IMAGINE fleeing from a torpedoed ship, clinging onto your life with the aid of a mere life raft.

It sounds likeascene from an action movie but for Joan Soole’s father it wasareality.

Private John Frederick Davis served with the Royal Army Ordnance Corps whose troops were fighting in the Fall of Singapore.

The conflict was fought for a week in 1942 – in the midst of the Second World War.

The Empire of Japan had invaded the British stronghold of Singapore, which had been the major British military base in South East Asia.

It resulted in the capture of Singapore by the Japanese and the largest surrender of British-led military personnel in history.

About 85,000 British, Indian and Australian troops became prisoners of war, joining 50,000 taken by the Japanese in the earlier Malayan Campaign.

Mrs Soole, of Ipswich Road, Colchester , uncovered the infor m a tion about her father thanks to her curiosity in our history.

Although she had known about what happened to him before he died aged 72 in 1989, she had never probed further.

But with the 70th anniversary of VJ Day taking place on August 15, Mrs Soole saw the opportunity to revisit what her father said happened to him and find out more about Colchester's men who were either killed in action or died in captivity in the Far East conflict.

Her father, who grew up in Hackney, had sailed for Singapore in 1941, aged 24.

But a year later the threat of the Japanese invading the island was too much for Britain, which also needed more resources back in Europe.

Mrs Soole said: “They wanted to evacuate as many people as possible before the Japanese soldiers marched through from Malaysia.”

Pte Davis was evacuated from Singapore on the HMMS Jarak but it was torpedoed and he managed to scramble onto a life raft alongside Royal Naval personnel.

It was picked up by the Australian ship, HMAS Hobart.

Mrs Soole said: “I don't think he was on it for a very long time because unless you have got food or water you would have died pretty quickly.”

The soldiers were taken to Ceylon, a colony which is now Sri Lanka.

Pte Davis remained in service throughout the conflict and was awarded five service medals during his career, including Stars and Defence and Territorial medals.

But he was one of the lucky ones.

Mrs Soole said: “My father's friend Freddy Johnson could not be evacuated from Singapore as he had broken his leg inamonsoon drain.

“He was still in the Alexandra Hospital when the Japanese captured Singapore.

“He saw the Japanese soldiers come into the hospital and bayoneting the patients lying in the beds.

“Fred managed to fall out of his bed, it saved his life.

“He gave evidence at the war crimes trials at the end of the war.”

Mrs Soole’s research into the conflict, which resumed at the start of this year, has found there were at least 30 soldiers from Colchester who died.

After retrieving these records from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, she found one of those was Boy Telegraphist James Palluck Dunne, who at 17, was possibly the youngest service casualty from the town.

He was aboard the HMS Jupiter and was killed in the Battle of the Java Sea on February 27 1942 and buried at sea.

Mrs Soole added: “I know he was inabook called Lexden Heroes but someone might know more about him.”

Her research includes the soldier's name, rank and rate, regiment, date of death, family details, where commemorated and any another information about them if known.

Another soldier, Lietenant Colonel Edgar Kennedy, of the Royals Corps of Signals but was Mentioned in Dispatches – so his name was written in a report by a superior officer describing his gallant action in the face of the enemy.

He was killed in action on September 7 1945.

Japan surrendered in 1945, in effect ending World War Two.

To mark the 70th anniversary, The Royal British Legion and Colchester Garrison have organised a commemoration at the memorial in front of Colchester Castle on Saturday.

It will begin at 10.45am with a wreath laying at 11am.

ý For the list Mrs Soole has of soldiers who were killed in the conflict, email joansoole@hotmail.co.uk