“Every man for himself” - Norman’s last, desperate order  

Norman Folkes became a Trinity schoolboy soon after the guns of World War One fell silent, and died defending his country before peace could herald the end of World War Two.  

After attending Trinity from 1920-22, the 34-year-old assistant health inspector, married and living at Petersham, enlisted in 1941.  

He was killed ten months later during the chaos of the fall of Singapore to Japan.  

He was among the British, Indian, and Australian troops forced to retreat across – and destroy - the Johore causeway, the link between the mainland and Singapore Island, in January, 1942. 

The 850 officers and men of his 2/20th battalion, thinly spread among the mangroves, were responsible for defending almost seven kms of seafront directly opposite the main Japanese force.   

The ground was too wet to dig effective weapon pits, no minefields had been laid, no tank obstacles erected, and no shelling of the Japanese was allowed, fearing this might give away allied defensive positions.  

Each small position would have to essentially fight on its own. Infiltration, isolation, and annihilation were likely.  

Thousands of shells fell on the Australians in a 48-hour artillery barrage after their positions were accurately pinpointed by enemy air reconnaissance.  

Three Japanese divisions launched an amphibious assault on the night of February 8 and despite machine gun and artillery fire, large numbers of the Japanese were able to land and begin to infiltrate and outflank the Australian positions.  

The Australians were heavily outnumbered in close-quarter combat in the darkness.  

As the situation deteriorated the Battalion Commander, Colonel Assherton, issued the order: “Every man for himself. Get out if you can.”  

Many survivors drowned while retreating across the Kranji River to Singapore City. Those who were unable to make the crossing were rounded up and butchered by the Japanese.  

Norman Folkes was one of over 400 men of the 2/20th who died in the battle. Like many of his comrades, the exact nature of his death remains unknown.  

*Source: Trinity Remembers by Robert Scott 

This article originally appeared in our December 2024 Edition of Trinity News which you can
view on our online digital bookshelf.