Fire and Bomb Watch Duty

Well the first direct attack on Singapore they gave us a bombing run. And they went for our living quarters. They didn’t go for... I was on duty that night by the way at the air drome and I said to a young fellow from Red Ruth in Cornwall, now don’t forget I was with all English men. I said, “Len, you better come with me tonight, I’m going, I’m going to the hanger tonight to answer the telephone and fire watch and bomb watch.” He said, “I wouldn’t go with you tonight for a thousand quid.” I said, “No?” One hour after that I was called to the morgue to identify him. They had dropped a stick of bombs across the airports or across the living quarters and out there we had no windows, we all had doors wide open. The tropic is very warm as you know. He was sitting and had a cup of tea and the bomb blast took the side right off his head. He refused to go with me, he was scared. I never saw a man so scared in my life as he was and he was our first casualty at that Camp in Seletar. A young fellow from Cornwall, 20 or 21 years of age. He didn’t know what struck him. My other friend, Olman, was with him. He was on the squadron with me too. Olman was sitting with him and he got all shrapnel wounds, he had to go to sick bay and all kinds of shrapnel wounds. And I was only 200 feet, maybe 400 feet from them and they refused to go with me that night so you wonder why these things happen. They never dropped any near me. When they dropped the bomb I got in under the table, took the phone with me and I never got a scratch.

Mr. Ford shares the story of his invitation to a friend to join him on duty. But his friend chooses not to join him and becomes the first casualty of a bomb blast.

John Ford

Mr. John Ford was born March 25, 1919 in Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland. Both parents were previously married and Mr. Ford was raised in a family of 14 children, him being one of the younger children. As a child he attended school at the United School Academy graduating in Grade 11. After school he worked with the Newfoundland railway as a machinist for three years. In May of 1940, Mr. Ford decided to join the Royal Air Force. In August he went overseas onboard the Nova Scotia and landed in Liverpool, England. During his service, he was captured as a POW in Japan experiencing horrible conditions. He has dedicated much of his time to the Legion and volunteered as a board member for over 13 years. Mr. Ford is an active participant in visiting local schools and educating the youth of what life was really like as a solider and as a prisoner of war while serving with the Royal Air Force.