Leftenan Ibrahim Alla Ditta Menyelamatkan 2000 Askar British Ketika Malayan Dunkirk!

Sumber: The Patriots > 22 December 2024

Oleh: Azizul Farhan

Peristiwa Dunkirk yang sering kali kita kenali adalah operasi penyelamatan 338,000 askar British dan Perancis dari pantai Dunkirk, Perancis pada tahun 1940.

Namun, siapa sangka bahawa Tanah Melayu kita juga mempunyai peristiwa yang hampir serupa dan dikenali sebagai Malayan Dunkirk.

Di sinilah, seorang wira tempatan, Leftenan Ibrahim Alla Ditta memahat namanya dalam sejarah dengan menyelamatkan 2000 askar British di Pantai Punggur, Johor pada hujung Januari 1942.

Pada 16 Januari 1942, Jepun semakin mara ke Muar dan Batu Pahat. Pertempuran sengit berlaku apabila batalion British cuba mempertahankan kedudukan mereka namun gagal.

Mereka dihantar untuk mengekang kemaraan Jepun tetapi akhirnya terpaksa berundur. Arahan diberikan untuk mengosongkan tanah besar Malaya dan berundur ke Singapura. Batalion British yang sudah penat dan terdesak tiba di Senggarang, 15 batu di selatan Batu Pahat, pada pagi 25 Januari.

Keadaan semakin kritikal apabila usaha menutup dan membakar jalan oleh British tidak berjaya menghentikan kemaraan Jepun. Komander Briged tiada pilihan selain mengarahkan semua artileri dan kenderaan bermotor dimusnahkan dan askar-askar berundur dengan berjalan kaki melalui paya bakau, parit dan paya yang penuh bahaya.

Ketika ini, Leftenan Ibrahim Alla Ditta dan pasukan Batalion Kedua Rejimen Askar Melayu Diraja (RAMD) memainkan peranan penting.

Dalam keadaan kelam-kabut, Leftenan Ibrahim dan beberapa pegawai lain seperti Leftenan Yazid Ahmad dan 2nd Leftenan Mohd Ali Sharakat membantu menavigasi askar-askar British yang keletihan dan sesat menuju ke pantai untuk penyelamatan.

Leftenan Ibrahim bukan sekadar menunjukkan kebijaksanaan strategiknya tetapi juga keberanian yang luar biasa. Beliau memimpin misi penyusupan ke kawasan tentera Jepun untuk mendapatkan maklumat kekuatan musuh.

Tindakan nekad ini membolehkan mereka merancang pengunduran dengan lebih berkesan. Walaupun ditangkap oleh Jepun, beliau berjaya meloloskan diri dan kembali kepada pasukannya.

Keberanian dan kebijaksanaan inilah yang melayakkan beliau dianugerahkan pingat Military Cross oleh King George VI pada 1 Ogos 1946.

Pada malam 27 Januari, komunikasi berjaya dilakukan dengan Tentera Laut. Dua malam kemudian, semua askar British yang berundur diselamatkan oleh HMS Scorpion dan HMS Dragon Fly dan dibawa ke Pelabuhan Singapura.

Malayan Dunkirk ini menjadi bukti keberanian dan kebijaksanaan tentera kita, terutama Leftenan Ibrahim Alla Ditta yang menjadi pahlawan tanpa diduga, menyelamatkan ribuan nyawa dalam saat-saat genting.

Leftenan Ibrahim Alla Ditta, anak kelahiran Taiping, Perak, memasuki alam ketenteraan pada 1 Januari 1935 dan berkhidmat sehingga mencapai pangkat Sarjan sebelum ditauliahkan sebagai Leftenan Muda pada 31 Disember 1938.

Sepanjang perkhidmatannya, beliau bukan sahaja menunjukkan ketangkasan dan kepemimpinan tetapi juga semangat juang yang tinggi, menjadikan beliau antara pegawai tentera yang paling dihormati dalam sejarah negara.

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25 Disember 2024: 11.48 a.m

SEJARAH MALAYA : OSS 404 (US ARMY)

Posted by :

Hj Zulheimy Maamor : 9 November 2021

OFFICE OF STRATEGIC SERVICE DETACHMENT 404 (US ARMY)

Ketika Perang Dunia kedua meletus, di Tanah Melayu terdapat satu unit gerila ditubuhkan dengan nama FORCE 136 ditubuhkan oleh British. Mungkin kita biasa dengan Force 136.

Namun terdapat satu lagi unit yang ditubuhkan oleh US Army dikenali sebagai Office of Strategic Service (OSS).

Terdapat beberapa detachment OSS seperti OSS 101 (Burma), OSS 202 (China) dan 404 (Thailand / Malaya).

Dalam Detachment OSS 404, terdapat beberapa anggota Malay Navy yang menyertai unit ini iaitu Johari Md Amin, Shariff Mahmud, Awang Salleh, Sulaiman dan Ismail Hassan. Mereka yang terlibat dengan OSS 404 diberi nama samaran Inggeris supaya tidak dikenali musuh.

Dalam Satu Operasi satu unit kecil OSS 404 terdiri dari seorang Lt.Kol (US Army), sorang Leftenan (US Navy), seorang Sarjan (US Army) dan ABSM Johari Md Amin (Malay Navy) telah dibawa dengan kapal selam dan menyeludup masuk ke Pulau Ramrey di Gugusan Andaman. ABSM Johari menyamar sebagai orang tempatan manakala tentera US bersembunyi didalam hutan. ABSM Johari bertindak mencari maklumat, beliau tidak sukar bergerak kerana wajah beliau yang mirip orang tempatan. Selama 18 bulan mereka ditempatkan di pulau itu menjalankan tugas Perisikan banyuak maklumat pergerakan tentera Jepun mereka perolehi dan segera dihantar melaui wireless ke Ibu Pejabat OSS.

ABSM Johari Md Amin dikurniakan pingat Defence Medal, War Medal, Pacific Star kerana khidmatnya ketika perang dunia kedua.

Pasukan OSS inilah perintis kepada CIA Amerika Syarikat sekarang ini... siapa sangka anak Melayu kita pernah berkhidmat dengan unit ini ketika perang....

Posted on Blog :

8 January 2024 > 26 Jamadilakhir 1445H: 10.04 am

Malayan Campaign

BY STEPHANIE HO > SINGAPORE INFOPEDIA

The Malayan Campaign consisted of a series of battles fought in Malaya between Allied (mainly British Commonwealth) and Axis (primarily Japanese) forces. The campaign began on 8 December 1941 when Japanese forces landed in Singora and Patani in southern Thailand, and Kota Bharu in northern Malaya. The campaign ended on 31 January 1942 with the Japanese forces gaining control of the Malay Peninsula.

Reasons for campaign

Japan embarked on the Malayan Campaign for various reasons. A key motivation was acquiring the raw materials needed for Japan's industrial development and its war efforts. 

The need to gain control of the raw materials found in Malaya gained greater urgency after the US placed economic sanctions on Japan in response to Japanese troops moving into Indochina in 1941. The sanctions included the freezing of Japanese funds in the US, the annulment of a commercial treaty, and the prohibition of US petroleum and scrap iron exports to Japan. 

The control of Malaya was also seen by the Japanese as a necessary step towards conquering Singapore, which was then seen as the pivot of British defence in the Asia-Pacific region.

Preparation for war

The Japanese preparation for the invasion of Malaya and Singapore began in 1941. The Doro Nawa or Taiwan Army Research Department took charge of researching and planning Japanese military strategy in Asia. Masanobu Tsuji was the officer-in-charge of operations and planning in the Malayan sector and the mastermind of the Malayan Campaign. Japanese troops were trained to fight in tropical conditions on Hainan Island in China. They also carried out reconnaissance work in Malaya as part of their preparations.

