Malaya What If

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Friday 15 August;

He stood on the bridge wing of HMS Prince of Wales, waving, with cigar in hand, to the ships of the convoy, who were crawling along at 7 knots, loaded, east bound for the UK, as Captain Leach led the escorting five destroyers racing through the convoy’s lines at a princely 22 knots. With her large man-of-war ensign and a number of other flags flying, everyone knew who was on board her, and ships whistles, waving hands and signaling lamps, spoke of their joy in knowing that.

For Churchill’s part, he was basking in the satisfaction of a mission accomplished, having a heart, resolute, and a mind firmly fixed on what to do. The secret meeting with “Mister President”, Franklin D Roosevelt, had gone as well as could be hoped, no declaration of war, but the US was being further bound into the allied cause.

And the cost, well it wasn’t what he wanted to pay, but the President had argued they needed such a lofty goal, a statement of an ideal of self-determination and self-government, freeing trade restrictions for all peoples of the world, to rally the cause. They’d called it the Atlantic Charter, and if it did the job and got the US into the war, so be it. But nothing had been signed, and he felt sure he could later put a spin on the interpretation of the principal points, sufficient to safeguard the Empire’s interests.

But what had also come across loud and clear from all the senior American delegation, was they were no lovers of the Empire, and wouldn’t be averse to its dissolvement. In short, Britain had to defend her Empire, the Americans wouldn’t. What also concerned him was Roosevelt’s firm belief that the Japanese would back down, the economic sanctions would ensure that.

With that in mind, he’d had a CoS meeting in the Admirals cabin, with Pound and Dill, discussing the Empire’s frailties, which these days quickly focused on the Far East. Having settled on a policy of allowing the US becoming the principal in dealing with Japan, and following her lead vis Japan, there was a need to ensure a sufficient defence was provided for British interests in the Far East. Churchill stated to them both, that he wanted the back door firmly shut.

The outcome was Dill would be allowed to send some of the resources he’d been suggesting for some time, along with the aircraft Portal had offered, and with a priority that would mess up some of the planned deployments and build ups, of men and material, as ships were re assigned new cargos and destinations. And while Churchill stood outside, waving to the convoy, a series of urgent signals were being prepared, to be sent out, as soon as they docked in Hvalfjord, Iceland, tomorrow.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Sunday 17 August;

The train had got them into Malacca, disembarking under the early afternoon burning sun, Lt Ben Hackney was soaked in sweat, along with everyone else. His sergeant quickly had the platoon fall in on the platform, and taking the queue from the one in front they marched out of the station onto Bona Vista Road, where the 2/29th battalion was assembling. Lt Col Robertson walked by calling all his company commanders together. Chaos, that’s the only thing Hackney could call it, chaos, and in this heat too. Transport hadn’t arrived, the battalion’s train had arrived an hour early, apparently, and they should wait, was what a staff officer was trying to explain to Robertson, but he wasn’t having any of that and the barking of orders soon told them all, they were marching to camp.

The men were moaning and bitching, but it was good natured stuff, and as they marched, he had time to take in the sights, sounds and smells of Malacca. He looked, on, almost in disbelief, the changes to his life, the big adventure, so much he had seen, and yet there was more to experience. Just a few weeks ago, late July, the component parts of the 27th Brigade had embarked on a number of Dutch liners, out of Sydney and Melbourne, along with remaining 8th Divisional units, and had sailed to Singapore. The sight of the big ships, in line astern, shepherded by Australian and Dutch warships, was exhilarating, such a force, and he was part of it all.

But in truth, it wasn’t the powerful force he imagined, but merely the last deployable one Australia had. The last brigade of the AIF to go overseas, it lacked the first-class weapons and equipment needed to fight a modern war. It shipped out of Australia with the Lewis machine gun as its squad weapon, with no Boys anti-tank rifles, and very few mortars. The artillery regiment, 2/15 Field, was equipped with 48 3-inch mortars, and limited bombs for them. The other half of the 2/4 AT Regiment was coming with no anti-tank guns, she would draw some from Malaya Command stocks, and the recently raised 8th Light Horse, the reconnaissance regiment, had only ever worked with light trucks, the Marmon Herrington armoured cars to equip her, waiting at Singapore. However, on the flip side, they were all volunteers, some of Australia’s finest, motivated, committed, and eager to learn.

The convoy had arrived in Singapore two days ago, docking at the Naval Base, preference given to the liner with the RAAF boys on board. Both air and ground crew to create a new Article XV squadron, RAAF 454, equipping with Blenheim Mk IV, along with some pilots backfilling other squadrons. They were followed by the Light Horse, who were marched off to a waiting train, before leaving for Seremban, and training with their new armoured cars. For the rest of them it was a march to a tented transit camp just outside the Naval Base, where they had rested, waiting for their designated trains to move them to Malacca.

What waited the Australians in Malacca was a number of camps around the outskirts of the town, still very much unfinished, and the beginnings of an airfield at Batu Berendam, where the undergrowth had been cleared and the land now being levelled. Here they would train, as they got used to the climate, all the while gradually re-equipping with newer weapons. Malacca was where the Second AIF was based, with her headquarters, support units, training camps and hospital, and here is where the last brigade came, completing the Division, much to Major General Gordon Bennett’s satisfaction.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Tuesday 19 August;

Vice Admiral Helfrich stood up, and while slowly looking around the room, he cleared his throat, before speaking. He was responding to a number of questions that had been asked of him, by the members of the Volksraad (People’s Council), in their fine colonial building, in uptown Batavia. Although it had no real power, nevertheless, the 30 fully elected Indonesians, along with 25 Dutch and 5 others, some of whom were elected, others appointed, held considerable influence and it was important to keep them abreast of events.

“Gentlemen, in answer to your questions as to the state of the Navy, I have this to report. Our Naval forces present in the Netherlands East Indies have undergone major changes since May 1940, and have been strengthen by the following additions.

The return of the light cruiser HNLMS Sumatra from the Netherlands, via the UK
The arrival of the large minelayer HNLMS Willem van der Zaan, again from the UK
The conversion from tug to small minelayer of HNLMS Soemenep
The commissioning of five out of a total of ten, Djember class auxiliary minesweepers, with the others to complete by April 1942.
The commissioning of six TM4 class Torpedo Boats, with the other six to complete by April 1942

Our shipyard work includes the conversion of a merchant ship into a depot and repair ship, and the building of two new 2,400-ton minelayers. Along with the increases in mine warfare ships, large numbers of mines are being produced or procured, enabling us to lay a good network of minefields throughout the islands. In addition, a growing number of ships have been or will be requisitioned and refitted to serve as auxiliary patrol vessels, while numerous smaller craft are continuing to be built.

A number of our warships, with more to follow, have been equipped and modified by the British, for anti-submarine work. They have then undergone extensive ASW training with the Royal Navy, before returning to the fleet. In addition, we have been and will continue to be rotating ship deployments with the British, so we can build a more effective working relationship with them.

The Naval Air Force has placed a large number of aircraft on order from the USA, which will greatly accelerate the expansion plan. This will require increasing our training facilities and aircraft. Nearly all of the 48 Ryan STM trainers have been delivered, the rest will arrive before the end of the year. Half of these are land based, the other half configured as float planes. 24 Beechcraft C-45 Expediter advance trainer aircraft have also been ordered. In addition, we are awaiting delivery of 24 Vought VS-310 floatplanes, these will replace the aging Fokker biplanes in the light reconnaissance role, as well as a training role.

To improve our offensive capabilities, we shortly expect the arrival of the first Catalina PBY of an order of 48, the completion of the order will be delivered in about six months. We also shortly intend to place an order with the American company Douglas for an initial 48 Douglas DB-7s, to be configured in the torpedo role, hopefully increasing that order to 80. First deliveries should arrive in February 1942.

Further substantial improvements to the Naval bases are in hand, improving our training, servicing & repair, and defence facilities. To improve communications among our many islands, an order for 48 Sikorsky S-43 twin engined flying boats will also be ordered, these aircraft can carry a maximum of 19 passengers, as well as their crew of three.

Gentlemen, I conclude, leaving you with this last thing, we have taken tremendous steps forward in improving the Navy, and more is to come, a lot more. You should be proud of the fact that our security is better than it ever was, and is improving daily. You can take comfort that should we be called upon to defend these islands, the Navy will not be found wanting. I hope that answers all your questions, thank you.”

