Does anybody know anything about Captain Patrick Heenan, the so-called Traitor of Singapore, who passed on details to the Japanese? Did a google search, but can only find snippets and hearsay. The book on him on Amazon seems to have received bad reviews, so can anybody point to any decent information.
Does anybody know anything about Captain Patrick Heenan, the so-called Traitor of Singapore, who passed on details to the Japanese? Did a google search, but can only find snippets and hearsay. The book on him on Amazon seems to have received bad reviews, so can anybody point to any decent information. I have never heard of him however 60 years on you would have to doubt much of what is claimed. You would imagine if there was a scapegoat for the Singapore debacle it would have come to light earlier than this. Having said that, life is full of surprises!
There's no doubt that he did pass on details of British air defences to the Japanese. However, the rest, as you say, is difficult to disentangle. Some people have used him as a scapegoat for Singapore (hence my dismissal of the book on him being sold at Amazon), but the rest of the details are shrouded in secrecy and misinformation. Oh well, I'll keep looking
I read about him somewhere a few years ago, probably some research in the Daily Telegraph. Going purely from memory, the gist of it was this: He was an Australian with Irish ancestry, and had a chip on his shoulder against the British. He was contacted by Japanese Intelligence in Australia, and somehow persuaded to work for them - I think for a considerable sum of money. Prior to and during the initial phases of the advance down Malaya, he passed messages to the Japanese about numbers and disposition of British forces, using a wireless set. This was from a field near one the aerodromes, which meant he could warn the Japanese when the RAF took off. He was spotted doing this and arrested, and taken to Singapore jail (was that Changi or was that the one in Hong Kong?). The day before Singapore fell, a British officer decided that he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of tasting victory, and shot him. I can understand the temptation, though given the Japanese regard for honour and loyalty, I doubt if he would have lasted much longer in the care of his new chums. As Spidge says, how much of this is provable now is another matter. Adrian
I realise this is an old post ... but I found this ... though you probably know this already ! Name - HEENAN, PATRICK STANLEY VAUGHAN Nationality - Indian Rank - Captain Regiment/Service -16th Punjab Regiment Age - 33 Date of Death -15/02/1944 Service No - 547/AI Additional information - Son of George Charles Heenan and of Anne Heenan of Cheam Surrey. Casualty Type - Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference - Column 263. Memorial - SINGAPORE MEMORIAL Capt Patrick Stanley Vaughan Heenan born in New Zealand in 1910 was an Indian Army officer of the 16th Punjab Regiment service number 547A1. The War Graves Commission records show that Heenan died aged 33 on Feb 15 1944 ... the date all those listed as missing in the fall of Singapore were finally accepted as being dead. Heenan who was found guilty at a court martial was never executed because the Japanese invasion broke the lines of communication and the death warrant was never signed. He was killed by a military policeman as the Japanese closed in to prevent him being freed by the invading forces. Though this is interesting reading ! Flight Lieutenant Alfred John Elson-Smith wrote a book called Great Was The Fall. 4C Special: No Prisoners Viewpoints: Peter Elphick Annie
Here is some interesting information about the traitor that has not been mentioned in the thread. http://www.defence.gov.au/sydneyii/SUBM/SUBM.003.0121_R.pdf
teddybear, Hello and welcome to the forum. The pdf link is very good reading. Thanks for sharing. Regards Tom
Here is a very good article showing the pedal generator and the typewriter setup used my Heenan to send information to the Japanese. Antique Radio Classified: Collecting Foreign Sets It has been reported that he was seen using the typewriter and they grew suspicious because he was typing but there was no paper in the machine. I can see why they were suspicious of that. Apparently he was caught in the act, and was shot by the Military Police because he was taunting them about who was going to be the prisoner in a few days. I think one of the guards, who is apparently a sgt, just made a mistake and the gun went off while he was cleaning it down by the quay, in the middle of the night, and nailed him in the back of the head. oopsie No tears for Capt. Heenan
A German merchant raider captured some secret information from a British Merchant man she stopped - this was passed to the Japanese - this included a detailed appraisal of the defences of Singapore and it helped the Japanese greatly in their attack. The German officer commanding the raider was awarded a samurai sword for his services.
