Unit diaries relating to service of Geoffrey W. Fennell - Wallet 1 - Part 2

Our efficient doctor, had allotted this van as a Hospital and had

fitted it up with borrowed camp beds. This did not suit the

Scotch gentleman

at all and he quoted Railway Regulations by the yard to prove this. Nor could

it be used for luggage owing to the presence of the aforementioned wee pipe! To

avoid trouble with Higher Authority, the van was duly cleared, though the

necessary readjustments were made at Johore Bharu Station, 10 miles further on!

The Doctor's troubles were not yet over. Ten minutes before the train was due to

start, a young and very officious Major in the RAMC arrived and insisted that the

few sick men were to be evacuated to Hospital immediatey. He had not been among

the aformentioned crowd of locusts but had been informed

by the ship's cat that

some MO had dared to continue looking after his own patients! All the professional

pride rose in Lt Blair and he quite rightly protested rigorously

to O/C Train.

O/C Train informed the Major gently but firmly that:

1. Lt Blair had tended our sick through the whole Malaria season in India and we

had every confidence in him. (The first part of the statement was quite untrue

Lt Blair having joined just prior to sailing, but may the lie be

forgiven!)

2.  The train was due to start in 5 minutes time and the sick could not be removed

in the time. In this, Humpty Dumpty heartily agreed and squealed with rage at the

thought of his timetable being upset! The Major then started to quote Malayan

Command Medical Regulations at length and, to keep the peace, some of the sick

men were removed. The train then moved off to the accompaniment of growls from

the MO, in which the O/C Train and the Adjutant joined heartily.

The following morning at 0630 hrs the train was found to be at GEMAS station. At

0730 hrs it was still at GEMAS Station! A goods train had been derailed. Wires

got busy, and the Australians from SEGAMAT Camp, 10 miles away, produced breakfast

at 0820, also a midday meal - a very pleasant contrast to the Bumbleism of the

night before. The train left at 1500 hrs and, after an evening meal at KUALA

LUMPUR, arrived at IPOH in the early hours

IPOH

At 0630 hrs, the Reception Committee arrived at the Station. First, Capt Lucas,

the 28th Indian Infantry Bde MT officer, clad in a motor cycle and large leather

jerkin, and, secondly, Capt Ogilvie, the Adjutant of the 2/1st Gurkha Rifles.

Excellent arangements had been made to transport the whole party to Canning Camp

by lorry, and shortly afterwards we found ourselves in our new homes in huts

under the rubber.

Capt Ogilvie proved to be a tower of strength. He was pestered during the next

week with innumerable queries, sch as:

[*9*]

Where are the best training areas? How can on get beer and cigarettes duty free?

Can you get us a Chinese dhobi? What about a tailor. Who does one have to call on?

How do you join the Club? Where can you find (a) The Field Cashier (b) the local

Workshop Company (c) the best food (d) the chap who runs the local Rugger (e) Will

the Battalion play us at Football? To every question he produced the right answer

and the Regiment cannot be too grateful to him. It has been said that his efficiency

was due to him being a Scotsman from Calcutta, but we will let that pass!

IPOH, the capital of Perak State proved to be a very modern town with first class

shops. It was a paradise for the troops as it contained two good Cinemas and a

large well run Dance Hall called "The Celestial" complete with Chinese Dance Hostesses

rejoicing in names like "Rosy Wee"! The difficulty was to make the weekly pay last

out more than one visit and also the fact that the Camp was nearly 4 miles from the

Town. This last difficulty was lessened by running a limited lorry service as

soon as the vehicles arrived.

The civilians of IPOH were most hospitable. The Perak Turf Club (Secretary

Mr Byers) provided three Frigidaires and three Wireless Sets. Parties were

arranged every Sunday for selected NCOs and men by the

Kinta Club and others.

The officers were given a Cocktail Party on the day of their arrival by a Capt

and Mrs Dane, and were taken to the Annual Poppy Dance at the Club and divided

up among various parties. They were also made Military Members of the IPOH Club

and Swimming Club. There was a first-class Rugger ground at the Club, and, in due

course, the Regimental side, captained by 2 Lt Armstrong played the Perak Club

side and were beaten by 26-0, all the scoring being in the first half and every 
try converted. The local paper preferred to say “trounced”, but it was observed 
later that the reporter’s vocabulary must have been very limited, as in accounts of 
games, every win by 10 points or over constituted a trouncing!

