LONDON: I had made trips to Woking, part of the London commuter belt, several times before.
But on April 24, when I boarded the train waiting on Platform 12, I felt a kind of excitement not unlike the feeling I had some years ago, taking the train back from Sevenoaks in Kent, when I had in my possession a document of some historical value.
It was a manuscript, an appreciation letter to Sir Andrew Clarke, the then governor of the Straits Settlement in 1873, signed by 10 prominent Johor officials. I was tasked by the National Archives Malaysia with meeting someone called Peter Cox who had that manuscript in his possession since he was in his early teens. When I met him, he was already in his 70s.
During that train journey to Woking recently, I had in my possession a framed certificate of appreciation from Brandlaureate Book of World Records and similar butterflies in my stomach.
The assignment was to hand it over to Alec King, 96, who is the last surviving seaman of HMS Malaya, a royal navy Queen Elizabeth-class battleship that served in two world wars.
Like the assignment to fetch the Clarke manuscript, this one, too, was loaded with historical significance — both had taken me on a historical journey to a time and era that could be found only in school textbooks.
I came to know about King through Dr Firdaus Hanapiah, my Speciality Consultant, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon (in other words, my dentist), who got to know about King, through King’s son, Geoff, during an online discussion about the HMS Malaya.
Dr Firdaus, if you must know, when not looking down into your mouth and improving your smile, loves to delve into history and the HMS Malaya caught his attention. He was curious about the crew of the battleship that was built in 1913 with £3 million given by the Federated Malay States. He wanted to know whether there had been any Malayans on board. It was Geoff King, who has similar interests for different reasons, who said his father Alec would probably have the answer. Such is the wonder of technology.
So it was on March 4 that I met King in his home, a short drive from Woking station. Although frail and tired, the subject of HMS Malaya fired up the memories of his time on the vessel he called a happy and smart ship. Although I had to shout my questions, and assisted by King junior, that afternoon in his front room I was transported back to the time when HMS Malaya was recommissioned after a long rest after WW1 when it engaged in the Battle of Jutland.
King was 17 when he joined the HMS Malaya in 1939 and had been with the ship during peacetime when as a young able seaman, he enjoyed the regatta in the waters of Alexandria, the water polo matches, and watching the flying fish while listening to ‘Ol Blue Eyes crooning his love songs. He remembers the guns, the two aircraft on board and more. Then the war clouds appeared on the horizon and with it, more exciting assignments for the battleship as she carried gold bullion all the way for safekeeping in Halifax.
On March 20, 1941 King was not too far away when the ship suffered an attack from a German U-boat, sending it limping to a dockyard in New York for repairs. All that was crystal clear in his mind.
So I wrote all that and more about this last link with the HMS Malaya, and the article caught the attention of Brandlaureate Book of World Records Malaysia, who wrote to me to say they wanted to show their appreciation and recognition to King. But King is 96 and too frail to travel to accept the award. It is too far for people from the organisation to come over — thus I was tasked again with presenting the award to King. This in itself is history, for me, at least. Receiving and giving awards are only events I cover to report. The last award I received was a Brer Rabbit book for Dedication. And that was some 50 years ago.
I was even less prepared to be the one to present an award — but that day, with King smartly attired with his tie displaying the Federated Malay States flag around his neck, I handed over the framed certificate to him, watched by his son and two daughters.
And I am ashamed to say, I choked and fought back tears as I read the tribute to him written by the board of directors of the Asia Pacific Brands Foundation: “Only time knows the secrets that your eyes witnessed — perpetual memories that have long been sealed away by the salt water in your optics and engulfed by the vast dim waters overshadowed by former war clouds. The Board has unanimously decided that you are indeed an icon of a bygone era that stands on behalf of the multitude of fellow seamen who have either succumbed to the murky depths. Or to the inevitability of time. And for this reason, good Sir, the APBF accords you, an exemplar persona worthy of emulation of the uppermost genus, the very highest honour in its purview, The BrandLaureate Book of World Records as the Last Sailor of HMS Malaya! You are the one who remains afloat as a symbol, pacesetter, and lighthouse in the intricate navigation of time itself…..For this, the Foundation salutes you!”
King had been in poor health; he had lost his appetite but according to Geoff, he was looking forward to seeing the award.
“It is rather frightening when you think about it — all those years and events, suddenly sprung alive again, through words and photographs. My appreciation is much higher than I thought it would be. It is with much gratitude that I accept the certificate. I do appreciate it. I am absolutely...”, he struggled to find words as he tried to catch his breath, adding that “at 96 you find a little difficult to cope with it.”
On that day, just like at our first meeting, King and I enjoyed a Red Velvet before I made my trek home. I left him sitting in his favourite chair looking at the framed award that Geoff had hung on the wall in front of him. It is stories like this, stories that make me a part of history, that never fail to fuel my passion in what I am doing.