Bombings from Japanese planes while on board a ship evacuating Singapore…

No one could deny that it was very nasty hearing the zoom of the planes, then a loud voice calling “Get down, all down,” and bodies would prostrate themselves along the walls, under tables, as close as possible to anything that gave a modicum of protection – then there would be the bang and shatter as the bombs fell, then silence … Each time we wondered if it was all over, but each time, after a pause, the engines would start chugging again.

Several of the bombs actually hit the ship. Once a fire was started near the magazine, but the crew and volunteers, working with superhuman skill and energy, saved it from spreading to the danger point.

We heard later that the escorting Destroyer had signalled that there were 200 planes over us at one time, and four ships just behind us were sunk.

The sea all round us was boiling with explosions which rocked the ship in an ominous way, and we would pitch and swing about as the Captain literally dodged the bombs which were falling. Though we did get hit several times, it was very fortunate that none of the “near misses” was near enough to spring the plates – that would have been the end.

-readersvoice.com

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