Robert Kingsley's Blog

This blog is dedicated to the readers of my books, especially to those who have bought and read ' The Java Gold'.

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The Odyssey – The Java Gold Book One 

Early 1942 and South-East Asia is in flames. The Japanese forces storm south through Malaya and the battle for the Dutch East Indies begins in earnest. With the Japanese already at the gates of Java, a load of gold is discovered left behind in a bank.  In a desperate effort to fly the gold to safety in Australia, a damaged airliner is hurriedly repaired and a scratch crew is assembled. They leave Java in the nick of time but a malignant twist of fate interferes. The airplane malfunctions; they hide the gold and barely escape being massacred by insurgents. The survivors struggle through the war in a series of harrowing adventures still under the spell of the hidden gold put its spell on them. And when they try to retrieve the “lost” gold, they find the jinx is still there.  Misfortune, violence and death follow in the wake of their bloody treasure hunt that takes them back to the Dutch East Indies, and across continents, spanning India, Australia, Europe and North Africa.

Winds of Fortune – The Java Gold Book Two 

The war is over but there is no peace in South East Asia. Nations strive for independence and fiercely resist the return of their former colonial masters. The few survivors of the gold flight are caught in this ground-swell of violence, betrayal and murder. Misfortune and disillusion follow them when, independent of each other, they attempt to retrieve the lost gold. And at the same time they are pursued by dangerous enemies that are now on the trail of the treasure. The story takes the reader all over South-East Asia and Australia and plays against an exciting and tumultuous background. The Indonesian struggle for independence opposed by the Dutch and threatened by political and military conspirators. Murky plots hatched by foreign intelligence operatives. And shady companies with doubtful airplanes flying emigrants into Australia and fly out, loaded with gold smuggled from the outback...

 Exciting exploits and sizzling romances are juxtaposed with historical developments of places scarred by war and colonialism, the racism of corrupt societies and the emerging threat of terrorism.  The tale is replete with danger and treachery as the pursuit of “The Java Gold” shows the treasure hunters that the price of greed is human life.

Both books are available from Amazon as Kindle e-book and paperback  Book One  -  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B019HR99JE  Book Two  -  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C0E52BU

EPUB  versions, available from Smashwords  Book One  -  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/598720  Book Two  -  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/618162

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The Loss of the 'Langley'

And the final curtain in Java

From:https://thejavagoldblog.wordpress.com/ USS Langley and USAT Seawitch sailed on February 22, 1942 as part of convoy MS-5. But that same night Langley’s skipper, Commander Robert P. McConnell received a direct order from Vice-Admiral Helfrich (by now ABDA naval commander in chief), to leave the convoy and at his best possible speed – which was 13 knots – set a direct course for Tjilatjap, a port on Java’s south coast that was still relatively safe.  The plan called for USS Langley to reach Tilatjap in the afternoon of February 27, risking a daylight arrival. The  Langley lost precious hours in steaming on various courses waiting for escorts that never turned up. She finally teamed up with two damaged destroyers, USS Whipple (DD-217) and USS Edsall (DD-219), and started her final run in but the time lost proved to be fatal.

At 11:40 in the morning of February 27, at a point about 75 miles from Tjilatjap, nine Japanese Mitsubishi G4M bombers appeared over the ships. Their commander, Lt. Jiro Adachi, immediately singled out the Langley as the important target. The Langley took three hits that set fire to the P-40’s on deck and the drums of gasoline that were stowed between them. Then a fourth and a fifth bomb hit increased the conflagration, near misses buckled the hull and water was rushing inside.

Escorting Zero fighters strafed the decks of the burning ship and soon, the Langley was a raging mass of unquenchable fires. Listing badly and out of control and Commander McConnell ordered abandon ship. Out of a crew of 300, 16 were killed and the survivors were taken aboard the escorting destroyers. To prevent the Langley from falling into Japanese hands, they used torpedoes and 4 Inch shells to sink her.

