The 5th Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment in WWII
by Bernard Lamb
When war broke out in 1939 all over the country men enlisted in their local regiment. For men living in Hemel Hempstead the natural choice was to join the Beds & Herts Regiment. They became part of the 5th Battalion that had been formed on 25th August 1939. This Battalion was to become part of the 55th Infantry Brigade which was part of the18th Division. In May 1940 the Battalion was based at West Tofts, Norfolk. After a short time they moved to North Walsham where they were involved in anti - invasion duties. This task lasted until January 1941 when they moved again, this time to Scotland where they were based in Abbott’s Mill, Galashiels. In May came another move to Uttoxeter, with the expectation of a speedy mobilisation for an overseas posting. This was not to be the case and after various moves in the Midlands the Battalion eventually transferred to Liverpool on 27th October where they embarked on the SS Reina del Pacifico bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia as part of Convoy CT5. The equipment for the Battalion was loaded onto the SS Bennekom, a Dutch merchant ship, for transporting to Table Bay. This vessel sailed from Liverpool with Convoy OS.10 on 25th October and was attacked and sunk by the German submarine U-96 off the southern tip of Ireland on 31st October.
On arrival in Halifax the men were surprised to learn that they were to be transferred to an American ship the USS West Point. This was several weeks before the Japanese attack on the American fleet at Pearl Harbour. They were now in Convoy WS12X and part of Task Force 14. The convoy sailed on 9th November, called at Port of Spain, Trinidad to refuel, sailed from there on 19th November and arrived in Cape Town on 10th December. While in Cape Town several of the men from Hemel Hempstead who were employees of the company were taken on a visit to the factory of John Dickinson & Co Ltd. The Convoy sailed again on 13th December. The men thought that they were going to Egypt via Basra but soon after sailing from Cape Town secret orders were opened and they discovered that they were to proceed to Singapore. The next port of call was Bombay. They arrived on 28th December, transferred by train to Ahmednagar for a period of jungle training and re-embarked on 19th January. From Bombay the voyage continued with the Convoy arriving at Keppel Harbour, Singapore on 29th January. They transferred by road to Birdwood Camp, Changi. There would be little time to settle in.
The Japanese began the invasion of Singapore on 8th February, landing with tanks and infantry in several locations on the north-west part of the island. The Beds & Herts formed part of the front line and were based to the north west of Singapore Town near the golf course. After four days of fighting the Allied forces surrendered on 15th February 1942. Initially all prisoners were held at Changi, the main military base, but by April many men, including most of those from the Beds & Herts, were relocated to River Valley Road and Sime Road Camps. Between June 1942 and May 1943 the Japanese assembled Work Parties who were sent by train to Ban Pong, Thailand or by ship to Burma to work on building the Thailand – Burma Railway. Conditions in the jungle camps were very poor with inadequate food and little in the way of medical facilities. Around one third of the prisoners died while in these work camps, the worst period being during the summer of 1943 when various diseases, including cholera, were rampant. For those who survived until the railway had been completed the ordeal was not over. Many were sent overseas to Japan and other Japanese occupied countries in what were to be known as “Hell Ships”. With the Japanese cease fire on 15th August 1945 the ordeal of those who survived was almost over. Over the next few months transport was arranged to bring the survivors home. Out of 25 men from Hemel Hempstead one was killed in the battle for Singapore, 6 died in captivity, all while working on the railway and 18 returned home. A brief note on each man follows.