Britain had been building up its military defences in Singapore and Malaya since the end of World War I. This exercise included the construction of military installations such as aerodromes in northern Malaya. However, the British had insufficient land or air forces to properly defend these territories.

The defence of Singapore and Malaya hinged on the Singapore naval base at Sembawang, which became operational in 1938. Boasting the largest dry dock in the world at the time, the plan was for Britain to dispatch capital ships to the naval base whenever Singapore or Malaya was threatened by a foreign invader. It was assumed that the navy would then easily put down the threat. The main objective of the other forces in Malaya and Singapore was thus to protect the naval base.

First landings

On 8 December 1941, the Japanese launched several military operations simultaneously. The Japanese air force launched bombing attacks on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, as well as Allied bases in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Philippines. Troops of the Japanese 25th Army, under the command of Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita, also landed in Singora and Patani in southern Thailand, and Kota Bharu in northern Malaya. At the time, the 25th Army consisted of three experienced and capable divisions: the 5th, 18th and Imperial Guards divisions.

Sinking of the Repulse and Prince of Wales

On hearing news of the Japanese landings, the British dispatched Force Z, which comprised the battleship H.M.S. Prince of Wales, battlecruiser H.M.S. Repulse and four destroyers, to intercept Japanese troopships in the north. The Royal Navy ships had arrived in Singapore on 2 December to great fanfare.

The decision to send the ships to counter the Japanese landings was a risky one as the fleet had no air protection; the fleet was only shielded by poor weather. The ships were eventually spotted by Japanese submarines and planes, and sunk off the coast of Kuantan, Malaya, on 10 December 1941.

Northern Malaya

When Japanese troops landed on the beaches of Kota Bharu in Kelantan, northern Malaya, they were met by Allied ground troops and air forces. Although the defenders managed to destroy two Japanese transport ships and bring down the first wave of troops, the overwhelming numbers of Japanese troops forced the Allies to retreat.

Japanese Zero fighters also began bombing the airfield in Kota Bharu and other airfields in northern Malaya, namely those at Sungei Patani, Butterworth, Penang, Gong Kedah and Machang. The performance and accuracy of the Japanese planes surprised the Allied forces. The air attacks seriously destroyed British installations and weakened the Allied air force.

At the end of the day, only 50 out of the original 110 British aircraft in northern Malaya survived the attacks. The remaining planes were ordered to retreat to safer airfields in Kuantan.

The British had anticipated a Japanese landward attack and developed a first-strike plan known as Operation Matador. Under the plan, Allied forces would intercept the Japanese forces just over the Thai border, giving the main forces in Malaya time to gather and attack. However, political considerations held back the activation of the plan until it was too late.

Allied troops, who were on standby for Operation Matador, were then ordered to Jitra, Kedah, to form a defence line there. As a result, the Japanese troops at Singora and Patani crossed the Thai border and entered northwest Malaya with little resistance.

In heavy rain, the Allied forces tried to hold the Japanese at Jitra but were overwhelmed by the invaders. The Japanese pushed through the line using tanks and infantry, forcing the defenders to retreat over two days on 12 and 13 December. The Japanese inflicted heavy losses on the Allied forces at Jitra, capturing large quantities of weapons, vehicles and communications equipment, and taking more than 1,000 prisoners.

On 11 December, the Japanese started bombing Penang town. On the first day of bombing, about 2,000 people were killed or wounded. Lacking air power, the British were helpless against the attacks and evacuated British civilians on 13 December. On 19 December, the Japanese captured Penang.

Central Malaya

After the fall of the Jitra line, Allied troops retreated south to Kampar where they held the Japanese for two days before retreating to the Slim River area in Selangor.

The Allied forces’ Gurkha troops put up a strong fight against the Japanese at Slim River but were eventually overrun by Japanese tanks and troops. The Battle of Slim River on 7 January 1942 was a disaster for the Allies. Of the 5,000 men from the two Indian brigades who fought in the battle, only about 1,173 officers and men survived. Losing Slim River also resulted in the loss of central Malaya to the Japanese.

The Japanese continued their relentless advance southward while the Allies retreated to Johor to rest and reorganise. The Japanese were able to make a quick advance down the peninsula because they travelled light and made use of bicycles.19 Thus the Japanese easily captured the Malayan states of Selangor (including the federal capital, Kuala Lumpur, on 11 January 1942), Negeri Sembilan and Malacca. The Allied forces retreated to Johor, where they aimed to hold the Japanese until reinforcements arrived.

Johor

In Johor, Australian troops led by Major General Gordon Bennett made a successful first attack on the Japanese at Gemencheh Bridge in Gemas on 14 January 1942. The Australians estimated the number of dead and wounded at around 800. However, this setback did not stop the Japanese advance. The Japanese quickly rebuilt the bridge and brought across truckloads of reinforcements.

Subsequently, fighting continued in the areas around Muar, Yong Peng and Batu Pahat. The Allied troops put up a strong resistance and were able to hold up the Japanese for a week despite the lack of air and tank support. Between 16 and 22 January 1942, the Japanese lost a company of tanks and the equivalent of a battalion of troops. 

The Allied forces also suffered heavy losses in Muar, losing many officers and two companies of men. In a battle near the bridge at Parit Sulong, the Allied troops were forced to retreat quickly, leaving behind the wounded who were subsequently massacred by the Japanese. 

On 27 January 1942, General Officer Commanding (GOC) Malaya Lieutenant General A. E. Percival decided that the Allied forces could no longer hold on to Johor and approved the withdrawal of Allied troops into Singapore. 

The Malayan Campaign ended on 31 January 1942 when the last Allied troops crossed the Causeway linking Johor to Singapore. Allied engineers subsequently blew a 70-ft (approximately 21 m) gap in the structure in a bid to slowdown the Japanese advance into Singapore.

Timeline

7–8 Dec 1941: Japanese attack Pearl Harbor; Japanese troops land in Singora, Patani and Kota Bharu.

10 Dec 1941: Japanese sink HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales.

12–13 Dec 1941: Fall of Jitra line.

19 Dec 1941: Japanese capture Penang.

7 Jan 1942: Battle of Slim River.

11 Jan 1942: Japanese capture Kuala Lumpur.

16 Jan 1942: Battle of Muar.

31 Jan 1942: Last Allied troops cross the Causeway into Singapore.

Author

Stephanie Ho

References

1. Wigmore, L. (1957). The Japanese thrust. Canberra: Australian War Memorial, p. 6. (Call no.: RCLOS 940.5425 WIG)

2. Tsuji, M. (1997). Japan’s greatest victory, Britain’s worst defeat. Staplehurst, UK: Spellmount, p. 2. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 TSU -[WAR])

3. Tsuji, M. (1997). Japan’s greatest victory, Britain’s worst defeat. Staplehurst, UK: Spellmount, p. 177. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 TSU -[WAR])

4. Tsuji, M. (1988). Singapore 1941–42: The Japanese version of the Malayan Campaign of World War II. Singapore: Oxford University Press, p. 24. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 TSU -[WAR]); Tsuji, M. (1997). Japan’s greatest victory, Britain’s worst defeat. Staplehurst, UK: Spellmount, pp. 2–11. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 TSU -[WAR])

5. Percival, A. E. (1949). The war in Malaya. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, p. 43. (Call no.: RRARE 940.53595 PER)

6. Percival, A. E. (1949). The war in Malaya. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, pp. 36, 43. (Call no.: RRARE 940.53595 PER)

7. Turnbull, C. M. (1989). A history of Singapore 1819–1988. Singapore: Oxford University Press, pp. 165–166. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 TUR-[HIS])

8. Owen, F. (1960). The fall of Singapore. London: Michael Joseph, p. 33. (Call no.: RCLOS 940.5425 OWE -[RFL])

9. Wigmore, L. (1957). The Japanese thrust. Canberra: Australian War Memorial, p. 144. (Call no.: RCLOS 940.5425 WIG)

10. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War II. London: Portrait, pp. 132–134. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO -[WAR])

