be thinking of me for not writing. I’m sure you are longing to hear how our darlings are. But you will quickly forgive when you can hear all that has happened here at both homes since the children arrived. We’ve heard nothing more yet of Piri, & Miss Davies (Auntie Gem) could tell us nothing very much. They left Singapore with Rosemary & Brian on Jany 31st, leaving Piri & Suze to help to work for the Island. They did not think it would fall. They could not send proper instructions in writing to any of us, but just asked in a small note [see end of 1. My Childhood Escape, "Instructions for the Journey Home"] that they would like the children to come here & for the time being go to school with John & Pat until they can get word to us or get home themselves. Grandma darling I’m so glad you did not know what day they were coming into Liverpool. You would have been chilled to the bone waiting for them at the customs etc. & if you had seen them when I did [even] after 6 days in a nice home, your heart would have ached terribly. With your trouble it would not have done for you to have had to see them. Thank God now they are looking fairly fit, but I have kept them both very quiet & warm, & fed them up so they do not look like the same children.

I have been able to fix them up quickly with their Ration Books, & I had been saving some of ours for them to have butter & Golden Syrup & honey etc. for some time. They have both grown quite a lot [in the 2½ years since they were last in England]& can tell us what happened in K.L. & Singapore. Miss Davies looked quite ill herself when she came & she told me that both children had been treated for worms on the boat; that was one reason they looked so thin. I told her I intended calling in my Dr & having them well overhauled. I got him in on Fri. morning, & with the exception of bad colds there was nothing the matter, but he gave them some treatment for worms & that now is finished & they are settling in beautifully. I just collapsed in the evening after they were put to bed. I haven’t been well all the week. Ena stayed home on Fri. to help me because Auntie Gem had to get back to London over the weekend, & I wanted to see someone in Bath at lunch time on Fri. I have got a good friend in the village who has a daughter about 22 who is so fond of children, & they both come to help me, the mother with making beds & sewing, & the daughter comes & baths Rosemary & Brian at evenings, & reads to them for me. So up to now we are alright. On Saturday Ena fainted over home [at her house, next door], & fell into the fireplace. She has hurt herself rather badly, but is getting over it now. Pat [aged 7½] was there & she dragged her mum out of the fireplace, & then ran for a neighbour. It was no use coming to me as I was in bed. [In fact Pat called in at her Grandma’s and was sent to fetch someone 200 yds away in the village.] I have not seen Ena yet, as I’m not able to go over. My feet have been swelling very badly, & Dr says I’ve got a touch of gout. Thank God it’s nothing worse than that, I was afraid lest it was flebitis. But we are all on the mend once more. Now you will know why you have had no word from me sooner.

We got a letter from Auntie Gem this morning; she says they have had a wire
from Mr Stanleigh who says he will soon be home now. So we hope we might hear
from Piri & Suze soon. I still feel we shall. I got
a letter from Mrs George at Pant last week telling us that Frank her son in
Burma, Piri’s friend [my godfather], has
got to India out of Rangoon safely.

I must go to bed now Grandma Darling & please
don’t
worry; we are jogging along slowly & are better
& the children are safe
& looking quite bright & cheery tonight. They
are not much trouble other than of course as all of us are [in that we] have to
be looked after with our food etc. Piri & Suze
were only able to save a few clothes to send with the children,
& the Canadian Red Cross has been good to them
& given them some warm clothes. As soon as
I’m well
I must take them to town & get a few things for
them. Rosemary can remember us all & the places
around. She said the other day when we were talking about you & Manchester
“You know, Grandma, I have an Auntie Gwen in
Manchester”. I intended taking
her over to Ena last Fri. to speak to you on the phone when I knew they would
be here on Thurs., but she poor little darling was so whacked that she
couldn’t bear to open her little eyes or sit up,
&
of course I was in bed myself so couldn’t speak to you.

Thurs. April 2nd [P.S.]