On arrival of the Road Party, 63/81 Fd Battery was affiliated to 2/2 Gurkha Rifles 
and 73 Fd Battery to 2/1 Gurkha Rifles for purposes of training. It was evident 
from the start that, owing to the close nature of the country, previous methods 
had to go by the board, and more work would have to be done by sections and even 
by single guns. Lessons were learnt, which were of the greatest use later on, and 
both battalions proved to be the most helpful and co-operative. 

In addition, small parties of officers were sent as Umpires for manoeuvres held 
in the KUALA LUMPUR area and also in KEDAH. A reconnaissance was also made in 
the KUANTAN area on the East Coast, as it was expected that the Regiment would be 
moving there in the early spring. Regimental Headquarters attended an exercise 
conducted by HQ 28th Indian Infantry Bde.

[*10*]

On the Administrative side, a branch of the NAAFI was at last opened, two Chinese 
tailors were installed in the Quartermaster’s Stores, a Dhobi contract was 
started with a Chinese laundryman in IPOH. This proved a failure as, at the end 
of November, he almost owed more for articles lost than the amount due to him! 
The 6 IORs in the LAD arrived safely from PENANG complete with their cook, 
also the 3 shoemakers. They had been in PENANG some time as nobody knew anything 
about them. Col Jephson had previously made enquiries and had been told by the 
officer in charge of the party they travelled with that he had personally put them 
ashore at SINGAPORE!

A YMCA Cafe, staffed by local residents, proved very popular. The inhabitants 
of IPOH had made great plans for the entertainment of the troops at Xmas. It had
been arranged that British troops would be dined and wined in batches of 100 
during the Xmas period, and suggestions were asked for as to what else they would 
like.The Perak Turf Club sent enclosure badges for every officer, NCO and man who 
wished to attend the Race Meeting due to be held early in December.

In the meantime, the tension with the Japanese increased. Talks were still going 
on between Mr Kusuru and President Roosevelt in Washington, but it was felt that 
the Japanese were simply playing for time, and the bellicose speeches of 
General Tojo, the Japanese Prime Minster, did nothing to lessen the feeling that 
war was imminent. So that the Regiment should not be “caught with its trousers 
down”, on November 25th Col Jephson ordered a practice pack in vehicles of everything 
the Regiment possessed since arriving in the Country, more stores had been 
received and other items had been acquired, which would certainly have to be taken 
to any new station. After a final check, as many vehicles as possible were left 
loaded in case of a sudden order to move.

On Nov 29th, various Scotsmen in the Regiment were preparing to celebrate St Andrew’s 
Night. One Scotsman was so elated at the thought that he invited a Yorkshireman 
and a native of Westmorland to dinner at the Eastern Hotel. They both accepted 
with alacrity. During the pink gin period and while the dinner was being ordered, 
2Lt Taffy Davies, the Orderly Officer turned up with a message that the Regiment 
was to be ready to move at 12 hours notice. It was decided unanimously that there 
was time to eat the dinner, and it was so, and greatly enjoyed. May the hospitality 
be returned some day without the necessity of having to make a “Things to be 
done” list between the courses!

Move to War Stations

The Regiment was ordered to proceed to its War Station on Dec 3rd. RHQ and 
63/81 Fd Bty were to march to KUANTAN by road, with halts at THE GAP and JERANTUT. 

73 Fd Bty were to march to KUALA LUMPUR and to be ready for a railway journey 
from there. It was decided that RHQ and 73 Fd Battery would move on Dec 3rd,

[*11*]

while 63/81 Fd Bty was to leave on Dec 4th. Major Bland went to Hospital with 
Malaria and Capt Pearson took over 63/81 Fd Bty.

Regarding the possible Rail move of 73 Fd Bty, owing to the fact that Railways in 
Malaya are meter gauge, experiments had to be made on Dec 2nd with a Spider, a 
30ton lorry, and the Workshops lorry. The spider passed the loading gauge with 
flying colours. The Breakdown lorry was tried next, but it presented an important 
problem. The loading gauge was some distance away, and to reach it, the truck had 
to go under two low bridges. Would it be safe? It was decided to risk it, with 
the result that there was a clearance of about 2 inches, and the driver of the 
vehicle certainly had the fright of his life!