11. Percival, A. E. (1949). The war in Malaya. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, p. 114. (Call no.: RRARE 940.53595 PER)

12. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War II. London: Portrait, p. 136. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO -[WAR])

13. Ong C. C. (2011). Operation Matador: World War II – Britain’s attempt to foil the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions. (Call no.: RSING 940.542595 ONG -[WAR])

14. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War II. London: Portrait, p. 128. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO -[WAR])

15. Falk, S. L. (1975). Seventy days to Singapore: The Malayan campaign 1941–1942. London: Robert Hale, p. 130. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 FAL -[WAR])

16. Corfield, J. & Corfield, R. (2012). The fall of Singapore: 90 days: November 1941–February 1942. Singapore: Talisman Publishing, p. 209. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425957 COR -[WAR])

17. Wigmore, L. (1957). The Japanese thrust. Canberra: Australian War Memorial, p. 189. (Call no.: RCLOS 940.5425 WIG)

18. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War II. London: Portrait, pp. 192–193. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO -[WAR])

19. Wigmore, L. (1957). The Japanese thrust. Canberra: Australian War Memorial, p. 186. (Call no.: English RCLOS 940.5425 WIG)

20. Tsuji, M. Japan’s greatest victory, Britain’s worst defeat. (1997). Staplehurst, UK: Spellmount. p. 145. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 TSU -[WAR])

21. Wigmore, L. (1957). The Japanese thrust. Canberra: Australian War Memorial, p. 198. (Call no.: RCLOS 940.5425 WIG)

22. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War II. London: Portrait, p. 216. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO -[WAR])

23. Percival, A. E. (1949). The war in Malaya. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, p. 233. (Call no.: RRARE 940.53595 PER)

24. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War II. London: Portrait, p.231. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO -[WAR])

25. Percival, A. E. (1949). The war in Malaya. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, p. 225. (Call no.: RRARE 940.53595 PER)

26. Owen, F. (1960). The fall of Singapore. London: Michael Joseph, pp.130–132. (Call no.: RCLOS 940.5425 OWE -[RFL])

27. Percival, A. E. (1949). The war in Malaya. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, p. 245. (Call no.: RRARE 940.53595 PER)

28. Wigmore, L. (1957). The Japanese thrust. Canberra: Australian War Memorial, p. 283. (Call no.: RCLOS 940.5425 WIG)

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Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, KL

30 January 2022 > 27 Jamadilakhir 1443H: 1.45 pm

Battle of Singapore

BY STEPHANIE HO > SINGAPORE INFOPEDIA

The Battle of Singapore was fought from 8 to 15 February 1942 between Allied (mainly British Commonwealth) and Japanese forces. The first Japanese troops landed in Singapore via the northwestern coastline on 8 February 1942. After a week of intense fighting, the British Lieutenant General Arthur E. Percival surrendered Singapore to the Japanese forces under the command of Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita.

Preparation for war

From the end of World War I onwards, Britain had begun to build up its defences in Singapore in light of the growing military threat from Japan. A naval base was constructed in Sembawang and huge guns were emplaced in strategic locations along Singapore’s coastline to fend off possible naval attacks. 

In 1938, Governor Sir Shenton Thomas opened what was then the largest dry dock in the world at the naval base. However, the base did not host any permanent naval fleet. The British strategy was to dispatch a fleet to the base only when a threat was imminent.

Despite its limited defences, the political leaders and media at the time contributed to the impression that Singapore was secure against any attack. Newspapers referred to Singapore as being a “Gibraltar of the East”, a “fortress” that was “impregnable”, suggesting that the island was virtually impossible to conquer.

Fall of Malaya

The first attack on Singapore came on 8 December 1941 when Japanese planes dropped the first bombs on the island, killing 61 and injuring 133 people in the process. On that same day, the Japanese 25th army landed troops in Singora and Patani in southern Thailand and Kota Bharu in northern Malaya.

Conscious that British defences were focused on the sea, Japan approached Singapore from its back door, Malaya. The British army had anticipated a landward attack and developed a first strike plan code-named “Operation Matador” to stop the Japanese advance in Thailand. However, political reasons prevented Operation Matador from being activated until it was too late.

The main Japanese force moved swiftly down the western flank of the Malay Peninsula with the help of motor vehicles and bicycles. Poorly trained, lacking in experience and equipment, the Allied troops could not hold their positions and were forced to retreat. In less than two months, the Japanese had eliminated British naval and air capabilities, and captured Malaya. 

The last Allied troops crossed the Causeway and withdrew to Singapore on 31 January 1942. Allied engineers subsequently blew a 70-ft (approximately 21 m) gap in the structure in a bid to slow down the Japanese advance into Singapore.

Singapore’s defence strategy

At the start of the Battle of Singapore, the Allied forces numbered around 85,000 men, of which about 70,000 were armed. The Allied forces had a total of 38 infantry battalions as well as artillery regiments, anti-tank regiments and anti-aircraft guns. Despite their superior numbers, many of the soldiers were either weary veterans of the Malayan Campaign or inexperienced new recruits. They were also fast running out of weapons and ammunition.

Lieutenant General Arthur E. Percival, who as General Officer Commanding (GOC) Malaya was the overall commander of the Allied troops, divided the island into four sectors – northern, western, southern and reserve – and assigned troops to defend the coastline of each sector. As far as possible, the Allied troops were ordered to prevent a Japanese landing on the island. As Percival believed that the Japanese would attack east of the Causeway where the naval base was located, he placed his strongest forces there.

Unfortunately, Percival’s reading of the Japanese invasion plan was mistaken. The Japanese commander Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita’s actual plan was for the 5th and 18th divisions to enter Singapore via the northwestern coastline. Their aim was to capture Tengah airfield and Bukit Panjang village. Subsequently, the Imperial Guards division would attack the Causeway sector and aim to take Mandai village and Nee Soon.

Japanese landing

On the night of 8 February 1942, the Japanese began to bombard the northwestern coastline of Singapore. Subsequently, the 5th and 18th divisions of the Japanese army crossed the Johor Straits in collapsible boats and overran the Australian soldiers tasked with guarding the area. It is believed that 13,000 troops crossed into Singapore that night. The next day, the Imperial Guards division crossed into Singapore at Kranji and via a repaired Causeway.

Bukit Timah

After landing in Singapore, the main objective of the Japanese Imperial Guards division was the Bukit Timah area. Not only was Bukit Timah Hill the highest point on the island, the area was also where the British petrol, oil and supply depots were located.

The Japanese forces faced stiff resistance from the Allied soldiers but managed to breach the Kranji-Jurong defence line when Allied forces retreated from the area due to a misunderstanding of orders. Japanese forces took Bukit Timah on 11 February and Yamashita established his headquarters at the Ford Factory located in the area.

After the loss of the Bukit Timah area, Allied troops were ordered to withdraw to the final defence perimeter around the city area stretching from Pasir Panjang to Kallang.

Pasir Panjang

On 13 February, the Japanese attacked Pasir Panjang Ridge. The ridge was a key location leading to the Allied forces’ main ammunition magazine, main ordnance depot, the Alexandra Military Hospital and other military installations. The Malay Regiment who defended the area put up a strong resistance but was eventually overwhelmed by the superior numbers and weapons of the Japanese in what became known as the Battle of Opium Hill.

Massacre at Alexandra Military Hospital

After gaining full control of Pasir Panjang Ridge on 14 February, Japanese troops moved into the Alexandra area. Despite the fact that the Alexandra Military Hospital was marked by red crosses, Japanese troops charged into the hospital and killed a British officer who had gone out to meet them with a white flag. The Japanese troops then entered an operating theatre and killed the patient on the operating table as well as the staff attending to him.