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USAAF P-40's in Java

A series of articles focusing on the ill-fated efforts to bolster the Dutch defences against the Japanese onslaught early 1942 . Four squadrons of P-40 Warhawks were sent on a 6000 mile journey - from Brisbane, Australia to Java. Of the 83 that set out, only 30 ever reached their destination. And they went down fighting against overwhelming odds...

Follow all instalments on https://thejavagoldblog.wordpress.com/

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The 1942 Broome - Bandung Airlift

The 1942 Broome – Bandung Airlift

By the end of January 1942 Japanese forces had conquered most of the islands surrounding Java. Their fighters and reconnaissance planes flew standing patrols from recently captured airfields while the Japanese Navy swept the sea-lanes leading towards the few ports on the Java coast that were still ‘open’.  As a result, supplying the Dutch and Allied troops and air forces by sea became…

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Escape from Java

March 9, 1942 saw the unconditional surrender of all Dutch and Allied forces fighting in the Dutch East Indies. However, a number of stubborn characters simply refused to accept it was all over. Feeling that there was still a lot of war to fight they searched for a way to escape before the Japanese could clamp down on them.  But how do you escape from an island, 1630 miles ( 2600 km) from…

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RAAF Buffaloes in Malaya

Outnumbered, Outgunned and Outperformed

Never before has an enemy been so underestimated as the Japanese during the fateful year of 1941. Ignoring disturbing reports coming from China, the British military rigidly held on to their pre-conceived ideas of the Japanese forces inferiority. As a result, the air defence of the whole of Malaya was entrusted to a mere 150 airplanes, of which only 45 were Brewster Buffalo fighters.

No. 453 RAAF Squadron was one of those equipped with Buffaloes. It was a 'raw' squadron, formed on May 23, 1941 and hurriedly sent to Singapore where it arrived on August 15, 1941. On arrival, the squadron was allotted 18 Brewster Buffaloes while pilots nor groundcrews had ever seen a Buffalo before. The young pilots were fresh out of flying training school and had only the barest minimum of flying time.

The novice pilots started training on the Buffalo and, as could be expected, various mishaps and crashes took place. They varied from wheels up landings and engine failures to forced landings due to lack of fuel. Despite all this, the squadron was officially declared operational by mid-November 1941. It was in the nick of time - war between Japan and the Allies broke out on December 8, 1941.

453 Squadron was initially tasked with the protection of Singapore and convoys. They were on standby on December 10 to protect Force "Z" (Prince of Wales and Repulse) but were never called out until it was much too late. By the time they reached the spot off the Malayan coast, both ships had been sunk by Japanese torpedo bombers.

By  December 11, the Japanese invasion of North-Malaya was well under way. The single RAAF fighter squadron up north, No.21 “City of Melbourne” was badly mauled and No. 453 Squadron was sent to reinforce the fighter strength in the Penang area. The squadron left for Ipoh on December 12. The next day, five Buffaloes left for Butterworth (Penang) where - while landing - they were surprised by Japanese fighters. The first day of “real” combat cost No. 453 Sqn 1 pilot killed, 2 wounded and five Buffaloes written off.

During the next few days, 453 Sqn, flying from Ipoh, frequently came up against a steadily growing number of fast and well armed Nakajima Ki. 43 "Hayabusa" (Oscar) fighters , flown by Japanese pilots who had gained battle experience in China. Losses mounted and he squadron was moved from Ipoh to Kuala Lumpur on Dec 19. After a series of disastrous attacks by Japanese fighters and bombers, its four remaining serviceable Buffaloes were withdrawn to Sembawang Airfield (Singapore) on December 22.  Two  days later, the remnants of No 21 and No 453 Squadrons were amalgamated into a new unit, 21/453 Squadron. The reconstituted squadron was again tasked with the defence of Singapore and occasional offensive strikes or bomber escort duties. Its strength gradually dwindled though and when the Japanese started to shell Sembawang and Tengah airfields across the Johore Straits, the remaining aircraft were flown to safety in Sumatra (Palembang) or Java (Andir).

