Geoffrey Woollcombe

He was educated at Malborough College 1912 - 1915.

At cadet college Wellington May 1916 - November 1916.

Geoffrey Harley Douglas Woollcombe, attached

2nd King Edward's Own Gurkha

Rifles (The Sirmoor Rifles). Dated 21st

November, 1916.

Embarked for India April 1918, 2 lieutenant. Joined 2 King Edward's Own Ghurkas November 1916.

Disappeared, presumed killed during the fall of Singapore - sent on special mission presumed drowned when ship Roosbum torpedoed off coast of Sumatra in 1942.

Note: Letter from Col. Derek Robertson to his mother Violet in 1945 explains what he found out about Geoffrey's death. Original copy in possession of Eva Woollcombe.

Contents of the above are as follows:

COPY/

H.M.T. Alcantara

at sea.

29.11. 45.

Dear Mrs.Woollcombe,

It is with the deepest regret that I have to tell you I fear there is no hope for Geoffrey. I wanted to write to you long ago as I know how desperately anxious you must have been for any news at all, but when I returned to India from Singapore on release at the end of September, I at once sent to G.H.Q. all the details 1 knew of our officer casualties and was told I might not write to relatives until G.H.Q. had confirmed the casualties. As far as I know they have still not confirmed Geoffrey, but I feel I cannot leave you in suspense any longer and must tell you all I know.

I think it will be best if I begin at the beginning and I apologise if I am distracting you with unnecessary details.

I was sent out by air to join Geoffrey's battalion at the beginning of February 1942. I joined him on 4th February and became his Second-in-Command. At that time the battalion was holding a sector of the Straits of Johore in the Naval Base, awaiting the imminent attack of the Japs on the Island. The Battalion had been fighting and retreating continuously since the beginning of the Campaign nine weeks earlier practically without rest or relief and had without doubt acquitted itself well in a disastrous campaign. The night I arrived Geoffrey told me all about it. Incidentally I shall always treasure the memory of the marvellous welcome Geoffrey gave me when I turned up at his H.Q. quite unexpectedly for he had no warning of my going. He was very tired both mentally and physically after the terrible strain and responsibility of the retreat. He had lost two whole companies - cut off and missing, including two of his best officers - Pip Dallas Smith and Hugh Lovett and felt their loss very badly. He was also suffering from bad boils on his legs which made walking very difficult for him - but as you may well imagine he refused to give in. Generally speaking he was very cheerful and cheered and encouraged and inspired everyone else. Whenever things got sticky he threw off all his weariness and commanded in no uncertain style. I thought he was magnificent and was glad to be serving under him.

The Japs landed on the 8th Feb. On the llth we had to withdraw towards Singapore and Geoffrey's boils were then so bad the Brigadier ordered him to hand over command to me for the time being. He was not evacuated to hospital but was ordered to rest as much as he could at Brigade H.Q. I think he felt this disability very deeply and when I had my last talk with him while his legs were being dressed during a lull on the 12th I thought he was depressed at his enforced inactivity. You will know how much he would have felt being forced to give up, if only temporarily. On the 12th we all withdrew to a five mile ring round Singapore city to make our last stand. Geoffrey was still at Brigade H.Q. Late on the night of the 13th I suddenly got orders to send 20 picked men to Brigade H.Q. immediately. The task was secret and not divulged to me. The next morning I heard that this was an official evacuation party composed of one officer and a detachment of men--picked from every unit in the force and that Geoffrey had been selected to go with them. I did not know at the time that he was going as being so secret he was not even allowed to tell me. He sent me a verbal message simply saying ?"Tell Derek he will understand later" I know he must have hated going and leaving the battalion he loved and had commanded so magnificently throughout the campaign. I heard afterwards that they did not get away that night as their ship was bombed and had to pull out early. After that it was very difficult to get any boats away at all and in fact the men of the party never did get away at all but Geoffrey, being one of the more important people was sent off in a launch and with a few other senior officers on the night of the 14th to run the gauntlet of the Jap warships and planes to Java or Sumatra.. The next day Singapore surrendered. I heard no more of Geoffrey for 14 months till we got our first letters and devoutly hoped he had got clear away. In Aug. 42 some, prisoners who had been captured in Sumatra were transferred to our camp at Singapore and I made enquiries about Geoffrey but none of them had seen or heard anything of him. Down the months other parties of prisoners were transferred from Java and Sumatra Camps to us and I sought for any news of Geoffrey. Someone told me they had seen him at Padang towards -the end of Feb. 42 and thought he had left there in a ship for India. I was encouraged to hope he had got back safely though I was worried by a rumour that one ship, the ?Roosbum, carrying about 400 evacuees had been sunk between Sumatra and India. I could but pray that Geoffrey was not on it.