Brian Cull mentions this chap's story briefly in "Buffaloes over Singapore", pp.59: "...At least two German-speaking, non-Japanese pilots were alleged to have been captured...", after a raid on Penang on December 12th. Which in turn takes us to Chapter IV's ("Amok in Malaya - Buffaloes Overwhelmed"), Note 55: "An entry in Fighter HQ Operations Diary for 12 December 1941 states: 'Telecon with IO NORGROUP who was tasked to go to Penang and speak with a German pilot. No sign of him - appears that report was due to the confusion with Capt. Heenan who speaks fluent German.' Capt. Patrick Heenan, of Irish stock, was Air Liaison Officer at Alor Star. He had been arrested on 10 December for spying on behalf of the Japanese. Taken to Singapore, he was evidently shot as a traitor on the eve of the capitulation..." The note also mentions a book, "Odd Man Out", by Peter Elphick and Michael Smith, which I suppose digs deeper on the subject. However, after reading a couple of customer reviews in Amazon, I´m not so sure anymore...
A German merchant raider captured some secret information from a British Merchant man she stopped - this was passed to the Japanese - this included a detailed appraisal of the defences of Singapore and it helped the Japanese greatly in their attack. The British merchant ship was the Automendon on her was from Durban to Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Part of her cargo was 120 mail bags some containing top secret documents including defence arrangements for Singapore and Far East, messages to Brooke Popham C in C, shipping details, code books and other intelligence documents. On the 12th November 1940 off the coast of Sumatra she was attacked by the German raider Atlantis. Her Captain E.B.Ewen and officers on the bridge were killed during the attack. The seized documents were sent to Berlin and copies given to the Japanese naval attaché, Captain Yokoi Tadao. Automendon was sunk following the raid. History repeated itself on 10 May 1942 when the British Nankin sailing from Australia to Ceylon was captured by the German raider Thor in the Indian Ocean. Nankin was also carrying secret documents. Peter Elphick’s “Odd Man Out – The Story of the Singapore Traitor” published 1993 details the Automendon incident, although it’s primarily the story of Heenan. I thought the book was a good read and well researched. Elphick’s other book “Far Eastern File – The Intelligence War in the Far East 1930-1945” published 1997 is also a good read airlana
This is fascinating stuff -was the part he played really that significant? One would have thought his role would have gained him more notoriety than it did - Singapore was a massive defeat for the British in the Pacific after all.
This is fascinating stuff -was the part he played really that significant? One would have thought his role would have gained him more notoriety than it did - Singapore was a massive defeat for the British in the Pacific after all. The reviews I read in Amazon about Elphick´s book, demonize it by pointing out the fact that he blames the traitor as the main reason why such a rout happened, taking the spotlight away from the truckload of blunders Whitehall & Co. commited regarding the Empire´s position in the East. Here´s a link to them: Amazon.com: Odd Man Out: The Story of the Singapore Traitor (9780340617014): Peter Elphick, Michael Smith: Books
Reviewers are of course entitled to their own opinions, but he doesn’t have a kind word to say about this or Elphick’s other books [follow the links for all reviews] The fall of Malaya & Singapore along with the consequences is well documented. Sure, the military could and should have done more and been better prepared for an attack. Sure, the military and civil administration could and should have had a more cooperative relationship. The reviewer should reread Elphick’s introduction in which he very clearly states the aims and limitations of the book. The book is about a spy in the British forces and how, based on available information, that may have had a bearing on events. Military history is very good at telling us what decisions were made and the results of those decisions. However, it doesn’t always tell us WHY those decisions were made and WHAT may have influenced certain people in making those decisions. Who really knows what decisions, British or Japanese, were made based on the activities of Heenan. It’s worth noting the reviewer hasn’t refuted any of Elphicks statements. The reviewer goes on to say “As a resident of Singapore I have read and researched both The Singapore National Archive and the Singapore National Library extensively.” I’ll refrain from commenting and leave others to form their opinion. “Armchair” commanders should stick to their war games. Leave the rest of us to find and read everything we can on the subject and exchange it with our colleagues. airlana
Was just reading another thread about Prince of Wales which has a link to the "Force Z Survivors Association" http://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/ Click on the S.S. Automedon link at top of page for the full story airlana
What a fascinating thread. There are so many unknown stories... I should imagine that accidently on purpose while cleaning a weapon is a good cover for a lot of things! Dee
