[2] He was conscripted into the British Army in 1939, at the age of 19, and served with the Gordon Highlanders stationed at Fort Canning in Singapore.
The ship was part of a convoy bound for Japan; on the voyage prisoners endured more illness, dehydration, and instances of cannibalism.
[3][4] On 12 September 1944, the ship was torpedoed and sunk by the US submarine USS Pampanito,[3] whose commander was unaware of its cargo of prisoners.
[4][6] In 2010, Urquhart published The Forgotten Highlander: My Incredible Story of Survival During the War in the Far East, an account of his experiences.
[7] In the book he expresses anger at the lack of recognition in Japan of its role in war crimes compared to the atonement in Germany.