LEST WE FORGET: SHARIF BIN MOHAMED

Sharif bin Mohamed

• No. MN : 908
• Joined the Malay Navy on January 14, 1941.
• When the war broke out, he served aboard the ship HMS Barlane.
• HMS Barlane retreated to Ceylon due to attacks by the Japanese Military.
• While in Ceylon, he joined OSS 404 US Army and was deployed to Phuket, Thailand to spy on the movements of the Japanese Military.

MALAY NAVY AND OSS DETACHMENT 404

The collaboration between the Malay Navy and OSS Detachment 404 is a lesser-known chapter of World War II heroism. It involved a select group of elite local sailors transitioning into elite clandestine intelligence operatives. 

1. The Crucible: Evacuation to Ceylon

Following the rapid Japanese invasion of Malaya and the fall of Singapore in early 1942, surviving personnel of the Malay Section of the Royal Navy evacuated across the Indian Ocean. Around 143 sailors safely reached Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka). While many were assigned to harbor defense or radio operation, a select group of highly skilled individuals was chosen for dangerous undercover intelligence work. 

2. Recruitment into American Intelligence

Instead of operating strictly under British command, these chosen Malay seamen were recruited into OSS Detachment 404, the American Office of Strategic Services branch overseeing covert operations in Southeast Asia. Notable recruits included Sharif bin Mohamed (featured in the image) and Chief Petty Officer Johari bin Mohd Amin. 

3. Special Operational Training

Before deploying behind enemy lines, the Malay Navy operatives underwent intense unconventional warfare instruction. They were dispatched to specialized Allied training camps across India, such as Camp Deolali and Poona, where they mastered: 

• Advanced guerrilla and amphibious tactics
• Espionage, disguise, and survival skills
• Covert communications and wireless telegraphy 

4. Reconnaissance and Infiltration Missions

Because of their native language skills, deep knowledge of regional waters, and ability to blend in, these operatives became invaluable human intelligence assets. Attached to OSS 404, they were clandestinely inserted into occupied territories—including Phuket, Thailand, and coastal Malaya—via British submarines, flying boats, and jungle drops. Operating in the shadows, they closely monitored Japanese navy movements, guarded supply routes, and fed vital strategic data back to Allied headquarters until the region was liberated in September 1945.

 

HMS BARLANE

HMS Barlane (Z48) was a British Bar-class boom defence vessel operated by the Royal Navy during World War II. 

Service in Malaya and Singapore

• The Role: Designed specifically to lay and maintain massive steel anti-submarine nets and harbor booms, HMS Barlane was deployed to protect crucial naval chokepoints and anchorages in Malaya and the Singapore Naval Base. 
• The Crew: In the lead-up to the war, the British established the Malay Section of the Royal Navy (known affectionately as the Malay Navy). Local recruits like Sharif bin Mohamed were rigorously trained at HMS Pelandok in Singapore and deployed aboard these vital auxiliary and coastal defense ships. 

The Retreat to Ceylon

When the Japanese military invaded Malaya in December 1941 and advanced rapidly toward Singapore, British naval command began evacuating crucial assets. HMS Barlane successfully retreated across the Indian Ocean to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) to escape the onslaught and help fortify Britain's remaining South Asian naval bases. 

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

27 July 2026: 2.18 p.m