HMS Anking WW2

[spadge1964]

21 days,

Thanks for posting the excerpt from your father's diary. My great-uncle was Leading Seaman (Richard / Dick) Bridge who was on the lifeboat with your father and it is unfathomable what these sailors endured.

[FreddieRoy]

Hello, my father was a survivor of the sinking of HMS Anking. He was a New Zealander. I have a copy of an account of the battle and sinking. Also, I have a copy of the list of survivors. These documents were obtained from the NZ War Museum. I am happy to provide copies to anyone interested.
I found details of the sinking in a book "The Escape from Singapore" written by Richard Gough and am interested to know of any other publications which might provide information on my father's time based in Singapore, before the invasion and of his escape to Batavia, and sinking of HMS Anking. His name is George Stanley Trotman

[Anthonyc572]

Spadge Richard (dick) bridge was my grandad I’m more than happy to help with anything you need from this part of the family thanks to you I’ve found he was on the anking and many other things feel free to message me

[Jamieparker]

My uncle, George Hutchinson was on HMS Anking.  I have just been to Singapore and been to Changi where we always thought that he was imprisoned.  I was given a document from the curator at Changi completed by my uncle that states that he was captured on 24 March 1942. Under the name of camp or hospital it says Watis, Djockakart, Bondoeng, Java from 24.3.42 to 8.7.43 there is then another place - Wakayana, Ikuno, Japan from 16.11.43 to 10.3.45.  As you can see there is a gap of 20 days from when the Anking was sunk and also a gap of 4 months from one camp to another.  Our family were always under the impression that he was a POW at Changi and this could still be the case although maybe for only a short while before being sent to either Java or Japan.  One of the very few things that uncle spoke about was that a Dr had to take out the appendix of someone using a penknife whilst they were on Tenko. Another thing he said was that one of the camp helpers asked him where he came from and he answered, Yorkshire.  From that day the helper called him Mr Yorkie.  He also made his children stand at the side of the road every morning, bow to him and say good morning Mr Yorkie.  He, of course, could not reply. Does anyone have any info regarding my uncle.

I have your uncles dairy from being enrolled in navy to being captured and released when war was over, please contact me and I can possibly give it to you.