Another group of soldiers then entered the wards and bayoneted the patients indiscriminately. Later, the Japanese were said to have gathered about 200 patients and staff outside the hospital, tied them up with a rope and crammed them into three small rooms for the night. The next day they were tied together in threes and executed. It is estimated that around 280 staff and patients were killed over two days.

The surrender

By 15 February 1942, the situation in Singapore had become difficult for the Allied forces. There was only enough water supply for 24 hours due to breaks in the water mains and pipes. Furthermore, the main reservoirs were all in Japanese hands. Casualties from enemy bombing were increasing faster than the rate in which bodies could be collected and there was only three days’ worth of rations.

On the morning of 15 February, Percival met his commanders at the Fort Canning Bunker (also known as the Battle Box). In light of the circumstances, the decision was made to surrender to the Japanese. Later that day, Percival and his surrender party met Yamashita in the Japanese headquarters located at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah and officially surrendered Singapore to the Japanese forces.

Timeline

8 Dec 1941: Japanese troops land at Singora, Patani and Kota Bharu; bombing of Singapore begins.

10 Dec 1941: Japanese sink the battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse off the coast of Kuantan, Malaya.

31 Jan 1942: Last Allied troops cross the Causeway into Singapore.

8 Feb 1942: First Japanese troops land in Singapore.

11 Feb 1942: Japanese troops capture Bukit Timah.

13–14 Feb 1942: Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge.

14–15 Feb 1942: Massacre at Alexandra Military Hospital.

15 Feb 1942: British surrender to the Japanese at Ford Factory in Bukit Timah.

Author

Stephanie Ho

References

1. Ong, C. C. (1988). The landward defence of Singapore (1919–1938). Singapore: Centre for Advanced Studies, National University of Singapore, p. 12. (Call no.: RSING 355.03355957 ONG)

2. Percival, A. E. (1949). The war in Malaya. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, pp. 36, 43. (Call no.: RRARE 940.53595 PER)

3. Gibraltars in the East. (1939, March 12). The Straits Times, p. 1; World importance of Singapore’s defences. (1940, June 11). The Straits Times. p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.

4. Lee, G. B. (2005). Syonan: Singapore under the Japanese 1942–1945. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, p. 18. (Call no.: RSING q940.53957 LEE-[WAR])

5. Turnbull, C. M. (1989). A history of Singapore 1819–1988. Singapore: Oxford University Press, pp. 165–166. (Call no.: RSING 959.57 TUR-[HIS])

6. Ong, C. C. (2011). Operation Matador: World War II – Britain’s attempt to foil the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions. (Call no.: RSING 940.542595 ONG-[WAR])

7. Wigmore, L. (1957). Canberra: Australian War Memorial, p. 283. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 WIG-[WAR])

8. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War Two. London: Portrait Books, pp. 260–261. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO-[WAR])

9. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War Two. London: Portrait Books, pp. 261–262. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO-[WAR])

10. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War Two. London: Portrait Books, p. 262. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO-[WAR])

11. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War Two. London: Portrait Books, p. 283. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO-[WAR])

12. Thompson, P. (2005). The battle for Singapore: The true story of the greatest catastrophe of World War Two. London: Portrait Books, p. 297.(Call no.: RSING 940.5425 THO-[WAR])

13. Tan, S. T. L., et al. (2011). Battle for Singapore: Fall of the impregnable fortress. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, p. 236. (Call no.: 940.5425957 TAN-[WAR])

14. Tan, S. T. L., et al. (2011). Battle for Singapore: Fall of the impregnable fortress. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, p. 253. (Call no.: 940.5425957 TAN-[WAR])

15. Tan, S. T. L., et al. (2011). Battle for Singapore: Fall of the impregnable fortress. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, pp. 261–262. (Call no.: 940.5425957 TAN-[WAR])

16. Tan, S. T. L., et al. (2011). Battle for Singapore: Fall of the impregnable fortress. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, p. 264. (Call no.: 940.5425957 TAN-[WAR])

17. Tan, S. T. L., et al. (2011). Battle for Singapore: Fall of the impregnable fortress. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, p. 244. (Call no.: 940.5425957 TAN-[WAR])

18. Tan, S. T. L., et al. (2011). Battle for Singapore: Fall of the impregnable fortress. Singapore: National Archives of Singapore, p. 290. (Call no.: 940.5425957 TAN-[WAR])

19. Corfield, J., & Corfield, R. (2012). The fall of Singapore: 90 days – November 1941–February 1942. Singapore: Talisman Publishing, p. 656. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425957 COR-[WAR])

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30 January 2022 > 27 Jamadilakhir 1443H: 8.47 am

Battle of Opium Hill

CREDIT : SINGAPORE INFOPEDIA

The battle of Opium Hill took place on 14 February 1942 during the Japanese invasion of Singapore. Part of the wider battle for Pasir Panjang, the battle of Opium Hill is remembered for the heroic last stand of 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and the soldiers from C Company of the Malay Regiment’s 1st Battalion, against the 18th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA). 

Today, a WWII interpretive centre named Reflections at Bukit Chandu stands near the battle site to commemorate the heroism of the Malay Regiment.

Background

Opium Hill, or Bukit Chandu in Malay, stands on Pasir Panjang Ridge (now Kent Ridge) and derives its name from the opium-processing factory located at the foot of the hill. During the closing stages of the Battle of Singapore, the entire ridge formed part of the western end of the final British defence perimeter around Singapore. The ridge also protected the Alexandra area, where the British Military Hospital (now Alexandra Hospital) and vital British ammunition depots were located.

The Malay Regiment, with 1,400 men in its 1st and 2nd Battalions, was responsible for defending the Pasir Panjang Ridge. The 2nd Battalion defended the area between Ayer Rajah Road and the Gap (South Buona Vista Road), with A and C Companies of 1st Battalion guarding its left flank along the length of Reformatory Road. The 2nd Loyal Regiment, a British formation, was deployed to guard the 2nd Battalion’s right flank.

Battle of Pasir Panjang

On the morning of 13 February, the battle for Pasir Panjang commenced with an intense Japanese aerial and artillery bombardment of the Malay Regiment’s positions, inflicting heavy casualties and disrupting telephone communications. The 1st Battalion’s A Company was decimated by accurate Japanese artillery fire and was forced to withdraw from its advance positions. 

In the afternoon, the Japanese 18th Division, supported by mortars, tanks and aircraft, attacked the 2nd Battalion at Point 270 on Buona Vista Hill along the Pasir Panjang Ridge. Critically short of ammunition, the 2nd Battalion was forced to yield Point 270 and retreated through the Gap. The loss of Point 270 gave the IJA control over the western side of the ridge, exposing the right flank of C Company at Pasir Panjang Village to Japanese enfilade fire.

Despite being outnumbered and outflanked, C Company held the Pasir Panjang Village crossroads against Japanese attacks, strengthened by the remaining soldiers of A Company and two Bren carriers of the Loyal Regiment. 

Unable to advance, the Japanese set fire to the nearby undergrowth and set up a mortar position to bombard the Malay Regiment defenders. Private Yaacob bin Bidin of C Company crawled through the burning undergrowth to eliminate this Japanese mortar team with his light machine gun. Private Yaacob survived the war and was later awarded the Military Medal by the British for his bravery.

The battles on 13 February exacted a severe toll on the 1st Battalion, with four officers reported killed and eight wounded along with a “considerable” number of casualties from other ranks. The much-depleted 2nd Battalion became a brigade reserve and moved to Alexandra Brickworks, taking no further part in the battle.

By midnight on 13 February, the 1st Battalion withdrew to reconsolidate its defence. C Company left Pasir Panjang Village to take up a new defensive position at Opium Hill on the Pasir Panjang Ridge. To its left, B Company was deployed to cover the approaches to Buona Vista Village, while D Company held the Labrador area on the right flank of C Company. C and D Companies were separated by a drain of burning oil that flowed from the nearby Normanton Oil Depot, whose storage tanks had been set ablaze on 10 February 1942 by enemy action.