Then in March 43 more than a year after the surrender I got my first letters from-my wife in which she told me that Young, 9th Gurkhas who had been evacuated with Geoffrey had reached India but that Geoffrey's ship was rumoured to have been sunk with no survivors. We were all terribly distressed to hear this but hoped, as you must have done all along, that if it were true some survivors might have been picked up and be in some prison camp in Sumatra or Java or even Japan or elsewhere. I heard nothing more till July 44, although in the intervening years I made enquiries from every batch of prisoners arriving in our camp from Sumatra and Java, but he was not in any of the camps from which they came. Then in July 44 a P.O.W. turned up in our Camp from Sumatra who claimed to be the only survivor of the "Roosbum.? sunk on its way to Ceylon on lst March 1942. This was one Lt.Gibson of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. He was not a very reliable witness, being an ex-ranker (Regular) who had been evacuated from Singapore as a Warrant Officer and returned to us as a P.O.W. as an Officer. His evidence was rather suspected in consequence, particularly as he was a person who was out to make an impression. However as soon as I heard of him I went to see him and I have no doubt in my mind that Geoffrey was on the "Roosbum." and that it was sunk. Gibson's story was that the ship was torpedoed just before midnight on the-lst March - 36 hours away from Colombo, that only one of the boats got away in and around which were 140 people when it got light and that Geoffrey was not among them. Of the 140 all except 4 died or were drowned before the boat was washed up on an island off Sumatra 4 weeks later. The 4 survivors were Gibson, a Chinese girl and two of the Javanese crew. Gibson and the girl were later captured by the Japs. Although Gibson was not a very reliable witness my reason for believing Geoffrey was on the ship is this. When I first went to see Gibson he did not know who I was and I was wearing no uniform or badges. I asked him if there was a Colonel Woollcombe on the Roosbum . He thought for a moment and then said "Was he a Gurkha"? That convinced me as Geoffrey was the only Colonel of Gurkhas to leave Malaya. Gibson had no means of knowing then that I was in a Gurkha Regiment. When I went on to describe Geoffrey to him he agreed that it was the same and said he had spoken to him a few hours before they were torpedoed.

As far as I have been able to discover up to now he was the last person now alive to have seen Geoffrey. I took his signed statement as I have already described it and sent it to G.H.Q. on my return. Should you care to write to him his address is:-

W.G.Gibson, C/o Lieut.Commander J.C.G.Gibson, Carneill, Rutherglen, Scotland.

After that I tried hard to get news out to you. In a post card to my wife in Aug. and in a radio message. The p.c. was only delivered the other day after I got back and the radio message never got through. I went on enquiring from people arriving from other camps but Geoffrey had never been in any that I could hear of. I feel that had he been picked up as a prisoner you must have heard by now.

It would be almost an impertinence on my humble part to pay a tribute to Geoffrey?s many virtues, they are so well known and appreciated by all who knew him. He will be a terrible loss to the Regiment to which he gave such devoted and invaluable service. He was the finest type of Regimental Officer and throughout his service set a magnificent example to everyone. As a fighting commander he was beyond praise - courageous, courteous, loyal and an inspiration to all. On behalf of the battalion - all ranks, who loved and admired him so much, I would like to offer you our deepest sympathy. Geoffrey came through to the end of a campaign full of disaster from start to finish which inevitably put an intolerable strain on commanders and was prolific in recriminations, retaining the respect, admiration and affection of everyone of his officers and men without exception. Other commanders could claim one or even two of these, but few could have retained all three under such circumstances. I do not think anything else I could say could give a truer indication of his great qualities. I personally too feel his loss very deeply. Not only do I think I can claim the honour of regarding Geoffrey as one of my real friends, but he was responsible for my joining the Regiment. Although I had known him well for many years in Delna I had never served in the same battalion till I went out to join him at Singapore. I was very proud and glad to serve under him.

I am now on my way home on three months leave and expect to arrive about 9th Dec. If there is anything else I can tell you I hope you will write to me as I am entirely at your service. I only regret that I cannot be more definite but I feel I should be doing you an unkindness if I were to offer you hope.

Believe me, with deepest sympathy,

Yours sincerely,

(sgd) Derek Robertson.

My address at home Will be Cockfield Rectory, Suffolk.

SS RooseboomFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaJump to: navigation, search

The Rooseboom was a 1,035 ton Dutch steam ship owned by KPM (Koninklijke Paketvaart-Maatschappij or Royal Packet Navigation Co. of the Netherlands East Indies) built in 1926 by Rijkee & Co of Rotterdam.[1]

Contents [hide]

1 The sinking

2 The lifeboat

3 Senior officer casualties

4 Notes

5 Sources

6 External links

[edit] The sinkingMain article: Battle of Malaya

Main article: Battle of Singapore

In February 1942 British Malaya and Singapore had surrendered to the Japanese Army. Over 100,000 British and Empire military personnel had become prisoners as well as thousands of civilians. A few thousand more were escaping to the nearby Netherlands East Indies and from there to Australia, Ceylon or India in any ship that could be found. Many of these ships were lost to Japanese attacks amongst the islands scattered around Sumatra and Java whilst attempting to escape. The Rooseboom under Captain M.C.A.Boon, was taking around 500 passengers (mainly British military personnel and civilians) from Padang to Colombo in Ceylon.[2]

On 1 March 1942 at 11.35pm the Rooseboom was steaming west of Sumatra when it was spotted by the Japanese submarine I-59 and torpedoed. It capsized and sank rapidly leaving one life boat (designed to hold 28) and 135 people in the water. 80 people were in the lifeboat the rest clung to flotsam or floated in the sea. Two of these survivors were picked up nine days later by the Dutch freighter Palopo. Until the end of the Second World War they were assumed to be the only survivors.[2]

[edit] The lifeboatThe story of the survivors on the lifeboat was told by Walter Gardiner Gibson (a corporal from the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) in a book in 1952; he is the only known witness of the events that would occur on the lifeboat over the next 26 days. His tale was told to the British authorities after the war but was first heard publicly in court in Edinburgh in 1949 in order to confirm that Major Angus Macdonald was dead so that his estate could be settled. Even so this account cannot be taken as proven fact as there are no other witnesses to these events.

