Evacuation from Singapore, Missing Presumed Killed

16th February 1942

Heavy casualties in Singapore listed as HMS Sultan (Shore Base) during the evacuation from Singapore including 20 Royal Marines.

With the Japanese within gun range on the opposite side of the Causeway a few thousand persons escaped in an organized convoy on the night of 11/12 February.

Afterwards a fragile fleet of forty-four independent unescorted sailings occurred on ‘Black Friday’ 13 February, with a few stragglers coming behind on 14 February.

Over the final five-day period before surrender on Sunday 15 February 1942, about 5000 souls escaped but less than one in four made a safe landing, the rest being killed or captured.

These Marines mostly survivors from HMS Prince of Wales were most likley lost as part of the rear guard action with the Argyll Marines and others across various ships during the evacuation or perhaps some murdered in hospital.

ANDERSON, Archibald D, Marine, PLY/X 1565, (ex-Prince of Wales):

BLOHM, Robert H, Marine, PLY/X 100330, (ex-Prince of Wales):

BOYD, David W, Marine, PLY/X 3052, (ex-Prince of Wales):

DAVIS, Sidney J, Marine, PLY/X 3902, (ex-Prince of Wales):

GIBBONS, Thomas W, Marine, PLY/X 100144, (ex-Prince of Wales):

HARRY, Ernest D, Marine, PLY/X 3051, (ex-Prince of Wales):

HOLLAND, Arnold, Marine, PLY/X 2119, DOW:

LEAVER, Francis S, Marine, PLY/X 2492, (ex Repulse):

LIGHTFOOT, Norman, Marine, PLY/X 100429, (ex-Prince of Wales),:

MCKILLEN, Robert, Corporal, RM, PLY/X 1456,:

MCNAMARA, Francis F, Marine, PLY/X 100129, (ex-Prince of Wales):

PASSMORE, George W H, Marine, PLY/X 871, (ex-Prince of Wales):

ROGERS, Albert M, Marine, PLY/X 100021, (ex-Prince of Wales):

ROY, Peter, Marine, PLY/X 100017, (ex-Prince of Wales):

SKINNER, James, Sergeant, RM, PLY/X1020, (ex-Prince of Wales):

STANFORD, Raymond D, Marine, PLY/X 3805, (ex-Prince of Wales):

WALLACE, Thomas, Marine, PLY/X 100720, (ex-Prince of Wales):

WESTERN, George E, Marine, PLY/X 1976, (ex-Prince of Wales):

WILLIAMS, Stanley, Marine, PLY/X 100178, (ex-Prince of Wales):

YOUNG, Robert A V, Marine, PLY/X 2214, (ex-Prince of Wales).

Read more related Royal Marines 'dits' here;

• Sinking of HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales 

• Maurice Pink, Dunkirk, Hunt for the Bismark, Sinking of Repulse, Escape from Singapore and Anzio

• Plymouth Argyll Royal Marines - Fall of Singapore

• Argyll Marines in Rear Guard Action, Singapore

References/ Further Reading

The Naval Encyclopedia