RHQ and 73 Fd Bty set off next morning for the GAP and KUALA LUMPUR. The route was 
by the main road South through country which was not particularly interesting, mostly 
covered by tin workings and ordinary woodland. On the East of the road, about 
50 miles from IPOH was a road leading from TAPAH to CAMERON HIGHLANDS, a well known 
hill station, and later KAMPAR and SLIM RIVER,where there was heavy fighting later, 
were passed. At 90 miles TANJONG MALIM, in which was a large Military Hospital in the 
Sultan Idris college, was encountered. From KUALA KUBU BHARU the road to the GAP 
branched off to the left, and here 73 Fd Bty must be left until later.

The road now started to climb upwards along a gorge with hills rising on either 
side to between 4 and 5 thousand feet. Alongside the road ran the SELANGOR RIVER 
- in fact in all cases except NEGRI SEMBILAN (9 states), the states are named after the 
chief river running through them.

The GAP is the name given to the top of the Pass on the boundary between the States 
of SELANGOR and PAHANG. It consisted of about half a mile of level road with a few 
shops and a really excellent Rest house built of stone, just like an English County 
House. A one-way road led to FRAZERS HILL, another Hillstation, built at 4260 ft. 
On arrival, the Military Traffic Post took charge and the vehicles were parked by 
the side of the road. In honour of the occasion, there was a severe thunderstorm 
but the night was beautifully cool. The MO was absent as he and his lorry had 
unfortunately gone over a bank near TANJONG MALIM and he was in the aforementioned 
Hospital.

The following morning the march to JERANTUT was resumed. At WALSHE’S CORNER, some 
2 miles beyond the GAP, a wonderful view was obtained of miles and miles of forest 
country, broken here and there by pointed hills and valleys which, in the early morning, were 
still full of mist. After an easy ten mile descent RAUB, the chief 
town of the district was reached and one was confronted with the notice ‘RAUB 

AUSTRALIAN GOLD MINES” but there was unfortunately no time to collect any. Later

[*12*]

RAUB became CHQ 9 Ind Div. The country was very similar, most of the way being 
forest, and JERANTUT was reached about 1600 hrs, the vehicles being parked on 
a Rubber Estate road.

In the morning, the PAHANG RIVER was crossed by a rather ingenious type of ferry. 
It consisted of a pontoon, capable of holding 3 vehicles of the 15 cwt type, and 
was connected on the left side to an overhead cable by two hawsers, to which 
pulleys, which were free to run along the cables, were attached. The PAHANG 

RIVER was about 400 yards wide and had a strong current. To get the ferry across, 
it was necessary to let the hawsers go slack and the current pulled the pontoon 
downstream away from the bank. The hawsers were then tightened and the friction 
of the pulleys on the cable, combined with the current of the River, caused the 
pontoon to cross. The average time to cross was ten minutes, but, when the river 
was either too high or too low, it was anything up to 3/4 hour, owing to the 
manoeuvres necessary to reach harbour the far side. As a curiosity, the ferry was 
interesting, but one could not help wondering “What about getting a troop, let 
alone a Battery over the thing under machine gun fire or bombing!”

All the vehicles got over without mishap, and, for the next 90 miles, travelled on
a narrow twisty road with dense jungle on either side. When travelling on this 
road in the evening, the most extraordinary colour effects are seen. The road 
itself is nearly dark owing to the height of the trees on either side, and yet, 
at times, the tops of the trees are golden, where the sun reaches them. Towards 
sunset the gold turns to russet brown and even fiery red according to the sunset. 
The result is most impressive. At MARAN, a tiny village 50 miles from KUANTAN, 
a halt was made at midday, and VICTORY CAMP, 11 miles from KUANTAN was reached at 
tea time.

Kuantan

As the KUANTAN area was to be our home for the next month, a short description of 
the town and its approaches will now be given. Near 12 MS a track led off to the 
left into a rubber estate to what later on became MILO position. Running left
from 11 MS was a road leading to VALENCIA CAMP in which were stationed the 22nd 
Field Coy Bengal Sappers and Miners, RAMC, Workshops, Supplies, a Malay Bn and the 
Wagon Lines of 21st Mountain Battery and 5/11 Sikhs.