Last stand on Opium Hill

The Japanese bombarded Malay Regiment positions on the morning of 14 February. Supported by their tanks, the Japanese then launched a simultaneous attack along Buona Vista Road and Pasir Panjang Road in the afternoon. Lieutenant A. G. Mackenzie of B Company received the Military Cross for single-handedly eliminating a Japanese infantry gun crew, after coming to the rescue of a damaged Bren Carrier. From its vantage point on the ridge, C Company assisted the 2nd Loyal Regiment in driving off a separate Japanese attack with enfilade fire. Unfortunately, the Japanese troops overran B Company’s position, forcing the company to withdraw to the beach and join D Company at Labrador. This isolated C Company in between the Japanese troops on its left and the burning oil on its right.

During the attack on B Company, some Japanese troops, disguised as Punjabi soldiers, attempted to infiltrate C Company’s position on Opium Hill in the early afternoon. 

This ruse was uncovered by 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Saidi and 2nd Lieutenant Abbas bin Abdul Manan, who noticed the troops were marching in columns of four instead of the usual three, as was the norm for the British military. C Company then opened fire at close range, killing and wounding around 22 Japanese soldiers and forcing the rest to retreat.

Two hours after this failed infiltration attempt, the Japanese troops launched a direct attack on Opium Hill in superior numbers, supported by their aircraft and artillery. C Company Commander Captain H. R. Rix gave orders to defend the position, fighting fearlessly and inspiring his troops. 

The C Company soldiers, led by their officers, engaged in hand-to-hand combat until they were killed by Japanese troops. Adnan, a company officer in the 7th Platoon, fought on despite being mortally wounded and encouraged his men to continue fighting. Rix died fighting, with his body found after the battle among 12 other deceased Malay Regiment soldiers. 

In another platoon, Lieutenant Stephen led a bayonet charge to drive off the attacking Japanese after many of his men were killed or wounded, sacrificing himself in the attempt.The heroic actions of Rix and Adnan earned them mentions in despatches after the war.

As the Japanese overran Opium Hill, Abbas and the remainder of his platoon attempted to fight their way out. Finding their retreat cut off by the burning drain, Abbas and his remaining soldiers could only jump across the 20-foot gap, losing two men who fell into the flames. Abbas became the only officer from C Company to survive the battle of Opium Hill, returning to his battalion headquarters that evening with three men.

After capturing Opium Hill, the Japanese troops massacred the surviving soldiers of C Company. Adnan was taken captive by the Japanese, who shot and repeatedly bayonetted him to death. His body was hung upside down from a tree, where the Japanese refused to let work parties cut his body down for burial. Other C Company members like Corporal Din and Private Wan Ngah survived the massacre and escaped after dark.

Aftermath

After taking Pasir Panjang Ridge, Japanese forces advanced into the Alexandra area. With the Alexandra Ammunition Magazine on the frontlines, British troops could not easily access the desperately needed ammunition. 

In an event later known as the Alexandra Hospital massacre, Japanese troops killed 50 defenceless patients and medical staff at the British Military Hospital. Around 200 survivors were then rounded up and massacred behind a nurse’s residence across Ayer Rajah Road.

At dusk, D Company successfully ambushed Japanese troops marching down Pasir Panjang Road near the Alexandra Brickworks area. This would be the Malay Regiment’s last combat before the British surrender on 15 February 1942.

Commemoration

After the war, in 1947, the Department of Public Relations of the Malay Peninsular published The Malay Regiment 1933–1947 that chronicles the heroic deeds of the Malay Regiment. 

In 1995, a war memorial plaque in Kent Ridge Park was unveiled to commemorate the battle of Pasir Panjang and the Malay Regiment. A concrete pillbox on Pasir Panjang Road was also marked in 1998.

In 1992, members of the local Malay community suggested preserving the pre-war bungalow at 31-K Pepys Road on Opium Hill as a museum. At the cost of S$4.8 million, the bungalow was developed as Reflections at Bukit Chandu to commemorate the battle of Opium Hill and the heroism of the Malay Regiment. Reflections at Bukit Chandu was officially opened on 15 February 2002, coinciding with the 70th anniversary of the fall of Singapore. Since 2018, the centre has undergone a revamp and is slated to reopen in mid-2021.

In 2014, two veterans of the battle of Pasir Panjang, Corporal Mohammad Haji Eunos and Private Ujang Mormin, visited Reflections at Bukit Chandu on their first trip to Singapore since the end of World War II. When Ujang Mormin passed away from COVID-19 in February 2021, he was the last living Malay Regiment veteran who had fought at the battle of Pasir Panjang.

Authors

Nor-Afidah A Rahman, Nureza Ahmad & Alec Soong

References

1. Dol Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment 1933–1942,” Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society 38, no. 1 (207) (1965): 235. (Call no.: RCLOS 959.5 JMBRAS-[HYT])

2. Brian P. Farrell, The Defence and Fall of Singapore 1940–1942 (Singapore: Monsoon, 2015), 426. (Call no.: RSING 940.5425957 FAR-[WAR]); Hamzah Muzaini and Brenda S. A. Yeoh, “War Landscapes as ‘Battlefields’ of Collective Memories: Reading the Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Singapore,” Cultural Geographies 12, no. 3 (July 2005): 348. (From JSTOR via NLB’s eResources website)

3. Muzaini and Yeoh, “War Landscapes,” 348–49.

4. Mubin Sheppard, The Malay Regiment 1933–1947 (Kuala Lumpur: Department of Public Relations, 1947), 18. (Call no.: RCLOS 355.31 SHE-[RFL]); “Preparing Opium For Smokers,” Straits Times, 5 May 1930, 15; Fascinating Processes Inspected,” Malaya Tribune, 3 May 1930, 9. (From NewspaperSG).

5. Farrell, The Defence and Fall of Singapore, 423, 425.

6. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 237.

7. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 228; Farrell, The Defence and Fall of Singapore, 424.

8. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 232–33.)

9. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 15.

10. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 232.

11. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 233; Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 16.

12. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 15.

13. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 235.

14. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 235.

15. Farrell, The Defence and Fall of Singapore, 425.

16. Farrell, The Defence and Fall of Singapore, 425

17. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 236.

18. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 236.

19. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 16.

20. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 16.

21. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 16.

22. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 236–37.

23. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 236.

24. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 16.

25. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 16.

26. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 17.

27. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 238.

28. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 237–38.

29. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 238.

30. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 17.

31. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 238.

32. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 17.

33. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

34. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 239.

35. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 239.

36. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 239.

37. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

38. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

39. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

40. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 239.

41. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

42. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 51–52; “No. 37671,” London Gazette (Supplement), 30 July 1946, 3921, accessed 16 March 2021.

43. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

44. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

45. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

46. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment, 18.

47. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 239.

48. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 239.

49. The Malays Fought As Well As The Best Empire Troops, Straits Times, 6 May 1947, 8. (From NewspaperSG); Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 239.

50. Farrell, The Defence and Fall of Singapore, 428–29.

51. Farrell, The Defence and Fall of Singapore, 427.

52. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 240.

53. Ramli, “History of the Malay Regiment,” 240.

54. Sheppard, The Malay Regiment.

55. “Kent Ridge Honours Those Who Died in WWII,” Straits Times, 11 June 1995, 3; “WWII Plaque Holds Special Significance For 2 Retired Army Men,” Straits Times, 11 June 1995, 23; “Marking of WWII Sites to Serve as Reminder,” Straits Times, 9 June 1995, 29. (From NewspaperSG).

