ok, here goes, pls read to the end folks…my dad, a (retired) church of scotland minister and former serviceman told me this, right by the bit in the garden where i buried a wee cat called carhops…FLAG, Royal Navy Saltire. Taken from British naval ship off Singapore (removed from display by troops off Malaya) WW2. the Flag was with soldiers of the Gordon Highlanders/Black Watch/Lanarkshire Yeomanry, and other units of Commonwealth forces. Troops held the Japanese on the beaches. Lord Percivals HQ in Singapore did not accept reports that japanese being held and ordered retreat into the jungle to regroup. Forces complied as ordered and flag went with them. They fought under it and held the Japanese in the jungle. The Japanese general (Sato?) surveyed capture Island from Jahore Bahru, while Crown forces were ordered to retreat by Percival, into Singapore.And then ordered to surrender. This was a a completely unexpected victory for the Japanese forces. The average British soldier had 3x the ammo of the average Japanese soldier, who was reported to be down to his last 5 rounds. On the fall of Singapore the flag, which was never captured, was buried in the ground near to a St Georges Cross. The Japanese knew about them and put a price on them with reward for anyone who revealed where they were hidden. Men died rather than disclose where they were hidden. At the point of surrender the flag ceased to be property of the British forces, because Singapore fell to the Japanese, who controlled the whole island, and everything within it. After the war the flag was dug up, and in tribute to those who sacrificed their lives, and the fact that the flag was never captured, always free, which was a symbol of freedom in captivity, they gave it to the senior chaplain, with this charge…that it be held in the chaplains safe keeping and should the British forces ever leave Singaporeit was to be returned home and not to be flown, except over a free country. In turn, and in succession each chaplain, on handover, passed the flag with its story to their successor. Reverend Jones passed it to Rev. Peter Meagre, who passed it to Rev B. Gauld, the last regular army chaplain to leave Singapore on Dec 12th 1975. None coupled have known the last chaplain to carry the saltire would be one of this own, and a Scot. Rev B. Gauld subsequently joined the SNP. The flag waits to be flown.
Posted on: Thu, 11 Sep 2014 22:40:48 +0000
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