The Commonwealth forces in Singapore capitulated on February 15, 1942. The members of 453 Squadron who had escaped to Java were sent home to Australia by the end of February and the squadron ceased to exist.

There is more about this fascinating and painful period of history in my story "A Rude Awakening", part of the anthology "Pearl Harbor and more". Available from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com//dp/B01M4L8HGT 

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Dutch Hurricanes - Too Few, Too Late

Dutch Hurricanes – Too Few, Too Late

“The Hurricane was the best and fastest airplane we had. But there were too few and they came too late…” said the old Indonesian, who had served as a mechanic in the KNIL Air Arm during those fateful early months in 1942. “Hurricanes?” I asked as I sat upright in surprise. Even though I was still a schoolboy, I already knew something about KNIL equipment. And I had never heard about Hurricanes in…

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Bastogne - 72 years later

Bastogne – 72 years later

Driving back from Luxembourg on a cold winters day, I passed through the Ardennes town of Bastogne and stopped at the (aptly named) “Place MacAuliffe” to have a look at the little statue and the Sherman tank next to it. And while I looked down the roads, radiating from that little town and suddenly, on that cold and grey day with steadily falling snow, I got a feel for what the battle for this…

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The Other Side – The Nakajima Ki.43 “Hayabusa”

The Other Side – The Nakajima Ki.43 “Hayabusa”

Sometimes called the “Army Zero” by American pilots, and overshadowed by its Navy rival, the Mitsubishi A6M “Zero”, the “Hayabusa” was the most common (and deadly) adversary for the Allied pilots during the Malayan campaign. Pilots flying the Ki-43 shot down more Allied aircraft than in any other Japanese fighter. And almost all the JAAF’S aces achieved most of their kills in it. The Nakajima…

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The other side – The Nakajima Ki.27

The other side – The Nakajima Ki.27

The air war in Malaya began on December 8, 1941. And contrary to popular belief,  the few Commonwealth fighter squadrons were not opposed by the lethal Mitsubishi A6M “Zero’s” but initially by the nimble Nakajima Ki.27 fighter. This airplane was the winner of a 1935 competition for an advanced fighter, the specification drawn up by the Imperial Japanese Army. It was chosen because of its simple,…

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KNILM Surabaya to Batavia - September 1932

KNILM Surabaya to Batavia – September 1932

It is hard to find original footage of aviation in the Netherlands East Indies during the pioneering years of the 1920’s and 30’s. But sometimes I am in luck. This time, Willem Kramer sent me a U-Tube link to footage of his grandfathers “maiden flight” from Surabaya to Batavia (Jakarta nowadays) Here it is (and thanks Willem!) …

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Above the Battle – An AOP pilot’s WW2 experiences

Above the Battle – An AOP pilot’s WW2 experiences

When we think of aviation during the Second World War, we usually conjure up visions of fast fighters streaking across the sky, clouds of bombers releasing their deadly load or masses of lumbering transports dropping paratroopers. And we tend to forget the other, essential, tasks played by other branches, flying less glamorous looking craft. One of those branches was (or is) the AOP or Air…

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Disaster in Malaya – The sinking of Force “Z”

Disaster in Malaya – The sinking of Force “Z”

As tensions rose with Japan in the fall of 1941, Britain strained to enhance its defenses in the Far-East. The British strategy hinged on the entire main fleet arriving from England to assist in the defense of Singapore, but unfortunately, these plans ignored the possibility that the fleet might be busy elsewhere when needed. HMS Prince of Wales arriving in Singapore, December 2, 1941 Britain…

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December 9, 1941 -The day the British lost the air war in Malaya

December 9, 1941 -The day the British lost the air war in Malaya

Excerpt from: “A Rude Awakening” Just after midnight, when the Japanese troop ships had heaved into sight about a mile offshore, a single British 18-pounder gun had opened fire on them. Thus, one hour before the Japanese struck at Pearl Harbor, the defences at Kota Bharu fired the opening rounds in the Pacific War. The Australians of No. 1 Squadron RAAF had sortied their Hudson bombers in the…