Helfrich bowed to the applause, especially loud and vocal from a number of the Dutch representatives, before sitting down. What he thought privately was not for this gathering.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Wednesday 20 August;

The signal lamp winked out a jaunty message of mission complete, time to head home, to one to the two light cruisers, HMS Ajax, with Rear Admiral H B Rawlings aboard, the other, HMS Neptune, further seaward, as the ship shuddered, its engines responding to the request for more speed. HMS Latona, a newly built minelayer of the Abdiel Class, just commissioned in May, began her turn eastwards towards Alexandria, the battered port of Tobruk already lost in the black ink night behind her. Racing along with her were the three destroyers, HMS Kingston, HMS Kipling and HMAS Nizam, who had also made the trip in, and were just as heavily laden with troops from the Tobruk Garrison.

For over four months now, troops of the Australian 9th Division, under Lt Gen Leslie Morshead, known to his men as ‘Ming the Merciless’, had held the town against repeated German and Italian assaults, as well as coming under numerous air attacks. But growing concerns for the safety of the division, as well as the welfare of its men, had seen calls from the Australians for its relief. Two attempts on land to relieve it, operations, Brevity and Battleaxe had failed, a third attempt would be several months more in the coming. The Australians wouldn’t wait, and so the British High Command had devised a plan to replace the division with the British 70th Division, which was the British 6th, renamed to confusion German Intelligence about troop deployment, along with supporting units, including a Polish Brigade and a Czechoslovak infantry battalion, all by sea.

It was called Operation Treacle, and required fast warships to make quick passages during moonless periods, a three-day turnaround, to minimalise the expected air attacks on the ships. The first set of runs had begun yesterday with these ships, and would continue for ten days, planning to replace the whole 18th Australian Infantry Brigade, and supporting troops with the Polish Carpathian Brigade. A second set of runs would happen in September, a third in October and the last lot in November.

Losses in men would turn out to be quite light, indeed the operation was an outstanding success, but there was a price to pay and the Royal Navy paid it. Keeping Tobruk supplied, as well as the renewal of its garrison, cost the Royal Navy dearly, in 66 days’ time, Latona would be sunk, bombed by a Stuka, while two destroyers, three sloops and twenty other ships would also be lost, with another seven destroyers and many other ships damaged, totalling, 62 ships lost or damaged. Because of these losses, the redeployment slipped slightly, and the Australian 2/13 battalion, along with two companies of the 2/15 battalion had to remain, serving under the command of recently promoted Maj Gen Ronald Scobie, who took over the Tobruk garrison from Morshead.

But all of that was quite immaterial to Lt Reginald Thompson, or Thommo, as his friends called him. Wounded the night before by rock fragments, when an Italian grenade exploded close by, while he was out leading a platoon patrol, he was one of the first to be evacuated. The Polish 1st Battalion had disembarked off Latona, in less than 30 minutes, and quickly they began to embark a number of sick, and the wounded, who could travel, Thommo, with them, followed by a mis-mash of Australian 18th Brigade support units. After them, the remnants of the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards and the 3rd Kings Own Hussars aboard. These men had been part of the cadre of the British 3rd Armoured Brigade refitting in Tobruk, when the siege started. About 90 minutes after she came alongside the cleverly camouflaged jetty, Latona pulled away, with Thommo laying on a bunk bed, his body unfamiliarly swaying to the motion of a boat at sea, being lulled into sleep.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Thursday 21 August;

It wasn’t just the temperature that got to him, it was the humidity too, and the hut they were in was no help whatsoever. And he was desperately tired, having had little sleep since the exercise had started. He’d been able to have a quick wash and put a fresh clean shirt, an hour ago, for this meeting, but now he was wet in it. The dark circles under each arm had nearly joined up with the big vee on his chest, and he was sure most of his back looked just as bad. A bead of sweat dripped off his brow, and plopped onto the map.

And it didn’t improve what he saw on the map, a mess, quite frankly. After just over three days of exercises, the brigade had completely lost all cohesion. He’d been given the week, Monday to Friday, for his 15th Indian Brigade to defend against an advance over 25 odd miles along the Malacca-Segamat Road, made by the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, acting as the enemy. It should have been a piece of cake, road blocks deployed in echelon, easily able to reinforce each along the road. He had Mount Ophir on his left, providing a solid impenetrable barrier, and a lot of thick virgin jungle on his right.

But the Argyll & Sutherland’s, with their young new CO, Lt Col Rose, had seemed unperturbed by it all, aggressively executing a series of flanking manoeuvres around the road blocks, even coming down from the mountainside, and they were good.

Early on it had been ruled he’d lost a company of Punjab’s to a clever ambush as they moved forward to reinforce the company holding the road block in front of them. Then the Punjab Battalion HQ had been captured, and the rest of the battalion had to retreat through the jungle. A day later and they had shredded, according to those smug Australian umpires, two companies of the Leicestershire to another Highlanders ambush.

But it wasn’t just the loss of nearly a quarter of his force to ambushes that worried him. Both the Leicester’s and the Punjab’s had struggled to retreat once they were cut off. Companies quickly broke down into platoons and then sections in the jungle, and got lost. Once battle was joined, control by brigade was impossible, and by battalion nearly so, requiring company and platoon leaders to make the decisions to attack, hold or retreat.

And yesterday, when he’d tried to play them at their own game, and counter attacked with their own jungle flanking manoeuvre, he’d lost communications with half of Tester's 2/9 Jat's, the attacking force, for most of the day, and indeed they still couldn’t find one platoon, the jungle had just swallowed them up.

He looked up, fearing his career was over, and waited for the outcome. Murray-Lyon, his 11th Indian Divisional commander stood next to him, also awaiting the decision. The face before him was sweating like his, its moustache looked damp, and the dark bags under the eyes suggested he wasn’t sleeping too well either.

“I’m afraid Kenneth, old boy, your brigade would have been effectively destroyed if the exercise was to have been played out. But if it’s any consolation to you, other than 12th Indian, I don’t think any Indian Brigade would have fared better. That will be all for now Brigadier Garrett, we’ll have a more in-depth review at the end of the exercise, you may return to your brigade”. “Thank you, Sir,”, Garrett saluted, turned and almost shuffled out of the room, looking totally exhausted.

General Godwin-Austen looked up at Murray-Lyon “David, I know you’re going to say Stewart and his Australian umpires were biased, they did what I asked of them, made it difficult for him, but my god man, what a frightful mess. And whats really frightening is I meant what I said, neither the 6th or 35th brigades would have done any better, nor any of the brigades from Bustling Bills 9th Division either.

“It’s very clear to me David, the longer the exercise had been run the more apparent it was that you had to fight for the road, off the road. Without the necessary jungle skills enabling them to manoeuvre off road, they were all sitting ducks on it. And without company and platoon leaders being able to make the right independent decisions they couldn’t leave it. Clearly, we are a long way off from where I want us to be. The small unit training will continue, but we must introduce more field craft and orientation work down at a lower level of command. Let’s get the rest of the Brigade back into camp, here at Jementah by tonight, and let them all rest for tomorrow.”

So, it really was true what Godwin-Austen had heard about how the Argyll’s had destroyed Simmons Singapore garrison in a similar exercise back in January. And a positive outcome of it all had been the construction of this large training camp near Segamat, run by the man who had led the Argylls, thanks in no small part for Percival. Well, he, Austen-Godwin, was going to take full advantage of the gift, and do his best to get any many units through here, as quickly as he could.

He turned to one of the other two officers, a Colonel, in the room. “Ian, can you plan company size jungle marches, for both Saturday and Sunday, one day up Mount Ophir, and a day to night in the virgin jungle, for the entire Brigade, including all Battalion and Brigade HQ staff. And we will repeat this exercise again on Tuesday, for four days”. He then turned to the last officer, a Lt Col, “Angus, your battalion has done you proud, first thing tomorrow morning I’ll have you all trucked over to Segamat, a train will be waiting to take you back to Port Dickson, and by Monday Deakin’s 5/2 Punjab Regt, will have arrived, replacing you, to play the enemy again”

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Tuesday 26 August;

The joint public declaration of the Atlantic Charter hid the realistic need for Britain to do more herself, for the defence of her empire in the Far East. The realisation that the USA would mostly be passive of any breakup of the Empire meant Britain had to be more forceful in her own strategy and diplomacy. It was part of a gradual change in Churchill’s attitude to defending the Far East, and as a result of that, both in the UK and Malaya, Government Departments were encouraged into a more active role.

