Hello I am trying to find a picture of the Mata Hari 266 which was captured during WW2 in Singapore, it is to go on the front of an order of service for the funeral of one of its crew. I cannot find a picture anywhere and wondered if you could help me. Thank you Amy

Amy, I can't help you with a photo, but I have quite a bit about her departure from Singapore and her capture as my aunt [Pamela de Neumann] was one of the nurses on board. The following is part of the text that I have that was partially written by my aunt: "When the war started with the Japanese we were evacuated to Singapore. I went with my mother, and my father followed later. We continued nursing at the First Aid posts at Singapore. My mother was a trained nurse too, and staff were needed desperately at the St Andrews Hospital at Singapore. There we nursed wounded members of the armed forces as they came to the hospital from the north of Malaya. We worked during the fall of Singapore right until the day before the fall, which was on the 15th February 1942. The police and army came and said that we had to leave quickly the best way we could. This turned out to be by the steamship MATA HARI, which left from the jetty at Singapore. Only my mother and I left on this ship as my father was a local volunteer, being too old for the Army and Fighting Services. We left Singapore at night and a Japanese warship stopped and captured us within a short time of leaving. Under threat of the warship's trained, loaded and readied guns, and dazzled by a searchlight, our Captain, Captain Carson, flew a white flag and indicated there were women and children aboard. The Japanese then took us prisoners-of-war and sent us to the Island of Banka, Muntok then to Palembang in Sumatra; the military were sent to Burma. [The MATA HARI, British, 1020 gross tons, was a P&O ship on full charter to the Admiralty. Many of her officers were British India Steam Navigation Company personnel as follows: Temp. Lieut A.C. Cars(t)on, RNR - Commander, Temp. Sub Lieut. A.H. Hogge, RNR - Chief Officer, Temp. Lieut. (E) F.J. Lumley, RNR - Chief Engineer, Temp. Sub Lieut. (E) H.M. MacGregor, RNR - Second Engineer, Temp. Sub Lieut. (E) T.R. Gordon, RNR - Third Engineer, Temp. Actg. Sub Lieut. (E) W. McCrorie, RNR - Fourth Engineer. She sailed from Singapore on 12 February 1942 carrying refugees, was captured by the Japanese on 15 February 1942 in position 135 Muntok 15 miles. She was taken to Singapore. Prize proceedings withdrawn and vessel released by Sasebo Prize Court 27 December 1943. Renamed NITIRIN MARU. Sunk by aircraft 2 March 1945.]" That covers the capture of my aunt, and I can send you more on the camps and conditions the nurses endured if you wish. I hope this is of some interest and would be interested to have a copy should you acquire a photograph. Bernard de Neumann > -----Original Message----- > From: amy.howe@zoom.co.uk [mailto:amy.howe@zoom.co.uk] > Sent: 22 July 2006 19:18 > To: TheShipsList-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: [TSL] Mata Hari > > Hello > I am trying to find a picture of the Mata Hari 266 which was captured > during > WW2 in Singapore, it is to go on the front of an order of service for the > funeral of one of its crew. I cannot find a picture anywhere and wondered > if > you could help me. > > Thank you > > Amy > > > ==== TheShipsList Mailing List ==== > *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A PLACE TO START *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* > Passenger Lists on The Internet > http://members.aol.com/rprost/passenger.html > *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Amy, I'll send you a profiled illustration of the Mata Hari. The 266 is just her index number in Duncan Haws book Merchant Fleets in Profile. Thanks to Bernard for his additional information - I'll copy it to him as well Regards Don www.shiphistory.co.uk ----- Original Message ----- From: <amy.howe@zoom.co.uk> To: <TheShipsList-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, July 22, 2006 7:18 PM Subject: [TSL] Mata Hari > Hello > I am trying to find a picture of the Mata Hari 266 which was captured > during > WW2 in Singapore, it is to go on the front of an order of service for the > funeral of one of its crew. I cannot find a picture anywhere and wondered > if > you could help me. > > Thank you > > Amy > > > ==== TheShipsList Mailing List ==== > *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* A PLACE TO START *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* > Passenger Lists on The Internet > http://members.aol.com/rprost/passenger.html > *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ > >