Evening star., 1942-02-21
Mcdaniel Describes Brushes With Death
In Fleeing From Singapore to Batavia

The others were sure it was q
rescue party but Capt. Henry Steele,
formerly attached to the public re-
lations office at Singapore, and I
feared it was a japanese patrol.
Our skipper said he would surrender
If it were the enemy. Steele and I,
in quick huddle, decided we'd make
a break for the jungle or the Center
Island in the slim hope of hailing a
fishing craft. We weren't going to
get caught by the japanese after
all we'd been through.
An hour later our lifeboat re-
turned, reporting the launches be-
longed to a rubber planter on
nearby island who would try to take
us of at nightfall.
Two Other Ships Bombed.
Our hopes were dimmed soon after
by the drone of Japanese planes.
Up and down the beach they few.
They circled of and then we heard
bombs exploding. They circled over
us again and we heard more bombs.
This process continued for two
hours, but this time we were not
the victims, but two ships sheltering
on the lee side of one of the islands
near us. Toward noon a formation
of seven bombers circled over our
stricken ship. We saw two bursts
forward.
The old pride of the Yangtze
reared by the stem. Our captain
turned away and took of his cap.
1t was the first and only sign of
emotion he displayed.
Our first officer and the doctor
went off in a launch in the early
afternoon to see If the other ships
needed help.
We waited all afternoon, knowing
II we didn't get off that night we
probably never would, for we could
hear Japanese planes combing the
air over the area.
Casualties Heavy.
The first and only muster of the
ships company and supercargoes
disclosed 131 men, one woman, one
Australian soldier, one Chinese SOL
dier killed by bombs, one sailor bad
ly burned and three others slightly
injured.
After sundown, the first officer re-
turned and reported he had taken
OF six badly wounded women from
the other ships in which casualties
were heavy. All hands were ordered
to the beach. We waited an hour.
knee-deep in water, while the officers
decided on how to get us out to the
launches for the tide was far out
and even our lifeboats could not ap-
proach within half mile.
We were finally ordered to make
our way as best we could and the
next As minutes were the worst ever
experienced as I clambered over coral
rocks and slipped into holes. All
around men were pushing ahead
through the darkness, swearing each
time they fell and shouting in an
effort to keep together. I kept my
camera and exposed films Of burning
Singapore and the bombing of our
ship, high over my head until I was
within 20 yards of the nearest boat
when I plunged of a rock into a
10-foot hole.
I could have cried but I had to
carry on, swimming until I was
hoisted into a lifeboat full of ex-
hausted men. Somehow, with one
oar and every one shouting different
orders, we managed to push hard
enough against the tide to reach the
launch.
Sc Pile in Boat for Is.
Fifty-five men and one plucky
girl piled exhausted and soaked,
with their legs bleeding from coral
cuts, into launch licensed to carry
IS. Forty men gave up the struggle
and turned back to the island to
wait with the small party left ashore
until we could send help.
If the night on the island was
miserable, the one aboard the
launch was indescribable. Waves
rolled over the deck where we were
sprawled wet ana shivering, but we
were still hoping we'd make Sumatra
before dawn brought japanese
bombers.
Behind us chugged a smaller
launch on which our skipper and
doctor were working over the
wounded men. Daybreak found us