Now it was possible to loosen the purse strings, a less constrictive imposition of finances. And going forward, where possible, Malaya would get a better share of the resources, while when dealing with Japanese behaviors, they’re response would be firmer, and some of the hard stands that they would have liked to take, would be taken.

Planners in the War Office, were working long into the night to fashion a better-balanced Army for Malaya, some units were being rushed out, some being promised in the near future. Headquarters staff numbers in Malaya and Singapore were being increased, with a decent number of experienced officers being sent. And Gort was responding, sharing the idea of Operation Etonian, the occupation of the Kra Isthmus in Thailand. It had been received with major reservations about the political issues it raised, but a more detailed plan had been requested, with the operation being renamed Matador.

Gort now formed a dedicated planning committee, tasked with planning ‘Matador’ in more detail, as well as other smaller, supporting operations with the Navy. As a minimum they would have to take Hat Yai, Songkhla and Pattani, but consideration was being given as to how far up the Kra Isthmus they should go. Somewhere a little north of Hat Yai, to provide some depth to its defence, a second option was to go up to Surat Thani, taking the airfields at Surat Thani and Nakhon, and protecting the line of advance to Phuket Island or a third option of all the way up to Chumphon, taking its airfield as well.

Held in secret, the committee’s members included not only officers from Malaya Command HQ, III Indian Corps and Australian 8th Division, but also RAF and a few Royal Navy too. The Australian Division was to be the main component for Matador, supported with additional troops. Realistically, it was the only major unit capable of performing such a task. Other units would be assigned to supporting operations, while both the Royal Navy and RAF were being consulted on what they could realistically do, and what operations they would be able to support. However, in tandem, but separate, another planning team, mainly drawn from III Indian Corps, worked on the idea of a better backstop defensive line at Gurun, while still publicly working on the Jitra Line.

One thing that had quickly been agreed was what to do with British North Borneo. Gort had proposed and the Chiefs of Staff endorsed, that no attempt should be made to defend North Borneo, Sarawak, Brunei and Labuan Island. The Governors of North Borneo, Labuan and the Raj or Sarawak had been informed that the Sarawak Rangers (Volunteers), other local militias and police were to be used solely for the maintenance of internal security. Detailed plans were being put in place for the destruction of key parts of the oil instillations at both Miri and Seria, along with the refinery at Lutong, which in part would be the removal of certain pumps, valves and electric motors, in the event of war. The single company of the 2/15 Punjab Regt was being withdrawn back to join the rest of the regiment in Penang.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Friday 29 August;

August closed out quite well for the British in Malaya, as yet more reinforcements arrived. Convoy WS.9BX, detached from WS.9B, arrived in Singapore on Tuesday 26th, with the usual escort of a C class Cruiser, HMS Colombo doing the honours this time. In Bombay, the two detached ships of the UK convoy had been joined by another two, for the onward journey to Singapore. The convoy had been a fast one, at 15 knots, the two Indian ships joining them instead of sailing later with the slower convoy BM.8. On closing on Malaya, both Indian ships had turned off, to dock at Penang, allowing the UK ships to pile on yet more steam and reach Singapore the next day.

On board the UK ships was the air and ground crews of RAF 151 Wing, and her two fighter squadrons RAF 81 and 134. Both squadrons had been hastily formed, many of the officers and men being assigned to them joined just in time to embark on their troopship and had never met before. So, for many, the outward voyage was one of introductions to the squadron.

There was a good spread of experience pilots among them though, indeed the Wing had extra pilots, but on arrival in Singapore, a number of the veterans would be transferred to the newly forming Article XV squadrons as flight and squadron leaders. The aircraft the Wing would operate, would be Canadian built Hurricanes, that had either already been shipped to Singapore, and assembled, or were on their way in the next two months.

Other notables onboard were half a dozen RAF Controllers, Battle of Britain veterans of the RAF Filter and Control rooms, who would train and lead new control staffs in Malaya and Singapore. Both the Army and Royal Navy had a number of personnel, mostly newly trained with technical skills, including a few staff officers and a dozen ECO’s for the Indian battalions. Deep in the holds of the ships were four more ASDIC sets and a dozen 20mm Oerlikon cannons for the Navy, a small smattering of specialist vehicles, smaller technical equipment and yet more spare parts for the various parts of the war machine.

Meanwhile disembarking from one of the Penang ships was the 20th and 27th Indian Combined General Hospitals, along with their equipment and stores, and another draft of new Indian Army recruits. The second ship, had a sizeable cargo of munitions, mostly small arms ammunitions, as well as more war material, clothing, tentage, leather goods, and the paraphernalia of an Indian Army’s needs. The 20th Hospital would move to Taiping, taking over 500 beds in the hospital there, while the 27th was accommodated at Chung Ling high school, and was now installed in part of Penang General Hospital.

However, the real excitement of the month had been the arrival four days earlier on the Blue Funnel steamer SS Ulysses, of Rear Admiral ‘Jackie’ Spooner, and his wife, who was better known as Megan Foster, an accomplished soprano singer, who had performed in concert halls throughout Europe before the war, and on BBC radio. Spooner had arrived to take over command of the Naval Dockyard and Rear Admiral ‘Malaya’. Along with him was Captain Edward Longsdon, former commander of the Seventh Submarine Flotilla, to take command of the Fourth Flotilla from Commander Hugh Browne. However, the country was hungry for stars, and in the coming months any society dinner or dance wouldn’t be complete without the presence of the superstar ‘Megan’ and her husband.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Monday 01 September;

“Gentleman please let me introduce you all to Major General Sydney Rowell, the new commanding officer of the 8th Australian Division”. Lord Gort led him around, handshakes and welcomes with everyone present, before they all sat down for another formal meeting of the war council

Things had happened so fast; he was still pinching himself in part disbelief. A call from Blamey, just a week ago, congratulations, your being promoted to Major General, and we’re giving you command of the 8th Division in Malaya, can you be ready to go in three days. Then a series of flights from Cairo where Blamey had seen him off, to eventually arriving in Singapore late Friday evening. That was followed by a weekend of informal chats with Gort and Percival, giving him some background on whats what.

What he wasn’t privy to was all the off-record chats that had been had in previous weeks between Gort and Lt Gen Iven Mackay, Mackay and Canberra, Canberra and Blamey in Cairo, regarding his predecessor Bennett. Relationships with Gort, Percival and others had become toxic, Bennett alienating himself from most of the British senior officers, with his manner and attitude, Vivian Bowden, the Australian Government representative in Singapore confirming this.

Finally, enroute to Australia as the new General Officer Commanding Home Forces (Australia), Mackay had met Gort in Singapore, on the 18th August, who had taken the unusual step of asking for Bennett to be replaced, all unofficial, but nevertheless, forcefully put. Canberra had agreed and Bennett was being promoted to a newly created II Corps, tasked with defending Sydney and the surrounding areas, a promotion into a backwater. Bennett hadn’t liked it one bit, but quite honestly, he’d become so disruptive that he had to go, and there was a general sigh of relief, including within the 8th Division as well, when he went.

Which left them with the question as to who might command the 8th Australian. Well, they couldn’t take one of the COs of the 6th, 7th or 9th Divisions, all of whom had been recently promoted, and they needed someone who would get on well with the British, and mend some fences. Lavarack was considered too senior, and the other candidates were in need of rest, being either physically or mentally exhausted, leaving Rowell as the front runner. It meant another shuffle as he was already slated to take up the post of Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS), but that was a much smaller problem.

He was inheriting a division of two brigades quite well establish in the country and a third newly arrived, but all being asked to undertake a new role. The supporting regiments of artillery, machine gun and reconnaissance were still short of first line equipment and training. His administrative base was in Malacca, but they’d be operating in the far north of Malaya, possibly in a little operation called Matador, which he was going to learn a lot more about. ‘Syd was here’, and he was going to hit the ground running.

