Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Just a note to add some historical accuracy to my Dad's POW record. In his official record of service, Postings and Movements, an entry appears: "Missing as a result of enemy occupation of Java: Date not advised."

However, Dad published an article in The Sunday Mail titled "Sea Saga Escape from Java", on 6 March 1966, that identifies the approximate date he was finally captured in Java around late March 1942. As often happens, his name in the paper was doubly misspelt in both his first name and surname as "Alan Trednenick". His name is Allan Francis Tredenick.

The story itself makes fascinating reading about how 60 aircrew members from 211 Squadron RAF (Dad was seconded to the British RAF while serving in the Australian RAAF) attempted to escape from Java in two lifeboats.

Our family still has the locker key to one of the lifeboats. The article, published on the anniversary of their departure date, is a poignant memorial to a time of savagery and betrayal.

One lifeboat made it to Fraser Island, off the West Australian coast. This lifeboat was intercepted by a Japanese submarine. However, the Japanese Navy was nothing like the infantry. The submarine surfaced, manned and ready to fire at the lifeboat. But the officer in charge, peering through binoculars, approached within a hundred yards of the lifeboat, and apparently ordered the submarine to make a half circle and disappear.

Dad was not so lucky. They had to turn back because the lifeboat was taking on too much water. On landing in Java, a Dutchman, our ally, waving a pistol, directed Dad and his fellow airmen to surrender to the Japanese.