56. “WWII Machine-Gun Pillbox Marked,” Straits Times, 15 February 1998, 25. (From NewspaperSG)

57. “WWII Bungalow as Museum?” Straits Times, 1 March 1992, 2; Yohanna Abdullah, “Make Bungalow at WWII Battleground a Museum,” Straits Times, 1 March 1992, 16; Abdul Rahman b. Mohd Said, “War Museum Must Be a Collective Effort,” Straits Times, 12 March 1992, 28; Chan Kwee Sung, “Saluting the War Heroes,” Straits Times, 8 February 2002, 16. (From NewspaperSG); Donna Brunero, “Archives and Heritage in Singapore: The Development of ‘Reflections at Bukit Chandu’, a World War II Interpretive Centre,” International Journal of Heritage Studies 12, no. 5 (2006): 431. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527250600821613

58. Chan, “Saluting the War Heroes,” 16; Brunero, “Archives and Heritage in Singapore,” 431–32.

59. Derek Wong, “Reflections at Bukit Chandu to Be Revamped,” Straits Times, 31 August 2018, accessed 14 March 2021.

60. Melody Zaccheus, “Veterans Relive Battle of Pasir Panjang,” Straits Times, 7 March 2014, 4. (From NewspaperSG)

61. “Ujang Mormin, Who Fought in Historic Battle of Pasir Panjang, Dies After Contracting COVID-19,” Channel News Asia, 11 February 2021, accessed 10 May 2021; “Private Ujang Mormin, Last Survivor of Battle of Pasir Panjang during WWII, Dies Due to Covid-19,” Straits Times, 10 February 2021, accessed 10 May 2021.

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Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, KL

30 January 2022 > 27 Jamadilakhir 1443H: 7.35 am

Further resources

Kevin Blackburn and Karl Hack, War Memory and the Making of Modern Malaysia and Singapore (Singapore: NUS Press, 2012). (Call no. RSING 940.53595 BLA-[WAR]).

Frank Owen, The Fall of Singapore (London: Penguin Books, 2001), 192–203. (Call no. RSING 940.5425 OWE-[WAR])

“Proud Day for Malay Regiment,” Straits Times, 13 February 1957, 7. (From NewspaperSG)

“Remember S’pore, Malay Regt. Told,” Straits Times, 14 February 1952, 4. (From NewspaperSG)

Alan Warren, Singapore 1942: Britain’s Greatest Defeat (Singapore: Talisman, 2002), 255–61. (Call no. RSING 940.5425 WAR-[WAR])

COMMONWEALTH FORCE AT MALAYA > WORLD WAR II

Formation and Structure

In November 1940, the total strength of Malaya Command was 17 battalions. The Indian Army contingent was mainly organised as III Corps with their HQ based in Kuala Lumpur.

When Japanese forces invaded Malaya on 8 December 1941, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) Malaya in charge of Malaya Command, with a force of 88,600 faced the 70,000 strong Twenty Fifth Army of the Imperial Japanese Army under the command of General Tomoyuki Yamashita.

Allied Land Forces (8 December 1941)

As of 8 December 1941

Indian III Corps

• As of 7 December 1941

Commanding Officer III Indian Corps – Lt Gen Lewis Heath

• Indian 9th Infantry Division

Maj-Gen Arthur Barstow ( †, 28 January 1942 at Layang-Layang near Bota)

HQ: Kuala Lumpur

• 8th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig Bethold Key

HQ: Kota Bharu

• 2nd Battalion, 10th Baluch Regiment – Lt. Col. John Griffeth Frith
• 2nd Battalion, 12th Frontier Force Regiment – Lt. Col. Arthur Cumming
• 1st Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles – Lt. Col. Clarence Gilbert
• 3rd Battalion, 17th Dogra Regiment – Lt. Col. George Allen Preston
• 21st Mountain Battery, Indian Artillery – Major John Bertram Sopper
• 19th Field Company (Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners) - Major M. Delmé Radcliffe RE

• 22nd Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig Gordon Painter

HQ: Kuantan

• 5th Battalion, 11th Sikh Regiment – Lt. Col. John Henry Devereux Parkin
• 2nd Battalion, 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles – Lt. Col. Guy Edward Ross Stewart Hartigan MC
• 5th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. Edward William Francis Jephson
• 22nd Field Company (Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners) - Major H.T. Heard RE

• Command Troops

• 4th Battalion, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces (Pahang) – Lt. Col. James Oliphant Mackellar (d.12 March 1945)
• 88th (2nd West Lancashire) Field Regiment RA – Lt. Col. Sylvain Claude D'Aubuz
• 42nd Field Park Company (Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners)- Major Thomas Wilfried Nash

• Indian 11th Infantry Division

Maj-Gen David Murray-Lyon/Brig Archibald Paris/Maj-Gen Berthold Wells Key

HQ: Sungai Petani

• 6th Indian Infantry Brigade

Brig William Oswald Lay/Lt. Col. Henry Sloane Larkin

HQ: Jitra

• 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment – Lt. Col. George Edward Swinton
• 1st Battalion, 8th Punjab Regiment – Lt. Col. Ronald Charles Sidney Bates ( †, 12 December 1941)
• 2nd Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment – Lt. Col. Henry Sloane Larkin (Died as a POW on 1 January 1944)
• 22nd Mountain Artillery Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. George Leonard Hughes
• 3rd Field Company (King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners) - Major A.R. Beattie RE

• 15th Indian Infantry Brigade (III Corps Reserve)

Brig Kenneth Alfred Garrett/Brig. William St.John Carpendale

HQ: Jitra

• 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment – Lt. Col. Charles Esmond Morrison
• 2nd Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment – Lt. Col. Charles Knowler Tester
• 1st Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment – Lt. Col. Leslie Vernon "James" Fitzpatrick
• 23rd Field Company (Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners) - Major John Eglington Bate RE^[2]

• 28th (Gurkha) Infantry Brigade

Brig William St J. Carpendale/Lt. Col. Wallace Raymond Selby

HQ: Ipoh

• 2nd Battalion, 1st Gurkha Rifles – Lt. Col. John Oswald "Jack" Fulton ( †, 8 January 1942 at Slim River)
• 2nd Battalion, 2nd Gurkha Rifles – Lt. Col. Geoffrey Harley Douglas Woollcombe (Died Indian Ocean, 28 Feb. 1942)
• 2nd Battalion, 9th Gurkha Rifles – Lt. Col. Wallace Raymond Selby/Lt. Col. Maurice Bryer Allsebrook DSO MC
• 17th Field Company (Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners) - Major N.S. Bhagat – IE

• 11th Division Command Troops

• 3rd Cavalry (IA) – Lt. Col. Julian Gerald Barnes De Wilton
• 137th (2nd West Lancashire) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. Gilbert Daly Holmes ( † at Slim River)
• 155th (Lanarkshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. Alan Murdoch ( † at Slim River)
• 80th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. William E.S. Napier
• 85th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. A.J. Lardner-Clarke - arrived Singapore 13 January 1942
• 1st Independent Company – Major Sheppard Percy Fearon
• 43rd Field Park Company, (King George V's Bengal Sappers and Miners)

• Krohcol

Lt. Col. Henry Dawson Moorhead

• 5th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment (3 Companies) – Lt. Col. Cyril Lovesy Lawrence Stokes ( † in captivity on 15th February 1942 following the Battle of Slim River) 
• 3rd Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment – Lt. Col. Henry Dawson Moorehead ( † at Battle of Muar)
• 2/3rd Australian Motor Company - Capt. George Arthur Carrick Kiernan

• Line of Communications Brigade

Brig Robert Gifford Moir

• 1st Battalion, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces (Perak) - Lt Col. J.E.G. "Jim" Staley
• 2nd Battalion, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces (Selangor) - Lt. Col. W.M. "Jimmie" James
• 3rd Battalion, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces (Negeri Sembilan) – Lt. Col. C.F.H. Riches
• 1st (Light) Field Regiment, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces (Equipped 4 x 3.7" How)
• Armoured Car Squadron, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces (Equipped 9 Armoured Cars) – Major C.E. Collinge
• Signals Battalion, Federated Malay States Volunteer Forces - Lt. Col. Stanley P. Moreton