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75 Years Ago - Pearl Harbor (and more)

75 Years Ago – Pearl Harbor (and more)

Ford Island, Oahu, just before the Japanese ttack On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the pacific war started. A war that changed the world forever. The Japanese conquest of most of South-East Asia heralded the downfall of the mighty British, Dutch and French colonial empires in the Far-East. And it took nearly four years of hard fighting and two atom bombs to drive them back. The oil-rich Dutch…

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December 7, 1941

Next week, it will be exactly 75 years since the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor changed our world forever. The Japanese conquest of South-East Asia marked the end of the great British, Dutch and French colonial empires in the Far-East. After four years of hard fighting and two atom-bombs, they were swept into history's dustbin and replaced by a new global power structure, with a forty-year "cold war" added in for good measure.

To commemorate this pivotal historical event, seven other authors and I teamed up to write a collection of short stories, revolving around this date. And that is all they have in common. The stories are as diverse as they can be and take place all over the globe. On Hawaii of course, but also in occupied France, in Germany Ireland, the continental US and Singapore.

My contribution takes place in Singapore, here's an excerpt

Monday December 8, 1941

The first Japanese bombs dropped on Singapore hit Raffles Square exactly at 04.20 the next morning. There had been no warning, just a feeble air-raid alarm that nobody took serious. Its wail was soon drowned out by thundering explosions, the dry rattle of falling masonry and the shattering crash of bursting and splintering window glass. The Japanese bombers then continued to their next target, helped by the city lights that remained switched on during the air raid, as no one in the power station could find the keys to turn them off

Mike Murdoch jumped out of his bed and jerked the curtains aside to see what all the noise was about. Right before his startled eyes, a parade formation of Japanese bombers unhurriedly dropped their deadly load on Raffles Square and Chinatown and Keppel Harbor. Searchlights probed the sky and Anti-Aircraft batteries on land and ships were blasting away with everything they had. Undaunted, the Japanese bombers sedately flew on as they dropped their remaining load on Singapore’s airfields. Then, unscathed and still flying in impeccable parade formation, they made a wide circle over the harbour and disappeared out to sea, leaving 61 killed and 133 injured in their wake… ‘Son of a bitch!’, Murdoch growled. He grabbed the telephone and frantically dialled a local number. It buzzed and buzzed until finally a sleepy voice answered. ‘You awake Helmut? Good, Mike here. Grab your goddam camera and plenty of film and get your ass over here, right now! It’s war!’

The honourable Lun Yue Sheong watched some Air Raid Wardens dig out the body of another battered victim from under the rubble on Raffles Place. It was quickly wrapped in a piece of sailcloth and carried off on an unhinged door. Stretchers were obviously in short supply.

His wife had woken him up in the middle of the night with a crazy story about bombs on the town.  At first he had scorned the idea but she had persisted and there were unusual sounds in the distance. In the end, he had become worried and gone out to see for himself. He had walked all the way to the “Happy World” amusement centre that he and some fellow Chinese investors had put up and had found it reduced to nothing but a smoking heap of rubble. In a kind of trance, he had made his way back through the ruined North Bridge Road and Upper Cross Street, their buildings brought down and casualties still lying in the street. He had ended up at Raffles Square and there, while he stood staring at the blasted buildings, he had been forced to admit that war had come to Singapore...

Get your copy at Amazon at the giveaway price of $ 0.99! https://www.amazon.com/Pearl-Harbor-More-Stories-December-ebook/dp/B01M4L8HGT

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453 Sqn RAAF Brewster Buffaloes in Malaya

453 Sqn RAAF Brewster Buffaloes in Malaya

The loss of No. 453 RAAF Squadron in Malaya, 1941 My research for “A Rude Awakening” yielded this extraordinary story of a freshly created RAAF squadron that lost five pilots, had seven severely wounded and went down from 16 to three operational airplanes in just two weeks of combat. They were outnumbered, outperformed and outgunned by the Japanese. But there was as much amiss on the ground as in…

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