Taking advantage of the air flights laid on for Rowell were two newly promoted RAAF officers, transferring to Malaya. Peter Jeffrey, was a Wing Commander who was going to take command of RAAF 5 Wing, and Gordon Steege, a Squadron Leader, who was going to command RAAF 450 squadron. Both had flown with 3 RAAF Sqn, and commanded it, and knew each other very well. And rounding up the passenger list were four Indian Army captains, two each from the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions, transferring, to take promotions to Major, and second in command of Indian battalions in Malaya.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Tuesday 02 September;

It wasn’t the best port to receive a convoy, even if it was only six ships and a light cruiser, the approach was difficult with sandbanks and a narrow channel, the seaplane moorings, and there weren’t enough pilots for every ship, so some had to anchor off shore, awaiting their turn. In anticipation of their arrival, yesterday HMS St Dominic, a Saint class tug, had arrived from Singapore to help the two commercial tugs if required. Although there were 7 wharfs, realistically only three could be used because of the size of the ships, so the others anchored in the roads, awaiting a spare berth.

Port Swettenham was seeing changes, just like all the other major ports, with extra railway sidings, more godown’s and the extension of a wharf. In addition, there was the recruitment of extra stevedores and the training of two new port pilots. While the nearby civil airfield was also seeing expansions, with new hangers, barracks, aircraft pens etc being built, to accommodate one squadron, two at a push.

Convoy BM.8 was from Bombay, having left on the 24 August, carrying the 28th Indian (Gurkha) Brigade and other units. However, on arrival the brigade was being broken up, Brigadier Willian Carpendale, HQ and Lt Col Wallace Raymond Selby’s 2 Bn 9 Gurkha Rifles, were first off and entraining to Kluang, where they would stay a couple of days, before moving east to Mersing. Already there were the other two battalions of the reformed and renamed, 28th Indian Brigade, Lt Col Sheppard Fearon’s 3 Bn 16 Punjab Regt, and Lt Co GR Kidd’s 2 Bn 14 Punjab Regt, awaiting them to join. As for the rest of the old Gurkha brigade, the 2 Bn 2 Gurkha Rifles were joining the 41st Indian Brigade in Kelantan, while the 2 Bn 1 Gurkha Rifles were joining the 22nd Indian Brigade at Kuantan. Both would have to stay in Port Swettenham for a few days, awaiting train transport.

Another major unit arriving was the 5th King Edward VII’s Own Lancers, better known in Indian circles as Probyn’s Horse. They were undergoing mechanisation, and would be married up with Marmon Herrington armoured cars. They had already been given some training with light trucks, but would need at least three months before they could be considered competent with the new vehicles. They were being held on board ship, until tomorrow, when they would disembark, and entrain for Camp Mantin.

Also disembarking was the 155th and 160th Field Artillery Regiments, which until a month ago had been just the 155th. Battery A had been given over to the newly formed 160th, and a second battery formed from a cadre out of the other three, along with new recruits. All four batteries were equipped with eight of the 4.5-inch howitzer, and the plan was to raise a third battery for both regiments, equipped with 3-inch mortars, until such time as they could be re-equipped with 25 pounders next year. However, shortages of men and equipment meant that this part of the plan would have to wait awhile. The 155th was deemed operational, but badly needed more training, while the 160th would only be deemed operational beginning of December, and again needed training. Both would join the III Indian Corps but remain at a Port Swettenham camp to continue their training for now.

And lastly there were the odds and sods, nearly a dozen officers taking up new appointments, another 20 mules and their handlers, a draft of almost 100 strong for the Indian Auxiliary pioneers to replace promotions and transfers, and a few more medical nurses and orderlies. And then there was the golden nugget, 30 Indian combat veterans, wounded in North or East Africa, having served in various battalions of the 4th and 5th Indian Divisions, who having recovered, would be joining battalions in Malaya, taking NCO and junior officer promotions. Among them was Havildar Gurpreet Dhillon, formerly a Naik of 4/11 Sikh Regt, now joining 5/11 Sikh, 22nd Indian Bde, Subedar Asif Khan, formerly a Havildar of 4/10 Baluch Regt now joining 2/10 Baluch, 8th Indian Bde, and Jemadar Abdur Choudhury, promoted from Subedar, to 3 Field Coy Bengal S&M IE, 15th Indian Bde.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Wednesday 03 September;

Vice Admiral Sir Geoffrey Layton walked down the gangway onto the quayside in the Singapore Naval Dockyard. He turned back, and looked at the ship, as his companions followed him off. HMS Kung Wo, requisitioned back in early June, built in Hong Kong in 1921 as a 4,500-ton Yangtse river passenger/cargo steamer. She had just commissioned, and he’d been aboard to celebrate with her captain, Commander Edward Thomson RNR, newly arrived Rear Admiral Ernest John Spooner, and a number of officers from ships at anchor in the Straits and dockyard departments. Spooner’s wife, the noted soprano Megan Foster, had christened her, the first official engagement since arriving, Spooner’s predecessor, Rear Admiral Thomas Drew, already on a ship heading back to the UK.

With her shallow draught and twin screws, Kung Wo was a good manoeuvrable river steamer, and she had been adapted to be used for laying coastal minefields. With some significant changes to the structure, she now carried 240 mines. She had an old 4-inch gun forward, an elevation of 30 degrees, making her almost useless for anti-aircraft fire, a 12-pounder aft, which could be used for AA, and a single Lewis machine gun on each wing of the bridge. Nevertheless, she would make a useful addition to the growing number of ships manned by the MRNVR.

The crew was made up of some of the existing officers and men taking on a Naval rank, but the majority were locally recruited or transferred. Lt Cdr Horace Vickers, CO of the Malayan RNVR, had spent a lot of time discussing crewing requirements with Thomson. Vickers was training new Malayan recruits at HMS Pelandok, the shore-based training centre and barracks for the MRNVR, based in the dockyard, with the drill and training ship HMS Laburnum, a disarmed ex WWI Acacia class sloop, engine removed, berthed at the Telok Ayer basin, in Singapore city.

The training was done by some seconded RN petty officers, who took intakes of 30 Malays at a time, training them as telegraphists, seamen, signalmen, gun crews, stokers, and a variety of other tasks. On completing their training, they were sent to either, the Perak Flotilla, comprised of six slightly smaller local built HDML’s, or an ever-increasing number of requisitioned ships serving as auxiliary minesweepers, patrol or ASW vessels. And as experience was gained, so promotions and transfers occurred.

Yes, Layton reflected, she was a nice little addition, should war with Japan come, she would be very useful laying coastal minefields, closing avenues of attack that couldn’t be patrolled with the few ships he had. But God forbid what would happen if she ever met the enemy.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Friday 05 September;

She was just another small convoy, in appearance, not unlike the others that had arrived here in Singapore before her, but SK.4 was different, she was planned as the last of the Hong Kong to Singapore, SK series. The redeployment was completing now, all the major units planned to be withdrawn, had been, with these arrivals, baring the two Rainbow class submarines patrolling out from there, which were periodically rotated from Singapore, and HMS Thracian.

There were still some men, mostly junior officers and NCO’s left, employed in training or mentoring roles, while the quickly expanding Hong Kong Chinese units gained knowledge and experience, but these men only numbered about 100 in total. They would trickle back as their individual roles became redundant, and there would still be a churn of OCTU cadets, transfers, promotions and medically unfit going home. But the Hong Kong garrison was smaller and less powerful now. There was no talk of holding the Gin Drinkers Line anymore, any Japanese attack would quickly see the garrison retreat to the island, and hopefully hold out for a month or so. She could effectively provide internal security, and if war came, an honourable defence would be mounted.

The convoy was led up the Johore Straits by HMCS Prince Henry, although to the casual eye, she could have been the Prince David, as the rebuilds were identical. And again, another group of Canadian air crew were on board, this time to form two new squadrons. RCAF 407 would be built around a cadre drawn from RAF 34 and 62 Sqns, joining some of the newly trained Canadians, flying Blenheim IV bombers. The second squadron was RCAF 414, spawned from RCAF 404, the number made up again with the new arrivals, and equipping with Fairey Battles. And as per all Article XV Squadrons, most of the ground crew would be British.

Following her in was a small troopship, with the rest of the Middlesex Regt, the last of the Indians transferring from the HKSRA to the Indian Army, and a small assortment of others including OCTU cadets and dockyard workers. HMS Cicala, an Insect class gunboat followed, and in her wake was a small chartered cargo ship, which apart from carrying an assortment of surplus military material, also had one of the two Supermarine Walrus’s that had been left in Hong Kong, dismantled, within her holds.