• Fortress Penang

Brig Cyril Arthur Lyon

HQ: Penang

• D Company, 5th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment - Lieutenant Edward John Ellis
• 3rd Battalion, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (Penang and Province Wellesley Volunteer Corps) - Lt. Col. The Hon Ernest De Buriatte
• 11th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. M.L. More
• 2nd Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Indian Artillery

• Support Units

• 5th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment (assigned to Krohcol) - Lt. Col. Cyril Lovesy Lawrence Stokes ( † in captivity on 15th February 1942 following the Battle of Slim River) 
• 3rd Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment (assigned to Krohcol) – Lt. Col. Henry Moorhead ( † at Battle of Muar)
• 1st Battalion, Mysore Infantry (Indian States Forces) – Lt. Col. Kenneth Harvey Preston
• 1st Battalion, Bahawalpur Infantry (Indian States Forces) – Lt. Col. Harry Ernest Tyrell
• 1st Battalion, Hyderabad Regiment (Indian States Forces) – Lt. Col. Charles Albert Hendrick ( †, 10 December 1941 at Kota Bharu)
• 11th Indian Division Signal Regiment

• Corps Troops

• 45 Army Troops Company (Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners)
• 46 Army Troops Company (Queen Victoria’s Own Madras Sappers and Miners)
• 1 Artisan Works Company (Royal Bombay Sappers and Miners)

Australian 8th Division

• Australian 8th Division

Maj Gen Gordon Bennett

HQ: Kluang

• 2/10th Field Regiment (Equipped 8 × 18-Pdr and 16 × 4.5" How. / re-equipped with 24 × 25-Pdr between 9–12 January 1942) - Lt.Col. A.W. Walsh
• 2/15th Field Regiment (Equipped 24 × 25-Pdr) - Lt. Col. J.W. Wright
• 4th Anti-Tank Regiment (Equipped 12 × 2-Pdr / 24 × 75mm) – Lt. Col. Cranston Albury McEachern
• 2/10th Field Company - Major K.P.H Lawrence
• 2/12th Field Company - Major J.A.L. Shaw
• 2/6th Field Park Company - Capt. T.T. Lewis

• Australian 22nd Brigade

Brig Harold Burfield Taylor

HQ: Mersing – Endau

• 2/18th Australian Infantry Battalion – Lt. Col. Arthur Varley (Died as POW 13 September 1944)
• 2/19th Australian Infantry Battalion – Lt. Col. Charles Anderson
• 2/20th Australian Infantry Battalion – Lt. Col. Charles Frederick Assheton † (12 February 1942)

• Australian 27th Brigade

Brig Duncan Maxwell

HQ: Kluang

• 2/26th Australian Infantry Battalion – Lt. Col. Arthur Harold Boyes † (12 February 1942)/Richard Oakes
• 2/29th Australian Infantry Battalion – Lt. Col. John Charles Robertson † (18 Jan. 1942 during Battle of Muar)/ Lt. Col. Pond
• 2/30th Australian Infantry Battalion – Lt. Col. Frederick Gallagher "Jack" Galleghan

Fortress Singapore

Commanding Officer – Maj Gen Frank Keith Simmons HQ: Singapore

• Fortress Singapore Division

Maj Gen F. K. Simmons

• 1st Malaya Brigade

Brig George Giffard Rawson Williams

• 2nd Battalion, Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) – Lt. Col. Mordaunt Elrington
• 1st Battalion, Malay Regiment – Lt. Col. James Richard Glencoe André
• 2nd Battalion, Malay Regiment – Lt. Col. Frederick Walter Young

• 2nd Malaya Brigade

Brig Francis Hugh Fraser

• 1st Battalion, Manchester Regiment – Lt. Col. Edward Barclay Holmes
• 2nd Battalion, Gordon Highlanders – Lt. Col. John Heslop Stitt/Richard Gilbert Lees
• 2nd Battalion, 17th Dogra Regiment – Lt. Col. Sidney Clermont Scott

• Straits Settlements Volunteer Force Brigade

Col Francis Reginald Grimwood

• 1st Battalion, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (Singapore Volunteer Corps) – Lt. Col. Thomas Henry Newey
• 2nd Battalion, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (Singapore Volunteer Corps) - Lt. Col. Donald G. Macleod
• 4th Battalion, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (Malacca Volunteer Corps) – Lt. Col. Charles Alexander Scott
• Singapore Armoured Car Company, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force

• Royal Engineers Brigade

Brig Ivan Simson

• 30th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
• 34th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
• 35th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
• 41st Fortress Company, Royal Engineers

• Artillery

Commander, Air Defences, Singapore – Brig Alec Warren Greenlaw Wildey

• 1st (Heavy) Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Indian Artillery - Lt. Col. John Rowley Williamson DSO
• 1st Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery - Lt. Col. Archer Edwards Tawney
• 2nd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. Howard Wincent Allpres
• 3rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery - Lt. Col. Denis Vivian Hill
• 3rd Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery - Lt. Col. Francis Edgar Hugonin
• 5th Searchlight Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. R.A.O. Clarke

Commander, Fixed Defences, Singapore – Brigadier A.D. Curtis

• 7th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. Hereward Douglas St. George Cardew
• 9th Coast Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. Charles Philip Heath
• 16th Defence Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. M.S.H. Maxwell-Gumbleton

• Support Units

• Half Strength Jind Infantry Battalion (Indian States Forces) (½ Strength) – Lt. Col. Gurbaksh Singh
• Half Strength Kapurthala Infantry Battalion (Indian States Forces) (½ Strength) - Major Aziz Ahmad
• Dalforce – Lt. Col. John Dalley

Malaya Command Reserve

Commanding Officer: Brig.A.C.M. Paris/Lt. Col. I.M. Stewart HQ: Port Dickson

• 12th Indian Infantry Brigade – Brig.A.C.M. Paris/Lt. Col. I.M. Stewart

HQ: Port Dickson

• 2nd Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders – Lt. Col. I.M.Stewart/ Lt. Col. Lindsay Robertson ( † 20 January 1942)
• 5th Battalion, 2nd Punjab Regiment – Lt. Col. Cecil Deakin
• 4th Battalion, 19th Hyderabad Regiment – Lt. Col. Eric Lawrence Wilson-Haffenden/Lt. Col. Herbert Lawrence Hill
• 122nd (West Riding) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery – Lt. Col. George St.John Armitage Dyson ( † 22 November 1942)
• 15 Field Company (Queen Victoria’s Own Madras Sappers and Miners) - Major R. B. Muir RE

Sarawak Force (SARFOR)

Commanding Officer: Lt-Col Charles Malet Lane HQ: Kuching

• SARFOR

Lt-Col C. M. Lane

HQ: Kuching

• 2nd Battalion, 15th Punjab Regiment – (this battalion took part in the Battle of Borneo where it surrendered).
• Sarawak Coastal Marine Service
• Sarawak Volunteer Corps
• Sarawak Rangers
• Sarawak Armed Police
• 35th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
• 6" Guns Battery, Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery

Christmas Island

Commanding Officer: Capt Leonard Walter Thomas Williams HQ: Christmas Island

• 6" Gun, Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery

Reinforcements

Arrived January 3rd 1942 – February 5th 1942

In addition to the units listed below a number of replacement drafts were sent to Singapore on convoys MS2 from Melbourne arriving 24/1/1942 and BM12 from Bombay arriving 5/2/1942

• 44th Indian Infantry Brigade - (Arrived 25-Jan-1942 Convoy BM10) – Brigadier George Cecil Ballentine

• 6th Battalion, 1st Punjab Regiment – Lt. Col. James Dow Sainter MC
• 7th Battalion, 8th Punjab Regiment – Lt. Col. Willis Southern
• 6th Battalion, 14th Punjab Regiment - Lt. Col. Louis Sobaux Ingle MC

