ESCAPE FROM JAPANESE

Southland Times, Issue 24835, 29 August 1942, Page 4

ESCAPE FROM JAPANESE

THRILLING DAYS IN MALAYA Travelling down through Malaya with the Japanese uncomfortably close behind and their bombing aeroplanes playing havoc well ahead; five weeks in Singapore during which time the city was frequently bombed by large forces of Japanese planes; escape from Singapore on the last ship to leave the port with refugees; a roundabout, tiresome journey to Sydney and finally back to New Zealand by flying-boat. These are some of the experiences that fell to the lot of Mr and Mrs D. J. Bridson, two former residents of Invercargill, who arrived back in the city on Thursday night. They had at least one happy experience on their journey home. A daughter was bom to them in Australia, and the baby, now seven weeks old, is thriving famously. She must be one of the youngest passengers ever to have made the trip by air across the Tasman. “We have lost nearly everything we possessed, and it means making a fresh start. But we are lucky to have got away. Many were left behind in Singapore,” said Mr Bridson in the course of an interview. “It seems hard to believe that only a year ago we were in Invercargill on leave. The Japanese came into the war soon after our return, and it was not long before we had to leave our home.” GUNFIRE HEARD Mr Bridson was engaged in the tin. mining industry in the State of Perak. Mrs Bridson left on December 15 and arrived in Singapore several days before her husband. Before Mr Bridson left the sound of the Japanese guns could be heard in the distance. “When I reached Kula Lumpar, the. Federal capital, the Japanese were only 20 or 25 miles behind, and of course their bombers were well ahead bombing roads and railways,” Mr Bridson said . In Singapore Mr and Mrs Bridson were first billeted in a new missionary school which had been prepared as an auxiliary hospital. The women slept in the wards in one wing and the men in another wing. Later, however, the building was required as a'hospital and the refugees were transferred to military barracks. “This was a much less healthy place, because it was near military objectives that the Japanese were trying to bomb, Mr Bridson said. “And they did a lot of bombing, especially on moonlight nights. When the bombers came over we lay down on the flpor and hoped for the best. We were in Singapore for five weeks and finally on the day the Japanese first landed on Singapore Island were got away on the last ship to leave with evacuees. There were 2000 on board. JOURNEY HOME “After we got away we found that the ship was bound for England. We were not allowed to land at, Colombo because a person had to have £lOO to land there and we were allowed to take only 100 dollars with us from Singapore. At a South African port Australians and New Zealanders refused to go any further and so we were put a sharp and the Government had to provide for us. We stayed for a month at a seaside resort. It was a beautiful place and very peaceful after all we had come through. Finally we managed to arrange for a passage to Australia, but so far as I know some of the Australian and New Zealand passengers are still in South Africa because they have not been able to arrange to have money forwarded to pay their Passages. We landed at Adelaide and then went on to Sydney. We were several weeks in Australia living up country in New South Wales, but finally we managed to secure a passage on a fly-ing-boat to New Zealand. It is much the beSt way to travel—by air.” Mr and Mrs Bridson are staying with Mr H. Bridson and Miss M. Bridson, William street, Invercargill. Mrs Bridson was formerly Miss Hodgkinson, a daughter of Mr S. Hodgkinson, of Bluff.