Allen, George W, Private, 5955479, 23 Kings Avenue, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 2, 21st October 1942Overseas by ship, Osaka Maru, to Osaka, Japan 4th July 1944
Returned home
Atkins, Reginald Ernest, Lance Corporal, 5956215, 10 Oliver Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 4, October 1942
Returned home on SS Empire Pride from Rangoon, arrived Liverpool 12th October 1945
Bagshaw, Henry Arthur, CQMS, 5952756, Kilncote, St Albans Road, Hemel Hempstead
Killed in action, Singapore 14th February 1942
Belcher, Henry John, Private, 5955480, 71 London Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train, October 1942
Returned home
Bone, Frederick Albert, Private, 5955505, 2 Storey Street, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with F Force, 25th April 1943
Died in captivity in Burma
Burgess, Reginald, Corporal, 5951968, 61 Cotterells Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with D Force, 21st March October 1943
Returned home on HMS Worcester from Rangoon, arrived Liverpool on 16th October 1945
Burnham, Leslie John Frederick, Private, 5951970, 49 Ebberns Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 4, October 1942
Returned home on Chitral from Rangoon, arrived Southampton 28th October 1945
Collier, James, Private, 5955776, 2 Charles Street, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with D Force, 21st March 1943
Died in captivity, Thailand
Collins, Joshua Louis, Private, 5955577, 18 Cemmaes Court Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with H Force, 9th May 1943
Died in captivity, Thailand
Devonshire, Charles Sydney, Private, 5955535, 55 Piccotts End, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 4, October 1942
Died in captivity, Thailand
Donner, John James, Private, 5951241, 20 Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 4, 1st November 1942 Overseas by ship, Haruyassa Maru, to Saigon, Vietnam 4th February 1945
Returned home
Fisher, Harrry John, Private, 5951092, 70 Sunnyhill Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with F Force, 25th April 1943
Died in captivity, Thailand
Fox, Henry John, Private, 5951091, 441 London Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with D Force, 21st March1943
Returned home
Goodman, Thomas, Private, 5955452, 283 London Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 1, 6th November 1942
Returned home on SS Obita from Rangoon, arrived Liverpool 9th November 1945
Gurney, Leonard Ralph, Private, 5955570, 30 London Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 4, October 1942
Died in captivity, Thailand
Harffey, William John, Lieutenant, 165080, 104 Deaconsfield Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 2, 21st October 1942
Returned home on HMS Worcester from Rangoon, arrived Liverpool 16th October 1945
Harris, AC, Private, 5989161, 4 Runham Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 2, 21st October 1942
Overseas by ship, Osaka Maru to Osaka, Japan 4th July 1944
Returned home
Hosier, William Joseph, Private, 5955591, 22 Corner Hall Avenue, Hemel Hempstead
Overseas by ship with J Force, Wales Maru to Japan, 15th May 1943
Returned home
Lamb, Bernard, Private, 5955628, 7 Frogmore Crescent, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 2, 21st October 1942
Returned home on SS Empire Pride from Rangoon, arrived Liverpool 12th October 1945
Lane, Cyril Frederick, Private, 5952000, 3 Moorland Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Letter Party Q, 1th November 1942
Returned home
McCormick, Charles, Private, 5955483, 3 Ash Grove, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 4, 6th October 1942
Returned home on SS Orduna from Rangoon, arrived Liverpool 9th October 1945
Merridan, George Frederick, Private, 5989680, 298 Belswains Lane, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 2, October 1942
Returned home
Morris, Albert Charles, Private, 5951941, 2 Oliver Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with Group 2, October 1942
Overseas by ship, Osaka Maru, to Osaka, Japan 4th July 1944
Returned home on Empress of Australia from Manilla via Singapore, arrived Liverpool
Picton, Frederick Walter, Private, 59852009, 98 Anchor Lane / 136 Bury Road, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train, 21st October 1942
Returned home
Rowe, Arthur William, Private, 5950919, 98 Lawn Lane, Hemel Hempstead
Overland from Singapore by train with D Force, 21st March 1943
Returned home
Sources used at the National Archives:
Main list of details: WO361/2111
Convoys: ADM199/682 and ADM199/1138
Training period from War Diary: WO166/4133
Details of time spent as PoW: WO344 and WO345 Japanese Record Cards and Leaving Questionnaires
Maps of Singapore: WO106/2529