I recently had an e-mail from Len "Snowy" Baynes saying that for various reasons, including indifferent health, he was having difficulty posting items on this site. I am therefore delighted to post this article on his behalf: . Romen Bose has written three books, revealing different aspects of the Malayan campaign of World War Two. My Chinese friend in the Singapore Police has sent copies of each of these to me. The title ‘Kranji’ is the site of the Singapore POW War Memorial. The paperback is published by Marshall Cavendish Editions, Singapore, and includes the following revelations, which are, as far as I know, so far unheard of in this country. Page 92 starts the passage dealing with a Captain who was a spy in the British ranks; he kept in touch with the Japanese forces throughout the campaign by short wave radio. Thus, they knew where to attack at our weakest points, the position of our battlefronts, when and where we were low on ammunition, and such information as would enable our enemy to leapfrog down the Malay peninsular and the amazing rate they did. Born in New Zealand, the bastard son of a governess, and educated at a British Public School, the spy’s name was Captain Patrick Stanley Vaughan Heenan. In 1935 at the age of 25, he was commissioned into the British Army, assigned to the 16th Punjab Regiment, and travelled to India by troopship. He failed to get the Indian Army to accept him, probably because he refused to knuckle down to discipline. He had to serve for a further six months before being accepted. However, he was later posted to their Army Service Corps, to which unsatisfactory officers were usually sent. They didn’t like him, and sent him to a different battalion. Soon, he took a long leave in Japan, where he must have joined the Japanese Intelligence. Back with his regiment, they were posted to Malaya early in 1941. There he was very unpopular, and Lieut. Col. Frank Moore asked for him to be posted, and he was sent to Singapore to train in Air Liaison duties (a very convenient post for a spy). After his training, he was sent with his unit to the Kedah airfields, so that in the months before the Japanese launched their offences, they had a spy right at the heart of our defence. When they attacked on the 8th December 1941, they were guided where to strike by Heenan with a short-wave radio, so it took them only three days to destroy our planes, and the RAF virtually ceased to exist. Col. Moore reported that the Japanese were performing very successful and mysterious bombing of the RAF on the ground, so our Intelligence eventually got on to Heenen, and found two short-wave radios, one hidden as a typewriter, and the other in a field communion set, plus incriminating papers and code book. He was caught red-handed sending the enemy information on 9th December. There follows extracts from a letter to his wife by Flt. Lieut. Alfred Elson-Smith: When I reported at 7 o’clock tonight, a further shock awaited me. I have told you in past letters of a Captain Heenan who has been liaison officer for the 11th division to the RAF stations of Alor Star, Sungei Patani and Butterworth. Well my dear here’s the key to the cause of the walloping that we have had in the north up to date. Major Francis of Military Intelligence arrested him at 2 o’clock p.m. as a spy. There is no question of the authenticity of this arres, since they got the dope which proves his guilt beyond doubt. Just realise this b- - - - - - has been living with us in our mess for four months, drinking and playing cards and joining in our general living conditions. He has had access to our operational rooms together with full and concise knowledge of our administration, in every form pertaining to our strength, possible strength and in short the guts of everything. This simplifies the whys and wherefores of this dreadful debacle and to what extent his activities have sold us out southwards to what extent we have yet to experience. No words of mine, or anyone else for that matter, can express the feelings we have to this man who though clever has sold us so uniquely. Of course his fate is sealed, yet the damage he has done cannot be estimated since according to his own statement when he joined us, he had completed 15 years in the army, serving in all parts of India. This man evidently controlled all the subversive elements in the northern area from the Pri River to Penang and the Thailand border and incidentally recalls to my mind the type of women he kept company with in Penang. Well, my dear, whatever I might have suspected of the natives I never gave thought to such a climax as this. No doubt the authentic information leading to his arrest will be made public one day, but you can take it from me, it was by the little things and careless indifference to our apparent stupidity that he was finally caught, and thanks to Major Francis who is certainly a credit to our military intelligence service. Witnesses say Heenan, on Friday 13th February, two days before Singapore surrendered, was taken down to the quayside by the military policemen. He was told to look at the setting sun as that would be his last sight of it. A single bullet was fired by an m.p. into the back of his head and the body pushed into the sea. * For those interested in the Malay/Singapore Campaign, the three books by Roman Bose, BATTLEBOX, THE END OF THE WAR, & KRANJI, Are compulsive reading. All are published by Marshall Cavendish Editions
