Click here to return to Home page
Click here to return to Civilian Internees & Evacuees page
Evacuation from Singapore on the Duchess of Bedford
Veronica Vaughan, now Roscow tells what happened to her and how her baby was born on board.
I am Veronica Roscow and my second husband is Geoffrey. My first husband was Ernest Vaughan, a Sergeant in RASC Supplies in the regular British Army. He was stationed at GHQ, Fort Canning, Singapore. There we had Married Quarters and we had one daughter, Morven.
In the early morning of the 8th December 1941, we were asleep in our bedroom and daughter Morven and the Amah were in the smaller room, when there was a loud whistling noise, followed by a crunch and then a loud bang. We both woke with a start. I asked what it was and was told we were being bombed by the Japanese. It was the day after Pearl Harbour.
It must have been about a week later that we heard on the news of the sinking of 'HMS Prince of Wales' and 'HMS Repulse'. We were absolutely horrified! They were supposed to be there to protect us. It was at this point I think that we had our doubts as to the outcome, knowing now that our large guns were pointing out to sea while the enemy had landed on north Malaya.
The bombing of Singapore went on and as the nearest bomb that fell was on the school at the bottom of our hill just below our house, we moved our beds downstairs as there was more protection. We continued our daily lives, still being bombed and with food getting less every day. There was one blessing - the NAAFI had plenty of baby milk powder.
Christmas came and went. I think we had a tin of Wall's sausages for dinner that day. We were still being bombed and our very few fighter planes were useless against the bombers of the Japanese. So the New Year, 1942, came with the Japanese getting nearer from upcountry in Malaya. Things were getting from bad to worse. On one day my husband was driving two officers in Johore when snipers wounded one of the officers, so they returned at once to HQ. On another day the camouflage at Nee Soon Barracks was being sorted, when bombers arrived and the gun-emplacement and the soldiers there, were no more! There are many more tales to tell, but I will let it rest here.
I haven't mentioned that I was heavily pregnant at that time and the baby was due at the end of February. We all managed well enough but the food situation was really bad and if our Amah hadn't known someone to sell us some eggs and if we had not had our home-grown tomatoes, we'd have starved.
At midnight on 29th January, there was a banging on our front door. A Corporal was there to tell us that Morven and I were to be ready, with two suitcases packed, as we were leaving Singapore by ship at 12 noon the next day. Our husbands would be able to see us onto the ship but would have to leave when ordered. After a very sad farewell, that was the last that I saw of my husband.
When we had been allocated our bunks in the corridor on promenade deck, we had a meal and tried to sleep. We heard the engines working and later learned that we had moved from the docks, to shelter from bombs among the many islands around. It must have been that night that we had our first death on board. The Purser it seems had a heart attack, due to the responsibility of having 1000 women and children on the ship. On the voyage home there were more deaths, all buried at sea.
The next morning we went back to Singapore harbour to pick up more women and children. I believe it was nearly 1000. We were on the Troopship 'SS Duchess of Bedford'. On the 31st January we set sail with heavy hearts, for England.
Waking up next morning, I was surprised to find I was showing signs of imminent childbirth! This was only 1st February and the baby was not due until the 28th. Nevertheless, after breakfast, a very kind lady looked after Morven while I went in search of the ship's hospital. When I found it, there were panic stations "You can't be due" but, after posting a notice on deck 'Is there a midwife aboard?' a Mrs Auten, who was the Matron of Singapore General Hospital, volunteered and so began my labour, while the ship was being attacked by Japanese bombers and was hit several times.
My girl was delivered at around 10pm and, after a couple of stitches and looking a bit more respectable, in came Captain Busk-Wood, insisting on a name or names for entry into the ship's log, but I had no name in mind. We'd chosen one for a boy but not a girl. Then Mrs Auten said she would be pleased to have the baby named for her. To my great relief she said that her name was Diana (Well, it could have been anything!). The Captain then asked if the name of the ship could be added. So she became, Diana Bedford Vaughan and was so recorded in the ship's log. The next morning the hospital was crowded with sailors wishing the baby well and crossing her palm for good luck, as she was the first birth on their ship. I stayed in the hospital for 10 days as there was a problem with my blood, but that was soon sorted. It was very fortunate that I was able to breastfeed Diana, so she thrived, gaining weight nicely. Because of her birth, I and the two girls were given a small cabin for ourselves! It was such a blessing.