According to Gibson in and around the lifeboat were an estimated 135 survivors, many with injuries, including Gibson himself who was in the lifeboat due to those injuries. Amongst the survivors were the Captain M.C.A. Boon and the senior surviving British officer Brigadier Archie Paris (who had commanded the 15th Indian Infantry Brigade during the Battle of Malaya)[3]. There were also two other excellent Argyll officers aboard the Rooseboom; Major Angus Macdonald, second in command of the Argylls and Captain Mike Blackwood[4]. These two officers were chiefly responsible for holding up a Japanese tank column during the Battle of Bukit Timah[5]. Ironically Paris, MacDonald, Blackwood and number of the other military passengers were among a selected few of the most proven fighters chosen to be evacuated instead of being lost to a POW camp. By the time the boat had drifted for more than 1,000 miles, to ground on a coral reef, less than 100 miles from Padang, Rooseboom's starting point, only five of its 80 passengers remained alive, and one of those drowned in the surf while trying to land.

In Gibson's account the ordeal that followed the sinking showed the worst of human nature under some of the most extreme conditions. On the first night many of those in the water drowned or gave up. Some twenty men built a raft from flotsam and towed it behind the boat. The raft slowly sank and all twenty perished three days later. In the first few days discipline collapsed men and women went mad with thirst, some drinking sea water which sent them into hallucinations. Many threw themselves overboard rather than face further suffering, and a gang of five renegade soldiers positioned themselves in the bows and at night systematically pushed the weaker survivors overboard to make the meagre rations go further. Gibson claims to have organized an attack on the renegades with a group of others who rushed them and pushed them en masse into the sea. Brigadier Paris died, hallucinating before he fell into his final coma. The Dutch captain was killed by one of his own engineers. Towards the end Gibson realized that all who remained alive were himself, another white man, a Chinese girl named Doris Lin (who turned out to be a secret agent for the British) and four Javanese seamen. That night the Javanese attacked the other white man and started to eat him alive. Later the oldest Javanese died.[6]

The lifeboat fetched up on Sipora an island off Sumatra and only 100 miles from Padang where the Rooseboom started its journey 30 days earlier. One of the Javanese seaman drowned in the surf whilst the other two disappeared into the jungle and have never been found. After a period of being treated by some of the local population Doris Lin and Gibson were discovered by a Japanese patrol. Gibson was returned to Padang as a POW while Lin was shot as a spy soon afterwards.

Gibson told his story in the book The Boat published in 1952 and in a second book Highland Laddie in 1954. He died in Canada where he had settled on 24 March 2005, aged 90.

[edit] Senior officer casualtiesMany of the officers and men who boarded the Rooseboom were evacuated from Singapore because of their specialist knowledge or skills and would therefore have been men of some importance to the war effort.

Brigadier Archibald Paris (CO 12th Indian Brigade)

Lt.Col.Geoffrey Harley Douglas Woollcombe (CO 2nd King Edward VII Gurkha Rifles)

Lt.Col.John Pelham Acworth (AA & QMG of the 11th Indian Infantry Division)

Lt.Col.George Archdale Palmer (Royal Engineers and AQMG of Malaya Command)

Lt.Col.William Abbott Gale Douglas (Royal Army Ordnance Corps)

Lt.Col.Divan Chand Chopra OBE (Indian Medical Service)

Major Charles Angus Moreton Macdonald (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders)

Major Noel Howard Wyatt Corrie (Royal Engineers)

Major Richard Clinton Wilkinson Dent (2/12th Frontier Force Regiment)

Major Reginald Lewis Nunn DSO - Director of Public Works, Singapore

[edit] Notes1.^ "Koninklijke Paketvaart Maatschappij 1888-1967". The Ships List. http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/kpm.htm. Retrieved 20 December 2009.

2.^ a b "The Wreck Site". 2001. http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?17527. Retrieved 20 December 2009.

3.^ Smith pg. 552

4.^ Smith pg. 552

5.^ Smith pg. 491

6.^ Smith pg. 552-553

[edit] SourcesColin Smith (2005). Singapore Burning. Penguin. ISBN 978-0-670-91341-1.

The Boat (1952) by Walter Gibson. ISBN 978-981-05-8301-9

[edit] External linksAustralia and the Dutch in the Pacific War

Times Online Walter Gibson Story

The Australian Merchant Navy

PDF Document listing ships lost 1942

WW2 Peoples War