Last in line was HMS St Sampson, a Saint class tug that had been in commercial service for nearly 20 years. She had been bought back into the service, given a refit, and rearmed with an old 12 pounder gun, like all her sisters. And shepherding them all was HMS Tenedos, which just left a sister ship, HMS Thracian as the lone destroyer in Hong Kong waters.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Saturday 06 September;

Prime Minister Konoye had called for the Imperial Conference, following the Cabinet meeting the day before. President Roosevelt had responded to his statement sent 27th August, the reply simply reiterating the stance of ‘respect for the territorial integrity and the sovereignty of each and all nations and support of the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries’. There seemed no prospect of any agreement with the Americans, and most of the cabinet was of the opinion that it had to be war. But this wasn’t a mere formality to be rubberstamped by the Emperor, no, all the reasons had to be trotted out and stated, explaining why, because yesterday, something extraordinary had happened.

On Friday, Prime Minister Konoe, and Chiefs of Staff, General Hajime Sugiyama and Admiral Osami Nagano had met with the Emperor to brief him of the cabinet’s decision, and provide a draft of tomorrow’s meeting. The Emperor had been quite alarmed, what had happened to the negotiations with the Americans, he’d asked. When Konoe explained, the Emperor asked him to change the emphasis from war to negotiation, but he’d explained that politically that would be impossible now, and military preparations were being made. The Emperor asked why he had been kept in the dark over these matters, what chances of success was there in open warfare with America.

General Sugiyama assured him, they were good, but the Emperor, completely angered by this, turned on Sugiyama, “at the time of the China Incident, the Army told me that we could achieve peace immediately after dealing them one blow with three divisions, but you still can’t beat Chiang Kai-shek even today! Sugiyama, you were Army Minister at that time”. Taken aback, Sugiyama had replied “China is a vast area with many ways in and many ways out, and we met unexpectedly big difficulties”. His face turning red, the Emperor raised his voice at the General, “You say the interior of China is huge; isn’t the Pacific Ocean even bigger than China? Didn’t I caution you each time about those matters? Sugiyama, are you lying to me?

And so, today, chastened by yesterday’s reprimand, Konoe, Nagano and Sugiyama, along with the rest of the cabinet met with the Emperor at the Imperial Conference, to explain why it had to be war. Konoe began, firstly revising how the path they were on had led them here, before introducing the National Planning Board Director, Teiichi Suzuki, who stated “At this stage our national power with respect to physical resources has come to depend entirely upon the productive capacity of the Empire itself, upon that of Manchuria, China, Indochina . . . and upon vital materials stockpiled so far. Therefore, as a result of the present overall economic blockade imposed by Great Britain and the United States, our Empire’s national power is declining day by day. Our liquid fuel stockpile, which is the most important, will reach bottom by June or July of next year, even if we impose strict wartime control on civilian demand. Accordingly, I believe it is vitally important for the survival of our Empire that we make up our minds to establish and stabilize a firm economic base”. The Empire was in peril.

Admiral Nagano, Chief of the Naval General Staff, spoke next, likening Japan to a patient who was certain to die if nothing was done, but might be saved by a dangerous operation. They had to prepare for war now, needing to set a target date for readiness. However, under questioning by Baron Yoshimichi Hara, President of the Imperial Council and the Emperor's representative, both Nagano and General Sugiyama, conceded that a war with the United States would likely be prolonged, but they also contended that the U.S. embargo had made war necessary, and the sooner, the better, because Japan’s national defense capability was declining vis-à-vis that of the United States. The Emperor rose, and clapped his hands, they all quickly stood, in stunned silence, as he spoke, reciting a poem written by his grandfather, Emperor Meiji.
“The seas of the four directions,
All are born of one womb;
Why, then, do the wind and waves rise in discord?”

A compromise was presented, the military would continue with their war preparations, to be complete by the end of October, but negotiations would continue, giving a peaceful outcome every chance, and that war should be a “last resort”. Japan would present terms of peace to China, but would insist that the United States and Britain would not interrupt the settlement of the “China Incident, and furthermore, USA and Britain would close the Burma Road, and provide no military or economic support to Chiang Kai-shek. The Emperors face was saved, but the military would have their way!

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Sunday 07 September;

Governor Andrew Caldecott, and his wife, Olive, were having breakfast out on the veranda, tea and toast, while reading the newspapers. In front of him was the Sunday edition of the Strait Times, turned open at the racing on page 18, with news of the Gold Cup. They had both attended yesterday, in the Presidents box, as guests of honour of the Singapore Turf Club at their Bukit Timah race course. It had been opened in 1933 by the then Governor, Sir Cecil Clementi, with its impressive grandstand, which included 2,000 teak armchairs, situated on the highlands of central Singapore, close to the Bukit Timah railway station. This was very useful, as it not only brought the paying public from Singapore City up to the race course, but also the horses from central and northern Malaya, where most of them were stabled and trained. That made sense because the other three race courses in the country were in Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang. With a full card of nine races, and the attraction of the Gold Cup, the race course had been at full capacity, with much of Singapore’s high society in attendance. The Australian trainer Hobbs had enjoyed an excellent day, saddling five winners, while jockey Dodd had ridden four of them, the fifth winner, the one he didn’t ride, Rose Quilt, had been a complete surprise to all, much to the delight of the bookies and a few lucky punters.

For the Gold Cup race, itself, the big favourite had been Mystic Music, who had won the Governor’s Cup for the last two summers, and the Gold Cup last year, Depot was expected to be the nearest rival. The field got off to a perfect start, and it was Grand Prix who led, from National, but by the back straight, Scottish Rifle was narrowly in front. On the turn, Grand Prix retook the lead, the other two beginning to fade, while Ranscombe, Pro Patria and Mystic Music, coming up the outside, came on strong. On the run into the finish line Grand Prix held on by a neck from Ranscombe, and a neck behind was Pro Patria, and then Mystic Music, who had left it all far too late. A truly thrilling finish, was what the reporter had written, and Caldecott was in agreement, the fact he’d had a little tip, and won, was the icing on the cake. The winning jockey, Thomas Farthing, was the first to win the race three times, having also won in 1936 and 1939, the owner, Mr Eddie won $5000 Straits Dollars, while the trainer, the Dutchman, Marinus van Breukelen, the biggest trainer in Malaya by far, merely re-emphasised his pre-eminence in the industry.

“I say Andrew, how about this, a young couple are going to get engaged by proxy, he’s serving out here, and his fiancé is back home in Nottingham, they say they’ll do it at the same time, toast each other, and she’ll slip his engagement ring on. How lovely, but what a shame he isn’t going to be there to give it to her personally”

The Governor closed his paper, to free a hand, and drink from his cup, “yes dear, lovely” before turning back to his paper. Olive, reading the Sunday Tribune turned her page. “Oh, that’s pleasing Andrew, they comment on how smart my new white accessories went with my Navy-Blue dress yesterday, I had so much trouble finding them”

“Yes dear, you looked lovely”

“Oh, I see the Drew’s had a farewell Gin Pahit party last Sunday, before they returned back to England, I do hope Megan doesn’t go in for that sort of thing Andrew, drinks on a Sunday morning, it’s really not the done thing”.

“Megan”?

“Megan Spooner, the new Admiral’s wife, you met them last night”.

“Oh, the singer!”

“She’s a soprano dear”

“He’s a Rear Admiral my love, the same as Rear Admiral Drew, who’s he replaced.”

“Yes dear”

“Megan told me they’ve moved into the new Admiralty house, she wants to decorate it, although she’s going to keep the jade green leather armchairs and the long walnut dining table”

“The table is built of teak, and then polished with walnut oil, which give it such a lovely look, my love”

“I wonder why the Drew’s didn’t move in there when it was finished?”

“Admiralty House is built on the Naval Base my love; I think Tommy Drew wanted to stay up at Navy House, on Woodstock Drive, away from the base.”

Caldecott turned the page, onto the general sports news, the state of Negri Sembilan had only been able to field a side for one state cricket match, and was no longer able to continue, a number of its stalwarts having left. But otherwise, the sport of cricket was thriving with teams from Australian, British and Indian military units joining the civilian teams in competitive amateur leagues.

“They’re still showing “Million Dollar Baby” at the Alhambra, I was so disappointed in that film, I don’t know what they see in that actor Ronald Reagan, he’ll never make it to the top”

“Eh, was he the lawyer, Olive dear?”

“No, the boyfriend, Andrew”

“Oh right”

The draw for the Singapore men’s table tennis open championship was out, it, along with the league championship, was dominated by the Chinese. They were also to be found in a lot of works teams in the amateur soccer leagues, which also enjoyed the presence of military teams from the Singapore garrison. Likewise, the list of game results for the amateur hockey leagues reflected the domination of Indians, teams again from both employers and military units. Sport was vibrant in the colony.

