15 February 1942. Singapore.
Lieutenant-General Percival’s Chief of Staff, Brigadier Kenneth Torrance, noted that Percival seemed slightly off colour. The GOC Malaya Command explained that he hadn’t slept well the previous night, he’d had a nightmare about walking up a road in a group who were carrying both the union flag and a white flag, surrendering his command to a Japanese general. He’s woken up covered in sweat and the dream had been so real he couldn’t get back to sleep.
Torrance made sure that his CO had a cup of tea, and then handed him a signal that had just come in from London. The Prime Minister congratulated Percival for his defence of northern Malaya, the success of the counterattack and noted that the congratulations should be passed on to everyone under his command.
The sting in the tail was that, after consultations with General Auchinleck, it was decided that a new Army would be formed in Malaya from the forces currently under Percival’s Command. The creation of the 12th Army, consisting of Indian III Corps, Australian I Corps, (with another Corps to be added) would be under the command of Lieutenant General Alan Cunningham.
General Auchinleck arrived later that morning to explain to Percival a bit more about why London had decided to make the change.
Cunningham had conquered the Italians in East Africa, and General Alan Brooke (Chief of the Imperial General Staff CIGS) was strongly of the opinion that he was the best man for the job. Lieutenant-General Heath (GOC III Indian Corps) would no doubt be delighted as they had worked well together in East Africa. Percival guessed that Bill Slim in Burma would be happy for the same reason. In some ways Percival was a little relieved. Commanding his forces was a strain, especially in the early days when so many things could have gone wrong.
Percival didn’t know Cunningham personally, though his reputation in bringing together Empire Forces from South Africa, East and West Africa, British and Sudanese was well appreciated. After the destruction of the Italians, Cunningham had been recalled to England, where he’d spent time in the War Office trying to help senior officers think through Corps and Army level command. Percival knew that he could have done with that kind of training before being appointed to Malaya. The other advantage, and this was perhaps why General Alan Brooke was keen to have Cunningham in command, was that the campaign in East Africa had been over some pretty horrible terrain. Pushing the Japanese out of Malaya, Borneo, and perhaps French Indo-China, would likely be every bit as difficult.
As well as Cunningham, 12th Army was being sent reinforcements that would be British V Corps, under the command of Lieutenant-General Edmund Schreiber. The 1st, 4th and 51st Divisions were all designated to sail to Singapore on the next couple of Winston Special Convoys. This Corps would also have an Army Tank Brigade assigned to it, with enough reinforcements to beef up the current Tank Brigades for the III Indian and I Australian Corps. Corps and Army level units of Artillery, Engineers, Signals, Medical etc would also be arriving in due course.
The Australian Corps would eventually be joined by the Australian 1 Armoured Division, bringing it up to three Australian Divisions. The III Indian Corps had been receiving drafts of troops to bring 9th and 11th Divisions back up to full strength, and in due course, 19th Indian Division, nearing the completion of its training, would join them, allowing British 18th Division to become an Army reserve.
Auchinleck told Percival that he wanted him on his ABDA staff, but there were other options, if he chose to return home. CIGS had said that Percival would have his pick of a number of roles in the War Office after his showing in Malaya. There was some obvious flattery at play here to take the sting out of Percival losing Malaya Command. Auchinleck gave him some time to think about it, after all Cunningham wouldn’t take up command of 12th Army until the beginning of March. By then, if the Australian Corps carried on the way it was going, it might have knocked the Japanese back towards the Thai border.