• 45th Indian Infantry Brigade - (Arrived 3-Jan-1942 Convoy BM9A) – Brigadier Herbert Cecil Duncan ( † at Battle of Muar)

• 7th Battalion, 6th Rajputana Rifles - Lt. Col. James Albert Lewis ( † at Battle of Muar)
• 4th Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment – Lt. Col. John Whittaker Williams ( † at Battle of Muar)
• 5th Battalion, 18th Royal Garhwal Rifles – Lt. Col. James H.C. Woolridge ( † at Battle of Muar)
• 13th Indian Auxiliary Pioneer Battalion

• 13th Indian Field Company (Madras Sappers and Miners) (Arrived 3-Jan-1942 Convoy BM9A) - Major B.E. Whitman RE^[2]
• 100th Light Tank Squadron (Arrived 29-Jan-1942 Convoy BM11) – Major Jack Alford ( † 12 Feb 1942) equipped Carden Lloyd Tankettes

• 18th Infantry Division – Major-General Merton Beckwith-Smith

• 53rd Infantry Brigade - (Arrived 13 January 1942 Convoy DM1) – Brig. Cecil Leonard Basil Duke

• 5th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment – Lt. Col. Eric Charles Prattley
• 6th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment – Lt. Col. Ian Conway Gilford Lywood ( † at Alexandra Hospital Massacre)
• 2nd Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment – Lt. Col. Gordon Calthorpe Thorne (Died, Indian Ocean while attempting to escape)

• 54th Infantry Brigade - (Arrived 29 January 1942 Convoy BM11) – Brig. Edward Henry Walford Backhouse

• 4th Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment – Lt. Col. Alfred Ernest Knights
• 4th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment – Lt. Col. Alec Albert Johnson
• 5th Battalion, Suffolk Regiment – Lt. Col. Lionel John Baker

• 55th Infantry Brigade - (Arrived 29 January 1942 Convoy BM11) – Brig. Tristram Hugh "Tim" Massy-Beresford

• 5th Battalion, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment – Lt. Col. Douglas Rhys Thomas
• 1/5th Battalion, Sherwood Foresters – Lt. Col. Harold Hutchinson Lilly
• 1st Battalion, Cambridgeshire Regiment – Lt. Col. Gerald Goodwin Carpenter

• Divisional Troops

• 9th Battalion, Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (Machine Gun Battalion) - (Arrived 5-Feb-1942 Convoy BM12) – Lt. Col. Lechmere Cay Thomas
• 18th Reconnaissance Battalion, Reconnaissance Corps 5th Battalion Loyal Regiment (North Lancashire) - (Arrived 5 February 1942 Convoy BM12) – Lt. Col. Henry Arnold Fitt

• Royal Artillery

• 118th (8th London) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery (TA) - (Arrived 29 January 1942 Convoy BM11) – Lt. Col. C.E.Mackellar
• 135th (East Anglian) (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - (Arrived 13 January 1942 Convoy DM1) – Lt. Col. Philip Toosey
• 148th (Bedfordshire Yeomanry) Field Regiment, Royal Artillery - (Arrived 29 January 1942 Convoy BM11) – Lt. Col. S.W.Harris
• 85th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery - (Arrived 13 January 1942 Convoy DM1) – Lt. Col. Andrew John Lardner-Clarke
• 125th (Northumbrian) Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery - (Arrived 5 February 1942 Convoy BM12) – Lt. Col. James Dean
• 35th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (144th Battery and part of 89th Battery) (Arrived 13 January 1942 Convoy DM1) – Lt. Col. John Bassett
• 6th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery (part) (Arrived 13 January 1942 Convoy DM1)– Lt. Col. G.W.G Baass

• Royal Army Medical Corps

• 186th Field Ambulance
• 196th Field Ambulance
• 197th Field Ambulance^[6] (Arrived 5 February 1942 Convoy BM12)

• Royal Engineers

• 287th Field Company
• 288th Field Company
• 560th Field Company
• 251st Field Park Company (Arrived 5-Feb-1942 Convoy BM12)

• Australian
  • 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion (Arrived 24 January 1942 Convoy MS2) – Lt. Col. M.J.Anketell  † (Feb. 1942)

Allied Air Force units in Malaya December 1941

There were 161 front line aircraft, including three Royal Netherlands Air Force Catalina flying boats, based in Malaya and on Singapore Island on 8 December 1941. These units came under the control of Far East Air Force (Royal Air Force) under the command of Air Vice Marshal C.W.H.Pulford until February 1942 when Air Vice Marshal P.C.Maltby^[7] took command.

Based on Singapore Island

Brewster Buffalo Mark Is from No. 453 Squadron RAAF being inspected by RAF personnel at Sembawang Airfield, Singapore on 12 October 1941.

• RAF Seletar;
• No. 36 Squadron RAF – 6 × Vickers Vildebeest
• No. 100 Squadron RAF – 12 × Vickers Vildebeest
• No. 205 Squadron RAF – 3 × PBY Catalina
• RAF Tengah;
• No. 34 Squadron RAF – 16 × Bristol Blenheim IV
• RAF Sembawang;
• No. 453 Squadron RAAF – 16 × Brewster Buffalo
• RAF Kallang;
• No. 243 Squadron RAF – 14 × Brewster Buffalo
• No. 488 Squadron RNZAF – 16 × Brewster Buffalo

Based in Northern Malaya

• Sungei Patani;
• No. 21 Squadron RAAF – 12 × Brewster Buffalo
• No. 27 Squadron RAF – 12 × Bristol Blenheim I
• RAF Kota Bharu;
• No. 1 Squadron RAAF – 12 × Lockheed Hudson
• Detachment from No. 243 Squadron RAF – 2 × Brewster Buffalo
• Gong Kedak;
• Detachment from No. 36 Squadron RAF – 6 × Vickers Videbeest
• RAF Kuantan;
• No. 8 Squadron RAAF – 12 × Lockheed Hudson
• No. 60 Squadron RAF – 8 × Bristol Blenheim
• Alor Star;
• No. 62 Squadron RAF – 11 × Bristol Blenheim

Commanders-in-Chief

Commanders-in-Chief have included:^[13][14][15]

GOC Troops in the Straits Settlements

• until early 1900: Major-General John Baillie Ballantyne Dickson^[16]
• 1903–1905 Major-General Arthur Dorward
• 1905–1907 Major-General Inigo Jones
• 1907–1910 Major-General Thomas Perrott
• 1910–1914 Major-General Theodore Stephenson
• 1914–1915 Major-General Raymond Reade
• 1915–1921 Major-General Sir Dudley Ridout
• 1921–1924 Major-General Sir Neill Malcolm

GOC Malaya Command

• 1924–1927 Major-General Sir Theodore Fraser
• 1927–1929 Major-General Sir Casimir van Straubenzee
• 1929–1931 Major-General Harry Pritchard
• 1931–1934 Major-General Sir Louis Oldfield
• 1934–1935 Major-General Ernest Lewin
• 1935–1939 Major-General Sir William Dobbie
• 1939–1941 Lieutenant-General Sir Lionel Bond
• 1941–1942 Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival^[17]

Note from 1943 to 1945 Malaya was under Japanese control

• Nov–Dec 1945 Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey
• 1945–1946 Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Messervy
• 1946–1947 Lieutenant-General Sir Alexander Galloway

GOC Malaya District

• 1947–1948 Major-General Ashton Wade
• 1948–1950 Major-General Sir Charles Boucher

GOC Malaya

• 1950–1952 Major-General Roy Urquhart
• 1952–1954 Major-General Sir Hugh Stockwell
• 1954–1956 Lieutenant-General Sir Geoffrey Bourne
• 1956–1957 Lieutenant-General Sir Roger Bower

See also[edit]

• Japanese Order of Battle, Malayan Campaign

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1. Malaya Command

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