“Oh, Andrew did you know Grand Prix was an outside bet, I thought it was the favourite, no wonder you and the Sultan of Johor were so pleased with the win”.

In truth, the Sultan had made a tidy sum, thanks in no small part to the tip Caldecott had passed on, when they had enjoyed a private conversation at the back of the Presidents box, to a mutual satisfaction, the Sultan agreeing to support a political imitative Caldecott was pushing.

“Yes dear, I believed we both did quite well”

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Monday 08 September;

They sat in the small bar off Bugis street, a bottle of tiger beer in front of them both. Both officers in the British Indian Army, Michael, the older, a newly promoted lieutenant with the 17th Dogra Regt, had just got a transfer to the Intelligence arm of Malaya Command, and they had met up to celebrate. It was in no smart part due to the fact he spoke Japanese fluently and was decent with their written word.

“The world’s changing Vanya, and not for the better, see the way the Japanese turned against all the British subjects in Japan last year, how we were all suddenly spies. Just look at our family, uncle Fred died of a broken heart, the Japanese closing down the business, and seizing the family home. Mum and Dad fled to Shanghai, but have now been interned by the Japanese occupation forces there. And what about you, a year ago today you were on trial in Nagasaki for spying, the worry the family had, you being found guilty, what sentence would you get, or worse would you be murdered under interrogation.

His younger brother, Vanya, a 2nd Lieutenant in the 5/14 Punjab replied. “I got lucky Michael, remember that Reuters correspondent chap, Melville James Cox, who the Kempeitai arrested. I never believed that talk about him committing suicide, I spoke to his wife, Elizabeth, later, she said the suicide note was a fake, and they must have thrown Jimmy out of the top floor window, he would never have jumped. No, I dodged that, the beatings and solitary confinement was bad, but the 18 months hard labour was suspended, and once we paid that heavy fine, they let us go”.

I’ll tell you straight Van, it was a relief when we were all deported, the long journey on the steamer Nanking seemed like some sort of a dream for a while, and despite the poverty, with most of our money left back in Japan, we got out. Thank God we could quickly enlist in India, providing some financial security. And you know, joining the army hasn’t been so bad, I really enjoyed our OCTU training, the friends we made. Then onto our postings out here in Malaya, and here we find ourselves.”

“There was a time I never thought I’d get out of that jail; you lose track of time when you’re in solitary confinement. Japan has changed so much since dad first knew it, the Military have a complete hold over the people, the fanaticism, the hatred preached against the western man, it’s hard to remember the good people we grew up with. I tell you Mike, if they do invade, I won’t have any problem killing them, I get so angry at all that we’ve lost.”

“Changing the subject Van, how’s Prunella and the girls, have you heard from them, how are they managing?”
“Yes, they’re fine, Pru and I write nearly every day. They’re staying with the local P&O shipping agent and his family in Colombo. Dad told me about him and sent a letter of introduction. Pru’s got a job at the office in the harbour, and the girls are in a nursery school with one of the Agent’s children. It sounds like their all managing well. But getting back to you Mike, what’s it like at HQ, exciting?

“Exciting, God no, I’m on something very hush hush, but it’s mostly long tedious hours, and so many new people asking questions to so few who actually know what they’re doing. I’m told it’s getting better, certainly there are a lot of short-term courses going on, I’ve taken three already and been promoted, why don’t you apply Van, I’m sure you’d get on, you speak Japanese far better than me, more like a native eh!”

“Mike, I think I’ll promote quicker staying with the regiment, Captain Cornwell is going back to India, I might make Lieutenant and move to second in command of the company if he goes, and if I do a good job, I could make Captain next spring, I’ve got to pass the Urdu examination first, but the language is coming on well! And if the Japanese try to land at Mersing, I’ll be waiting for them, our defences are going to be really something once their completed. We’d murder anyone who lands!”

“So, drink up big brother, Lieutenant Ringer now, here’s to promotions, money and glory” and the brother clinked bottles, and began a good night of celebrations.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941 Tuesday 09 September;

It was something that Layton had wanted to do for some time, but it had been an unrealistic proposition due to a lack of resources. Finally, he felt he had enough resources, and although it was stretching them thin in other areas, he’d had done it, and created the Eastern Inshore Squadron, a sister to the Western one based at Penang, again reporting to Rear Admiral Malaya in the chain of command. This one would be home ported at Kuantan, and commanded by Captain Charles Stanfield, recently CO of the light cruiser HMS Colombo. It would be taking over responsibility from Singapore for the eastern coastal waters of Malaya, from Kota Bharu down to the Singapore Straits, and was a much more difficult proposition than the Western Coast.

There was a need to keep the sea lanes open, Kota Bharu had a rail link to the rest of Malaya, but the rest of the north eastern coastal towns had no links, relying entirely on sea communications except for a broken north south track, while the towns in the south only had long lateral roads into Malaya as an alternative route. The threat of invasion was very real here, and how they would oppose that, problematic at best, while Layton was concerned about reports of recent Japanese infiltration along this coastline.

The squadron included three gunboats of the Dragonfly class, Dragonfly, Grasshopper, and the slightly bigger Scorpion, modified for Flag use. A couple of requisitioned coastal steamers Kuala and Lipis, each armed with a 4-inch gun, acted as armed traders, patrolling while still providing a regular service to the coastal towns. A small coastal tanker, RFA Shu Kwang, sister to the Western Squadron’s RFA Tien Kwang, provided support, as did the depot ship RFA Ping Wo, which was moored in the Kuantan River.

The anchorage was protected firstly by the radar station COL 518, situated high up on Pelindung Hill, which had been operational since last month. Not only did she scan for low flying aircraft, but she could also identify ships, and so gave early warning of any approach. Secondly, two 18 pounders of a Singapore Chinese Regt light artillery battery, were deployed on the northern side of the mouth of the river Kuantan, while lastly there was a lightweight boon defence gate operated by a small converted fishing vessel.

Stanfield was assured that there would be further reinforcements, it was just when. Current thought was he was getting a third armed trader, possibly a fourth, with all being fitted later with ASDIC and DC racks. The 2nd MTB Flotilla, which was currently in training off Penang, was coming in October, along with its depot ship, and would be based at Kota Bharu.

Some minefields were planned, and some towns and obvious potential landing beaches were being fortified by the Army, while he had already meet Air Commodore Hunter, commanding RAF 225 Group, which had the maritime responsibilities of reconnaissance and attacking any invasion fleet. Speaking to Henry, he realised the RAF wasn’t much better off than him. Still, what he had got though was a pennant, as he now carried the rank of Commodore (second class).

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Thursday 11 September;

2.30pm, he came in, out of the sun, the Hurricane growing larger in his sights by the second. Three, maybe four seconds to go, the target continuing to fly straight and level, what was that idiot doing? Too late the Hurricane tried to roll away, but he had him now. Switching on his R/T “bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, your dead Johnny” he crossed, flying over the top of the cockpit, watching the pilot craning his neck and looking round to see him.

“I told you Johnny, not to fly straight for more than a few seconds, that was too easy, let’s try again, same thing, follow my leader, and see how long you can keep with me, OK?” Sergeant Geoff Fisken, pulled up into level flight, allowing the other Hurricane to join him, before wiggling his wings, and starting the game again with a slow climbing bank left before rolling right, his playmate in tow.

Their squadron, RNZAF 486, an Article XV unit had just been split in half at the beginning of the month, creating RNZAF 488 from the surplus pilots they had, by dividing up the experienced pilots in half and then filling out with the newly trained. With the addition of RAF 134 Squadron, who had arrived in late August, they now formed the 2nd RNZAF Wing, the “Kiwi Wing”, commandeered by Wing Cmdr Wilfred Clouston, a New Zealander with BoB experience. The ground crew for all three squadrons were a mix of some experienced mechanics and a lot of recently trained ones, including a few from New Zealand, although the majority were British.

The Wing was coming together nicely, working with the filter and control rooms on scrambling interceptions of radar plotted raids but flying out of a very congested Kallang airfield, had caused a few unnecessary accidents, including one fatality, and several aircraft written off or requiring major repair, so RAF 134 Sqn had been temporarily moved to the Western Johore airfield at Batu Pahat. This was working in their favour, as it often played the role of “the enemy” in flight or squadron formation exercises. Indeed, so keen was Park, in getting these squadrons combat ready, and with the financial backing allowing him to authorise extra flights, entire squadrons were on daily training flights, formation flying in the morning, and more individual tuition in the afternoon flights, as they worked in pairs or as finger fours.