[ ... This morning received nice letter from friend of Maude, Phyllis] I wonder if you will be feeling equal to come soon & see your two darlings. I know how much you are looking forward to seeing them. Then we grandparents could talk about how to share them until we know more of their Daddy & Suze. Dad & I would rather they do no more travelling about for a while. I have been able to let them run in the garden this morning for a little bit.

Letter sent April 19th

Thank you for your letter recd quite a fortnight ago, & do please forgive me. Rosemary was so pleased with her letter & she is going to write to you as soon as I can settle to help her. They are both looking much better & able to go for short walks with John & Pat & play in the garden & the Summer House. [This was a wooden hut Granddad had built, which could be rotated (to face the sun) with the help of some large Golden Syrup tins filled with concrete! He had also used rollers in some ingenious way in the attic to construct a set of lightweight steps that could be easily pulled down (and pushed back up) from a trap door in the hallway ceiling. These led to a small room in the attic, where I slept.] I haven’t yet been able to fix them up with clothes, but am getting coupons etc. fixed up bit by bit. I have had to write to various places & talk with folks to get their affairs ship shape. The Red Cross folks in London want over 50 coupons for the few things they supplied to them to travel down in. From our village W.V.S. I have got a pair of Wellington boots each for Rosemary & Brian & a mackintosh for Rosemary. I shall I hope get one for Brian perhaps tomorrow. There is one to fit him & ever so nice they are. He can wear Rosemary’s school one now. Tomorrow I am hoping to get a skirt or gym slip for Rosemary from them. A kind friend has given me a blouse & a couple of nice jerseys for her, & another a nice warm coat. I want her to be able to go to school with Pat in about a couple of weeks time. They are both now getting used to crossing the road etc. & knowing their way about. Another friend got a couple of pairs of trousers for Brian & 2 medium warmth dark frocks for Rosemary. So bit by bit I shall get a wardrobe for them. The Coupons is the trouble, but I have applied to the Customs & Excise for extra ones & shall hope to get them soon. Under vests & panties is what I must get as soon as I can go shopping, which I hope will not be long. You know the kind they used to wear, chillproof from Treasure Cot People. They have two each of these left, but they are really small for Rosemary now.

I have written to Malaya House again to enquire about Piri & Suze. They have sent my enquiry on to the Colonial Office who will let me know should they get any news of them.

Ena & I are better now & I hope Ena will be fit to return to work tomorrow [Her husband's employers after his death had organised a secretarial job for her in the firm]. Thank God there are no marks or scars on her face. The 4 children are very happy together & when I am quite well again things will be easier for us. I know you must worry dear, but try not to there’s a dear good soul. When you feel strong enough to come & see them I know you will. I wish it wasn’t so far for you. Both Rosemary & Brian still have a little cough, but that will clear up as the weather warms up a bit.

[ ... Refers to a letter from Phyllis (same letter as above?) asking how she can help.] Do you know Grandma I think I will ask her if she would like to send me a pair of sheets each for their beds, with some pillow & bolster slips. Do you think Phyllis would mind me asking that? You see nobody can get them clothes without coupons. I do not know her, & I don’t want to act as tho’ I was grasping or scrounging. I have had a pair of nice new grey blankets given me for their beds & I think I shall have an eiderdown sent along this week. It will help wonderfully.

My dear Grandma I wish you could peep in & see them. You will be better & able to I hope before long. I know you would feel so much happier if you had seen them, & when they are older or their Daddy & Suze arrive they will be able to come with you too for a while. But for the present I do not feel they should be uprooted again. Their little cheeks are getting quite pink & white now. They looked so greeny yellow poor little sweethearts when they came. It just bowled me over. I’d like to tell you dear that their own Mummy has been kept well to the fore in their little minds, & they both talk of her so naturally that I know their new Mummy has always kept her in front of them, & for that I am so glad. They both love their new Mummy too & tell me she is so kind & sweet to them.

¹ Japan made surprise attacks on a number of places around the West Pacific on the same morning, but the date for Pearl Harbour is December 7th, as it is the other side of the date line.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.