SS Yengyua (1914 ship)

In 1942 Yengyua was the first BISN vessel to evacuate refugees. On 15 January Japanese crossed from Thailand and seized a hill some three miles from Tavoy. In the morning of 18 January Captain R. Burch embarked 22 persons on Yengyua, including five Europeans, and sailed to Grindstone Island. Before he could sail 150 miles south to Mergui to pick up reinforcements to bring them back to Tavoy he found out that the Japanese had entered Tavoy. He therefore sailed for Rangoon instead, arriving there two days later. Next, Yengyua evacuated the British radio operators on Diamond Island. Then she sailed to Akyab, from where she made several voyages to Calcutta with refugees.^[3]

In 1943 the British were retreating up the Arakan peninsula. In order to impede them, the Royal Navy gave Captain Robert Franks the task of preventing Japanese forces from crossing the Mayu River and blocking the British Army's retreat. Using a commandeered Yengyua as his headquarters, he took six small craft from Chittagong to a port on the coast. On a moonless night his force drifted upstream until within 80 yards of several large, camouflaged Japanese vessels. He was able to take the convoy by surprise and destroy them. He also took what he believed were the first Japanese prisoners on this front. On 7 March Franks started moving his force upriver, hiding in jungle-covered inlets by day and patrolling by night. The little force engaged in several night-time battles and was able to block the Japanese from using the river. By mid-May, however, Franks could no longer operate, being subject to both deliberate fire by the Japanese artillery and air force and inadvertent attack by the Royal Air Force. Franks laid his craft up at Taung Bazar. He then led his 20 men, with mules helping them carry their weapons, ammunition, and kit, across the mountains to the coast.^[4]

• Government of India (1926) Report of the Indian Tariff Board regarding the grant of protection to the Ship-Building Industry. (Calcutta)
• Leigh, Michael D. (2014). The Evacuation of Civilians from Burma: Analysing the 1942 Colonial Disaster. A&C Black. ISBN 9781441163943.