New Zealand Defence Force
Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa
Media Release
12 September 2005
HMNZS Te Kaha Remembers the Fallen in Singapore
Sailors from HMNZS Te Kaha will march at the Kranji Commonwealth War Cemetery in Singapore today to commemorate the
fallen of WWII.
Te Kaha is in the area to take part in exercises with Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Britain.
The parade marks the end of five days of commemorations recalling Singapore’s part in WWII.
Jack Bagley, Noel Yorke and John Brock were all shipmates in 1945, when their assault ship sailed into Singapore that
September; Jack was ashore on 12 September 1945 and witnessed the formal surrender ceremony when the Japanese commander
surrendered to Lord Mountbatten.
John Vibert, an Air Force pilot captured in Java in 1942 and later transferred to the infamous Changi prison, took part
in Saturday’s ceremony at the Changi Chapel and Museum.
There are some 4 thousand war graves at the Kranji, while the Roll of Honour names over 24 thousand more servicemen and
women, who have known grave but who fell somewhere in South East Asia.
ENDS