To the left from 10 MS, a road led to VICTORY CAMP, which held B Echelon on 25 pdrs 
464 Field Battery from the 88th Field Regt RA. About ½ mile further on, a rather 
lumpy road led to VOLUNTEER CAMP, in which was HQ 22nd Indian Infantry Bde, and 
joined up with the main road from 9 MS leading to the Aerodrome building and 
landing ground. GAMMON ROAD and WOODCUTTER ROAD were two tracks, the former leading 
to the North end of the aerodrome, near what was to be AIR position, and the latter, 
through a fine covered approach to a 25 pdr position called WOOD.

[*13*]

In the rubber, between 7 and 6 MS was the Camp of 5/11 Sikh Regt with all 
entrances very carefully camouflaged and a system of wooden roads within the 
Camp, as in heavy rain the place became a quagmire. About 400^xyds further on 
on the right, were the BRICK KILNS, the home of TAJ. At 6 MS was a road fork where 
the road to PEKAN branched off to the right. At this very obvious crossroad, devoid 
of all cover, the authorities had thought fit to build a large Petrol and Oil 
store looking like a Great Pyramid of Egypt! It had been put there possibly because 
somebody had read in an aged manual that good road approaches and a turn-round for 
vehicles were necessary, and aeroplanes were either non-existent or in their infancy. 
The PEKAN road led to a ferry over the PAHANG RIVER, and was a very important way of 
approach to the Right flank.

Then came a long straight open stretch only broken by a clump of trees near a PADI 
RESEARCH PLOT. SETO position was in these trees and it was from here that KUANTAN was 
bombarded later. Passing a Malay School on the left, the road passed through a 
wooded and swampy approach to the Ferry over the KUANTAN RIVER. In this stretch was 
a minefield 100 yards long, which at first was treated with great respect, and 
later with the familiarity due to an old friend. Opposie the Malay School, a track 
called KNIGHTS WAY was made leading down to the river to be used as an aternative 
route in case the Ferry was bombed. Just before reaching the Ferry a duckwalk to 
the left led through the swamp to a concrete OP on the river bank covering the 
bend in the river and the ferry itself.

The Ferry consisted of two large barges bolted together, each with 2 windlasses
fixed on the right hand side, through which a shore to shore cable passed. On 
the left side, another cable ran over rollers, but this cable was only used to 
keep the Ferry steady. At each end was a gangway, which could be raised or 
lowered as the ferry left or reached the shore. At first it was manned by Malay 

PWD coolies, but later a party of 5/11 Sikhs, under a cheery Jemedar, took charge. 
In the River was moored a Royal Malay Naval Patrol boat “ss SRIGALA” which, judging 
by the vivid camouflage paint used, must have been the brightest Jewel in the 
Malay Naval crown!

After passing a large Hospital on the left, the main street of shops was reached. 
To the left, a road connected with a parallel road of shops, with the Mercantile 
Bank of India at the far corner. To the right, a short track led to the wharf from 
which ss RAUB used to make a twice weekly voyage to SINGAPORE. Though only 
about 500 tons, she had remarkably large deck space and was kept very spick and 
span. In peacetime the trip was very popular, partly owing to the sea air and 
the joys of SINGAPORE, and partly owing to the lurid stories of the captain, a 
mahogany-faced shellback.

Running past the Bank, a road led off left to a small hill called BUKIT UBI, on 
which was an observer station. Next, on the left came the Padang, complete

[*14*]

Rough sketch of th KUANTAN AREA (no to scale)

Hand drawn diagram/map - see original document

with football grounds and small golf course. On the far side of this was 
a very good Rest House, with the Club quite close. To the right of the 
Main road was the Nanyang Hotel, and, half a mile further on, a cross roads. 
The right fork led to TELOK SISEK and the headland at TANJONG TEMBELING, 
with ALOR  position 400 yds from the crossroads. The left fork was called 
the Beserah road. After passing a turn to the left leading to TOWN CAMP, 
the huts of the 2/18 Royal Gharwal Rifles, the road crossed a wooden 
bridge and passed the Sultan’s Palace on the right. This building was used 
as Battalion HQ. Just opposite was a bungalow belonging to a Chinese 
Doctor. Regimental Headquarters constructed an underground City in his 
back garden, and used the house as a mess after the Doctor had been evacuated.