We sailed on to Batavia, where we stayed a week for repairs after the bombings. We then set sail for Colombo. As we were entering harbour, 'HMS Exeter' was leaving. We passed very close broadside to her and bandied words with her crew across the water and they shouted how lucky we were to be going home. About two days later it was announced on the tannoy, that Exeter had been sunk with all hands lost. You could have heard a pin drop, such was the shock and sadness on our ship that day.
We stayed at Colombo for ten days and had to board the liner 'Empress of Australia' for one day so that our ship could be fumigated. Onions stored in the hold had rotted and the smell was disgusting I must say now that the people of Colombo were extremely kind and sympathetic to us and looked after our babies in their crèche while we did some shopping, which I may say was essential by that time until the ship's shop obtained goods from Durban, our next port of call. Mrs Marie Reading and I became very good friends. She helped me such a lot with my children and I can't thank her enough, especially on our train journey to London - but that is another story.
The people at Durban were not so friendly towards us on the ship, perhaps they were more pro-German! Nevertheless the ship stayed in port for 14 days to stock up with provisions. We sailed for Cape Town, our next stop of fourteen days, where they were so kind. They gave my two girls some winter clothing and also a Moses basket, which was so very useful to carry Diana in. We were also advised to send home food parcels, which I did, and they did arrive at my in-laws' house two months later. At this time I must point out that I never saw any racial discrimination at all. I saw all races and colours in the shops. What happened later I have no idea.
When we were about to leave Cape Town, Dame Marie, an opera singer, sang us off with 'Wish me Luck' and 'Tomorrow is a Lovely Day'. As soon as she had finished, the claxon sounded a warning for a boat drill! Because I had the two small babies I had sussed out where the life jackets were stored on deck. I collected three and went to my lifeboat station and, as I was the first person there, the officer in charge patted my back, while some others caused chaos on the stairs and arrived late at the station and were soundly told off.
After that we sailed along the west coast of Africa to Freetown. We did not go into port but a tanker came out to collect the water we were carrying for the town. We set sail again soon after and, to outwit the German submarines and warships, the ship zig-zagged over the Atlantic and, according to rumour, to America and then to Newfoundland. Across the Atlantic, heading for Scotland, we sailed among the islands for some hours. We reckoned it was to fool the German submarines. When all was clear, that evening we sailed down the west coast where we had two air-raid warnings but the all-clear sounded soon after.
The next morning, 5th April 1942, Good Friday, we landed at Liverpool. After we disembarked we were ushered into a large shed, where all our luggage was strewn and we had to go searching for our cases. There was no help forthcoming until a photographer turned up and wanted to know where was the first baby born on board the ship. Before I could bat an eyelid, some huge woman grabbed Diana and posed with her. I hope she enjoyed her picture in the Picture Post! I asked if I could have my baby back and later, when Mrs Reading and I had found and collected our cases and I managed to buy some milk for Morven, we caught the train for London. The journey took seven hours and was horrendous! Feeding baby in a carriage full of service men is another story and perhaps best forgotten. I had been told by Ernie that there was no station at Hackbridge and we had to go on to Sutton, only to find he was wrong. This we could have done without! Anyway, we got to Hackbridge station and the porter knew where the Vaughans lived and kindly took us there.
Can you imagine how surprised Mum Vaughan was, seeing us on the doorstep as there was no way we could have let them know we were arriving, as it was Easter and all the shops were closed. They made us very welcome and were pleased we were safe. Next morning, Grandad took Mrs Reading to her mother-in-law's in Surrey. We stayed in touch for many years, so if you are out there somewhere Marie, please get in touch via COFEPOW.
The girls and I lived with the Vaughans until my sister and I started up home together, hoping that our men would return but, after working on the infamous Burma Railway, they were on board a ship taking them to work in Japan, when it was sunk by the Americans!! Sad but true. My brother, who was an army officer but not in the same POW camp, survived his incarceration and came home.
When Morven was 11 and Diana 10 years old, I married again and have been
for 55 years. Diana (now Lawlor) is a member of COFEPOW.
………………………………………………………………………………………….................................