And they weren’t the only newly formed wing either, thanks to the now steady flow of Hurricanes and Merlin engines arriving, at Kluang, RAAF 5 Wing had come into being, with the three fighter squadrons, RAAF 450, 453 and 457. Her commanding officer was newly promoted Wing Commander Peter Jeffery, back from the Middle East and former commander of 3 RAAF squadron. These six squadrons provided the main force of RAF Group 224, and Air Commodore Vincent was anxious to get them fully integrated with the blossoming radar net and the fighter control room in Singapore. While in Northern Malaya, RAF 151 Wing, commanded by WC Neville Ramsbottom-Isherwood, another New Zealander, retaining RAF 81 Sqn, had added RCAF 406 and the just formed RCAF 416 squadron, providing Air Commodore Wann with fighter cover for his bombers.

However, the progression of the night fighter force was disappointing, the only squadron equipped was RAF 27, based at Seletar, which now had four Blenheim 1F’s fitted with AI Mk IV radar. Interceptions were still very difficult to achieve, luck or moonlight playing too much of a factor for success, and it was clear a faster aircraft would be needed, along with GCI radar, none of which were promised. The rest of the squadron would continue to fulfil its long-range fighter role, which was to provide support of Hunter’s 225 Group’s Maritime aircraft.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Friday 12 September;

The radio message had pre-warned them, allowing Brigadier General Henry B Clagett, USAAF, commander of all Army Aircraft in the Far East, accompanied by his staff, to be present, packed in the Control Tower of Clark Field, Philippines. Nine B-17 Flying Fortresses of the 14th Bombardment Squadron, still in their shiny metal factory finish, were battling through the winds of a dying typhoon, completing the last leg of a journey from the USA. The control tower operative was on the R/T to the leading Fortress, discussing the approach, the aircraft still not in view, another gust of wind bringing lashing of rain hard against the windows. All navigation lights were on to help compensate for the dark leaden sky, while binoculars scanned the sky for a first appearance. “There she is”, an officer pointing to the far distant end of the runway, as the first aircraft, a black speck, emerged from the gloom. Already she had her wheels down, the pilot battling with the winds to keep her on a gradual descending course, aligned with the runway. The plane grew in size, and the fight to keep control more evident as she swung about, taxing the pilot’s skill. Bigger and lower she grew, until her wheels touched down briefly, the plane bunny hopping, before making a firmer contact and running along the runway, past the control tower to shouts of jubilation from all watching.

Way back in May the US had made its first attempts to try and improve the air defence of the Philippines, with the creation of the Philippine Department Air Force, mostly by sending out a number of obsolete or obsolescent aircraft, all under the command of the newly arrived Clagett. The results were disappointing, the force was poorly equipped and to compound that, Clagett, who was not in good health and had suffered two periods of sickness over the summer, had clashed badly with his subordinates, resulting in a badly run organisation. Continuing with the reinforcement plans, in July, Chief of the Army Air Force, Major General Henry H Arnold, had allocated four heavy bombardment groups, 272 aircraft with another 68 in reserve, totalling 340 heavy bombers, and two pursuit groups of 130 modern fighter planes each, the majority not yet manufactured. These planes, according to Brig Gen Carl Spaatz, Chief of the Air Staff, were not for offensive missions, but to provide a strategical defence in Asia, but given the range of the bombers, the Japanese were unlikely to view them as such.

This also necessitated the development of several airfields in the Philippines to operate the bombers, while MacArthur was asked to obtain permission from the British, to have them develop a number of airfields for US heavy bomber use, Singapore, Port Darwin, Rabaul, and Port Moresby being identified, as well as a new airfield in Northern Borneo. MacArthur was also asked to do a similar thing with the Dutch. An Air Warning Service was being formed, initially using just observation posts, reporting on airplane movements through one of, five radio, two telegraph and ten telephone networks, but there had been little training in aircraft recognition. Radar had begun to arrive, which would improve things immensely, but production times and shipping the equipment over, along with building facilities and training staff, meant only one was in operation at the outbreak of war, with a second used in a training unit.

Further P40 fighter aircraft would soon be arriving, enabling Clagett to form the 24th Pursuit Group of three squadrons. This unit was forming around a cadre of 28 pilots with some experience, the rest would be straight out of flight school, and need considerable individual training, before they could undertake unit tactical exercises. Also planned to join was a Light Bombardment Group, the 27th, equipped with three squadrons of the Army, land-based version of the Douglas Dauntless dive bomber, the A-24, which would soon be shipped out, all personnel, both air and ground crews arriving in November, the aircraft in mid-December.

Clagett wasn’t aware yet, but after conversations between MacArthur and Marshall, Arnold had met with Marshall to identify his replacement. That man would be Maj Gen Lewis H Brereton, but he wouldn’t arrive until early November. Completion of the aircraft build-up would be April 1942, MacArthur convinced he had that much time, which was just as well as things wouldn’t run smoothly.

Up to now, any aircraft sent to the Philippines had been dis-assembled, crated and shipped over, but these nine Fortresses had just successfully proven that they could be flown in along an air route across the central Pacific. Flying from Hamilton Field, near San Francisco, to Hickam Field, Hawaii, then onto Midway, Wake, Port Moresby, Darwin, and then up to the Philippines, it had taken them eight days, and over 10,000 miles, mostly over water. The leg, Wake to Port Moresby, crossed over the Japanese Caroline mandate islands, but was done at night, at high altitude. Nevertheless, this was far from ideal, and a southern Pacific air ferry route was being developed. More B-17s would follow, leaving the continental USA in October, November, and December, but for now the first B-17s had arrived successfully steered by the CO of the 14th Bombardment Group, Major Emmett O’Donnell Jr, completing a magnificent feat of navigation.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Saturday 13 September;

They’d never had it so good, that’s what they all thought, but you never know how long these things will last, and so when the call for volunteers was made, to do extended shifts, and Saturdays, to a man and boy, they signed up. Furthermore, the management, aware of the hours being asked to work, had slackened some of the working conditions, char boys, for instance, were allowed to move around the factory floor, the furnace excepted, providing tea on the job! Furthermore, in an effort to show their appreciation, every Sunday a train excursion was laid on by the company for family members.

Sentul, home to the engineering workshops of the FMSR, was a hive of activity, as more and more orders for new rail stock was placed, along with the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the companies steam locomotives. And the increase in rail traffic had meant that those engines due retirement, in the G, H and I classes, were now undergoing, or planned to undergo, complete refurbishments, to extend their lifespans another five to ten years. New engines were on order from North British Locomotive and Kitson, but with the war in progress, Malaya wasn’t a priority, so the numbers needed were unlikely to arrive.

The workforce of over 2,500 was mainly Indian, railways seemingly in their blood, although there were some Malays employed and all the carpenters were Chinese. More workers were wanted, but this was a country now in full employment, and skilled workers were at a premium. To compensate for this, in part, the number of apprentices had more than doubled, and some sections were now working two shifts, but there was only so much they could do. Some of the lighter work had been moved to outlying newly built attap huts, allowing the expansion of the heavier work sections within the factory.

Thanks to the imported material from Canada, the building of rail stock had been greatly expanded, and this was made easier by the large demand for flatbeds, which just required constructing a rail chassis with a hard wood floor. It had taken a little while to sort out that production line, and for the workers to gain confidence and experience in building them, but now they were turning them out at a rate of two a day! A second type of flatbed, able to carry a load as heavy as 18 tons, equipped with double bogie wheels each end, had proved to be more difficult to construct, and despite having its own separate production line, would only be produced at a rate of one every other day, or three in a week, now they were working Saturdays. Other rail stock work, like converting older passenger coaches into troop transporters took longer, while specialist coaches, like the casualty bed ones were much harder, but as skills were picked up, so completion times came down. And the introduction of a bonus scheme, along with a rigorous quality control, helped.

