[daisy1942]

Can anyone out there help me unravel a mystery?

My Dad, Michael Stringer, sucessfully escaped from Singapore in February 1942. I do not know what he was doing there and certainly there seems to be no record of him in the Navy or Army (it is fairly unlikely he was RAF).

He escaped on or about 12/13 February on a small boat called "Daisy". This was one of two water tugs that used to service the big ships in Singapore harbour. Daisy made it to the mouth of the Djambi river, but was too big to go further. The men from Daisy joined a group of RNVR from the launches
P10 and P12, travelled upstream, eventually transferring to the roads and were finally evacuated from Padang. Howver I do not know where they went.

I have no further record of my Dad's wartime exploints until Nov/Dec 1942 when he shows up in the West Indies! He spent the latter stages of the war in the Merchant Navy, mostly in the Mediterranean.

I am most interested to find out what he was doing in Singapore and how he got there. Also, how he left Padang and where he went. Books I have read say that lists of men were taken as they left Padang but these records do not appear to exist!

Any help or suggestions gratefully received.

[treeve]

Riveting stuff, more than interesting. Best of luck, I am sure there will be suggestions, but if I can help ...

[treeve]

putting into google
padang february 1942 escape daisy
I find http://www.manfamily.org/PDFs/EVACUA...0SINGAPORE.pdf

http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/ships_list.html
includes
'DAISY (Water Boat) 110 Ton (Sister ship to "Heather").
Diesel engined - Sailing on the 13th February this bargelike craft, which was without either Compass or Charts, and piloted by Sgt. Walmsley, arrived safely at the Djambi River in Sumatra, reporting sighting "YIN PING" in the Berhala Straits. . Lt Gen G. Bennett, A.I.F. was a passenger on this vessel from Djambi River to Muar Atebo. (The Escape from Singapore and other)'

Have you seen these?
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/te...s-_N83817.html
scroll down to 'page 183'

Your dad may have been a civilian, of course.

I take it you have his Merchant Marine records.

[treeve]

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Ar...1120.2.37.aspx
Straits Times.
reprint of February 1942.

[daisy1942]

Thanks, will follow suggestions. Have come across Sgt Walmsley previously but he has been variously styled as Sgt. Captain, Master and Lt. Cmdr depending on where you find him in books and in research at the Admiralty.
We have part of his merchant Navy record but possibly not all, His CRS10 from the merchant navy STARTS in 1944, but as he managed to to serve in the USED (US Coastguard). I think his record may be split and Shippiing and Seamen has either lost or cant find other part. Before people ask, no Dad was not american, but was"seconded" into the US Coastguard by a friend after Dad said he did not want to go to sea again as he had been torpedoeed.
Will keep hunting

[Hugh MacLean]

His CRS 10 should be held at the National Archives, Kew in piece BT 382/1734. Form CRS 10's from January 1941 and up to the year 1972 are now held at Kew and not the Registry of Shipping and Seamen. If he joined the Merchant Navy prior to 1941 he may have records in Southampton City Archive.
Regards

[daisy1942]

Thanks Hugh,

At least Southampton is closer to me than Cardiff was!!