War Memorial - Gwinear, Cornwall, England

Sunk by Japanese destroyer on 13th February 1942

The "H. M. S. Giang Bee", a Chinese-owned coastal steamer requisitioned and used as a patrol vessel, left Singapore Harbour - according to a statement made by a number of those who were on board - at 10 p.m. on Thursday 12th February 1942. Although Captain Lancaster, in command of the ship, initially refused to take civilian passengers because he saw the dangers attached to a ship designated as a warship, she was loaded with up to 300 refugees (one survivor, Gordon Reis believed there to be 350 people on board) who were mostly women, children and the elderly. All her Malay crew had been ordered ashore in Singapore before she left, so that the crew consisted of a handful of R. N. V. R. personnel and some passengers who volunteered to be stokers etc.
She was bombed and suffered damage during the day of 13th February, and in the evening, after a long stand-off with a Japanese destroyer, she was shelled and sunk in the Banka Strait. There had never been enough lifeboats for those on board, and two of them had been seriously damaged by the day's bombing. Due to this and the speed with which the ship sank, a large number of lives were lost.
Whilst there appears to have initially been an attempt by the Japanese to handle the surrender of the ship in a somewhat civilised manner, in the final event the Japanese warships showed no humanity or decency when they were in full knowledge that the ship contained civilians and a huge number of women and children. In a wartime situation at sea it may be understandable they did not stop and pick up survivors, but to leave without even jettisoning flotation devices for the women and children shows a complete lack of human values.

Marjorie Allgrove
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1901 13 February 1942 41 H. M. S. Giang Bee Medical Aid Service. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Walden, of Slough, Buckinghamshire and wife of J. W. Allgrove, of Muar River Estate, Segamat, Johore, Malaya.

John Francis Barraclough
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Eric William Battensby
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1887 13 February 1942 55 H. M. S. Giang Bee of Tapah Estate, Tapah Road, F. M. S. Son of Jane Elizabeth Battensby, of The Poplars, Uffington, Berkshire, and of the late William Homes Battensby.

William Dashwood Proctor Beauchamp
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Etta Bird
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Herbert George Brooks
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Alexander Chalmers
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Herbert Adrian Chapman
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Frederick Nutter Chasen
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Frederick George Chinery
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Edward W. W. Clark
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Lillian Josephine Cowgill
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1903 13 February 1942 39 H. M. S. Giang Bee B. Sc. Daughter of John and Edith Atkin, of Bonehill, Tamworth, Staffordshire and wife of J. V. Cowgill, of St. James' Court, Buckingham Gate, London, S. W. 1.

Isobel Davidson
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Robert Eves
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1880 13 February 1942 62 H. M. S. Giang Bee M. I. Mech. E., of Johore Bahru, Johore, Malaya. Husband of Christina Eves.

R. J. Fenn
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Cecil Noel Ferdinands
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Eric Cecil Ferdinands
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Henry Arthur Lorraine Ferdinands
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Julius S. Fisher
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Henry William Flett
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Walter Edward Garrett
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1905 13 February 1942 37 H. M. S. Giang Bee Chief Air Raid Warden, Singapore, of 12 Barker Road, Singapore. Son of Ernest George and Florence Garrett, of 147 King's Avenue, Clapham, London and husband of Phyllis Alberta Garrett.

Arthur Gibb
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1900 13 February 1942 42 H. M. S. Giang Bee of Malaya. Husband of Irene May Gibb.

Doris Irene Vera Haines
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Peggy Hunter
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Arthur Ernest Edward Jeffries
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Charles Henry Stanley Jones
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee of Singapore. Husband of N. Jones.

Frederick Leonard Jones
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Cicely Anstie Jordan
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee Wife of Arthur Benjamin Jordan of Malaya.

Eva Mildred (Peggie) Keightley-Smith
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee Wife of Cpl. A. Keightley-Smith, Perak Local Defence Corps (died in the same incident).

Ernest James Kenneison
Rank: Awards: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (M. B. E.) abt. 1877 13 February 1942 65 H. M. S. Giang Bee of Batu Caves, Selangor, F.M.S. Son of Cornelius Kenneison, of Woking, Surrey and husband of Violet Kenneison.

Alfred Clive Knaggs
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Robert Lindsay
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1902 13 February 1942 40 H. M. S. Giang Bee A. M. I. E. S. Son of Elizabeth Lindsay, of 41 Edgefauld Road, Springburn, Glasgow, and of the late David Lindsay, husband of Catherine MacKinnon Lindsay.

Frederick C. Meyrick
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

C. A. Morell Miller
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Robert Andrew Clifford Minto
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Arthur Mourin
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Sarah Elizabeth Nicholl-Jones
Rank: Awards: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (M. B. E.) 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Arthur Cecil Perry
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1887 13 February 1942 55 H. M. S. Giang Bee Son of the late Canon and Mrs. Perry, of Hayle, Cornwall.

Frank Everall Russell
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1892 13 February 1942 50 H. M. S. Giang Bee of 12 Beach Street, Balgowlah, New South Wales, Australia. Husband of Blanche Mary Russell.

A. W. Sibbritt
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Robert Joseph Ralph Stracey
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

John Angus Tulloch
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

David S. Waite
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian abt. 1912 13 February 1942 30 H. M. S. Giang Bee of 10 Angullia Park, Singapore. Son of Harold E. and Margaret Waite, of Montana, Morcombelake, Dorset and husband of Margaret Bell (formerly Waite).

Charles Ward-Jackson
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Nancy Mary Warren
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Cecil William Wicks
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Myra Wilkinson
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

Jessie Theresa Willbourn
Rank: Date of Birth: Date of Death: Age: Cemetery: Add. Information:	Civilian 13 February 1942 H. M. S. Giang Bee

This page is dedicated to the 10 million victims of World War I and 60 million victims of World War II.
We should always remember the immense grief and loss each war brought to the world.