Rogers, Henry Knight (Civilian, b.1900 - d.1955)

Collection relating to the Second World War experience of Mr Henry Knight Rogers, Chairman of the Singapore Harbour Board, 1942.

Collection consists of one letter, enclosed notes in three parts, and original envelope. The letter, dated 25 March 1942, was sent from Mr Henry Knight Rogers to Mrs Edith May Gray, the wife of one of his Penang staff, Andrew Fleming Gray. The notes were written with the purpose of informing Singapore Harbour Board staff and their families of the details of the evacuation of staff from Singapore in February 1942.

In Part One of his notes, Rogers relates that he heard news from military officers that an evacuation of staff may be necessary and readied a large steam ship, the “Bagan”. On 10 February, with the fighting drawing closer, he instructed his staff to leave Singapore on the prepared ship, while he and several volunteers remained. Rogers describes that there were continuous air raids in the Keppel Harbour area, and the remaining staff decided to relocate to Head Office. There, he worked at paying local staff until it was complete and he was instructed to leave. In the conclusion of Part One, Rogers expresses his sorrow that one of the evacuation ships, the “Mata Hari”, was sunk, and addresses cessation of employment arrangements.

In Part Two of the notes, Rogers briefly describes the journey of the evacuees that initially embarked on the “Bagan”. In Part Three of the notes, Rogers describes his own evacuation via the ship “Tengarroh”. He writes that the ship retrieved many survivors of a ship that had been sunk, that the “Tengarroh” had to be abandoned due to a faulty fuel pump, and that he and his colleague had to take a variety of other transport in order to finally reach Western Australia.

• Wallet 1 of 1 - Collection relating to the Second World War experience of Mr Henry Knight Rogers, Chairman of the Singapore Harbour Board, 1942