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257952
AB. Clifford Fallows
Royal Navy HMS Lanka
from:Mossley, Lancashire
I have my father, Clifford Fallows', Navy records from May 1941 to January 1946 listing the ship and shore establishments. He was at HMS Lanka 6th of August 1941 to 2nd of September 1941.
The only story he told me that he was on the SS Fultala as a DEMS gunner they were the last ship out of Rangoon Burma in March 1941 as the Japanese were moving in. The ship had a cargo of coal and a full ship of escaping Muslim Burmese and Indian labourers. The ship was torpedoed on 7th of April 1941 by the Japanese and the coal temporary blocked the hole allowing all crew and passengers to be saved. They were adrift in the Indian Ocean for 10 days before being rescued and taken to Bombay. The story was told to make me laugh as he said the Muslims in the open boat were continually praying to Mecca and kept moving to face the sun hence they were glad when the sun set and the boat was still.