But when the siren wailed, announcing the end of the working day, or shift, the roads away to their homes teemed with bicycles, many now owning their first bike, most often a Japanese made one, as the increase in wages improved their living standards. Yes, Life had never been so good.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Sunday 14 September;

He’d come out of a little L4 type submarine, RO-65, and had been given command of I-65, a fleet submarine, bigger, fast, deeper diving, longer endurance, just everything was better, a true promotion. He thought he’d got it through Headquarters recognising, no doubt, the due diligence he gave to detail, the devotion to duty and the recognition that he, Harada Haku, was an outstanding officer.

However, a week after taking command he was summoned to the flag office and the real reason why he got the job became apparent. Previously he’d completed a couple of sensitive missions off the Chinese coast. And now some bright spark in Naval Intelligence had suggested a similar thing, dropping of a ‘special passenger’, could be done off the eastern coast of Malaya. They obviously thought a more capable boat would be needed, and so the wheels had been put in motion, and he found himself in this situation. Perversely he thought his old RO-65 would have been a better candidate, but didn’t think that idea would be welcomed, and so he remained silent.

He kept them submerged, as deep as he dared without bottoming, waiting until nightfall before surfacing, and they were now lying-in wait, just north of the island of Pulau Sembilang, waiting for the arrival of the patrol ship, which should be due soon. The Royal Navy had recently increased its patrolling activities along the coast. For twenty minutes he’d privately worried about whether they had missed her, or she was just running late, when hydrophones called up, single screw bearing SSE, and five minutes later they could see her. She was a requisitioned coastal steamer, less than a thousand tons, with an old 4-inch gun mounted at the front, which looked like the Lipis. They had watched her sail by at a sedately 8 knots, navigation lights on, and had waited until hydrophones lost her, before he ordered a slow 6 knots forward towards his rendezvous.

They entered the mouth of the Endau River, guided by the stern light of a small fishing trawler they had met at the rendezvous, which led them up river towards a quay with a large corrugated metal warehouse, the lights on it advertising the owner, a Japanese Mining Company. Lt Commander Haku had the submarine swung round, facing the river mouth, before she berthed at the quayside. Men on the quayside threw down ropes to secure the boat, talking to the deckhands in Japanese. A gangway was quickly swung over onto the submarines deck, and Haku, along with his ‘special passenger’ walked across, to be greeted by a couple of Asian men in western suits. They were led away into an office inside the warehouse.

At the same time the first officer supervised the unloading of cargo from inside the submarine, a number of wooden boxes carried individually by sailors, off the boat, onto the quayside, and into the warehouse, where a foreman directed their stacking. Inside thirty minutes the unloading was complete, and then with all the crew back onboard, they waited, ready to leave at a moment’s notice, while the captain continued his discussions in the office. The wait seemed like ages, but was probably only another half an hour, before the captain emerged, a heavy briefcase in one hand, double padlocked, from the office. With little fanfare, he boarded, and they casted off, the sailors anxious to get back it to sea.

03.20am, and they signalled they’re thanks to the fishing boat, which had guided them back out of the river, and giving an easterly heading he’d had the boat up to 18 knots, to get as much distance as he could from the coast as possible before daybreak, placing them outside of the normal shipping lane, and well away from the local patrol. Once dawn came up, he reduced speed to 12 knots, and kept a good lookout for any reconnaissance aircraft. The errand was complete, but he fully expected more missions to come.

 

[Fatboy Coxy]

1941, Tuesday 16 September;

They sat under the veranda of the officer’s mess, a drink in hand, cooling down, shaded from the heat of the day. The aircraft they had arrived in, a Lockheed 12, was parked well away from the runway, close to a maintenance hangar. Having flown in mid-morning they were killing some time, waiting for lunch, after which Maj Gen Hendrick van Oyen, Commander of the ML–KNIL would be discussing the ongoing training programs that Kalidjati (Kalijati) Airfield were running with the local commanders. Later he would be picked up by car and driven to the nearby town of Soebang (Subang) for a civic dinner with local dignitaries, staying there for the night.

The ML-KNIL was undergoing massive changes as its expansion program accelerated, the large numbers of American built planes ordered by the Netherland Purchasing Commission (NPC) were beginning to arrive, with others in transit, and yet many, many, more still to be built. Indeed, the Commission had already ordered nearly $200 million dollars’ worth of war material, aircraft taking a large slice of that, and more spending was to come. The numbers were impressive, of the 108 Ryan STM-2 trainers that had been ordered, 60 for the ML and 48, 24 equipped with floats, for the MLD, many had already arrived. Lockheed were becoming a favoured supplier, first ordering 36 Lockheed 12 passenger transports, 16 to be equipped as bomber training aircraft and then 29 Lockheed 18 Lodestars, again as passenger transports. In June the NPC had placed an order with North American for 162 Mitchell B-25C twin engined bombers, delivery from February 1942, to replace the aging and obsolete Glenn Martin 139WH bombers

Next on the list was fighter aircraft, and the first fighter sqn had already been formed late 1940 with 24 Curtis P36 Mohawks, which were beset by engine problems, so service levels were poor. The fall of Holland had produced a small windfall in the transfer of 24 Curtis-Wright CW-21B Interceptors, which had quickly formed a second fighter squadron, these were plagued with structural problems with the undercarriage, service levels were adequate at best. But more promising was the Brewster Buffalo, 144 model B-339C/Ds, the first had already arrived and he’d been able to form another fighter squadron with them, but was struggling to find the personnel for a second, and by the end of the year would have more aircraft than pilots.

This highlighted the acute problem of manpower, the personnel numbers required to crew and maintain all these aircraft were multiplying, all of whom needed training. However, the fall of Holland to the German invasion had seriously impacted on not only recruitment, but training as well. Yesterday van Oyen had been at Andir Airfield, Bandoeng (Bandung), the main base for all aircraft maintenance, where new technical schools had been created, training the mechanics, riggers and fitters required for all the new aircraft to come. Most of these recruits were indigenous, at least half Javanese, the original Dutch mechanics had generally been promoted with the newly trained working under their supervision. But still they needed more, and yesterday had seen the passing out of 17 new fitters, and 14 riggers. In another lifetime, probably half would have been failed, but needs must, and had passed, with a year’s probation.

Just as challenging was training new aircrew, which is why he was here at Kalidjati Airfield, about 10 miles outside of Soebang, where the majority of flight training was done. Back in May, and following on from the British example in Malaya, he’d created the Vrijwilleg Vlieger Corps, VVC, to train pilots aged 17-20 as a reserve. Flying clubs at all the major towns and cities were provided with Tiger Moths, bought from Australia, instructors from both the Army and Navy were provided, and flying lessons were heavily subsidised. In addition, here at Kalidjati, transfers from army units were taught to fly, right the way through from beginner to an advanced instructor. He’d moved some of the flight training away, so multi engine training was now done at Singosari airfield, on the outskirts of Malang, nevertheless, the chronic shortages of aircrew had seen pilots from the KNILM, the NEI civilian airline, transferred in to join the few experienced flyers leading the newly trained, along with a couple who had BoB experience with the RAF.

The alternating roar of an aero engine broke van Oyen from his musings, and looking up, he could see a Tiger Moth trainer coming in to land, the pilot struggling to manage his speed, the plane yawing and rolling, as he attempted to line it up with the runway. Clearly the novice pilot had control, his instructor showing belief in him. “Three to one he prangs it” said a captain in van Oyen’s party, “it’s a racing cert he will” replied another. “That’s enough” snapped van Oyen, as he privately wished the plane down safely, admiration for the determination of the young novice and the guts of his instructor. The plane came closer, steadied and landed, the wheels touching down heavily before a small bunny hop and then ran on down the runway to a stop.

Van Oyen breathed a sigh of relief, and shook his head, thinking of the conversations coming this afternoon. They would be looking at more ways to cut the time given to the various flying courses, in an effort to speed up the training program and progress more aircrew through. He couldn’t fault the commitment of the new recruits nor the dedication the instructors gave to their training, but just like his counterpart, Captain G G Bozuwa of the MLD, he was desperately falling short on aircrew.

With the Tiger Moth safely down and off the runway, a Koolhoven F.K.51 basic trainer moved to the end of the runway, and waited for the control tower to signal permission to take-off, while a Ryan STM-2 stood ready to go afterwards. A number of other Ryan’s were being readied, instructors and pupils waiting, some quite anxious as a training flight squad were having their final flight examinations today. Tomorrow, those that passed would be presented with their wings by van Oyen, what they didn’t know was he was expecting a 100% pass rate. The local commander was well aware, and as a consequence his instructors had been giving those in need, additional flying hours to help their chances of passing.