In front towered the hills of BUKIT BESERAH on the left and BUKIT PELINGDONG 
on the right. They were both thickly wooded but were used as OPs with 
the aid of ladders and machans. Before reaching the gap between these 
hills, the AVERPALEGH ROAD Branched off to the left. This road led to GAMP 
and JELA positions and then up the JABBOR VALLEY, and was the main approach 
used by the Japanese when they attacked.

The Gap was guarded by a minefield. A mile further on, a track to the 
right led into a wood and later to PARK Position, which literally might 
have been in a park in England - except for the Palm trees! One almost 
expected to see herds of deer roaming about. Shortly afterwards, the 
village of BESARAH with its Police Station, football ground and approach 
to the beach. From here a good view of the beaches could be obtained 
stretching Northward to the mouth of the BALOK RIVER, about 5 miles away, 
with the headland of BUKIT PENGORAK another 3, and Southward along the 
forward slopes of BUKIT PENINGDONG. At low tide the beach was suitable for 
MI traffic, provided that the vehicles kept to the dry sand.

The beaches were heavily wired and mined in some places. There were pillbox 
MG emplacements, and positions had also been selected for 2 x 18 pars 
manned by Infantry. PELINGDONG and KARANG, 3 miles to the North were being 
used as Customs observer posts and the shelters were fitted with telephones. 
The Section of 21st Mountain Battery had already constructed 2 gun pits 
South of the Gap and two more near the Malay School, and Capt Coleman and 
2 Lt Cross had done a considerable amount of reconnaissance work to find 
other positions, and a certain amount of survey data had been prepared by them.

[*15*]

The importance of KUANTAN lay in its aerodrome. It was newly built and well 
supplied with Hangars, Workshops, bomb-store, SAA store and there were in 
addition 21 aerial torpedoes. The quarters for officers and men were most 
up to date and far ahead of anything we had seen before. The small port and 
road to JERRANTUT also offered a method of entry into Malaya. KUANTAN had been 
selected as the site(?) of an aerodrome at the time defence of Malaya had 
been entrusted to the RAF. One could not help thinking that inspecting bodies 
had travelled by air, and not by the road from JERANTUT with its hundreds of 
small bridges - not to mention the two ferries!

RECONNAISSANCE AND DEPLOYMENT

On the morning of Dec 6th, Col Jephson made a reconnaissance of the area with 
Major Fennell, who had been before. He then reported at HQ 22nd Indian Infantry 
Brigade. This Brigade was commanded by Brigadier G W A Painter, a gunner, with 
Major Davidson as Brigade Major and Capt Harvey as Staff Captain. The Battalions 
in the Brigade were the 2/18 Royal Gharwal Rifles (Lt Col Hartigan), 5/11 Sikh 
Regt (Lt Col Parkin), and the 2/12th Frontier Force Regt (Lt Col Cummins) though 
this Battalion had been sent to assist 8th Indian Infantry Bde at KOTA BHARU, 
200 miles North on the Coast. The Regiment worked with 22nd Indian Infantry Bde 
almost continuously until January 26th, when we left RENGAM for SINGAPORE. All 
officers and men have feelings of the greatest admiration and affection for 
this Brigade and also for the 8th Infantry Bde. The Brigade Staffs were 
efficient and most helpful and the men themselves proved tough fighters and easy 
to work with. The Gunners in the detachments had nothing but praise for them.

Other troops under command of the Brigadier were a section of 21st Mountain Bty 
(Captain Coleman), 22 Field Coy Bengal Sappers and Miners (Major Herd), 27th 
Field Ambulance (Lt Col Benson), 42nd Workshop Coy (Major Hill), and a Supply 
Depot. On the aerodrome was a Squadron of Lockheed-Hudson bombers manner by 
the RAAF. In addition were a few Wildebeestes for the aerial torpedoes. The 
ground staff was a mixture of British and Australians, but the whole of the Air 
Force personnel was under strength. It was really a bombing school.

The problems confronting Brigadier Painter were as follows:

1. The primary task of the Defence of the Aerodrome from attach by parachutists or by land.
2. Defence of the beaches from the mouth of the KUANTAN RIVER to the mouth 
   of BALOK RIVER, 10 miles to the North.
3. Preventing an advance on KANTAN from the South along the PEKAN road.

His plan for competing with the above was as follows:

[*16*]

The defences were divided into a Forward and Rear Sector, the boundary being the 
RIVER KUANTAN the holding of which being considered vital to the defence. 
The forward Sector was allotted to 2/18 Royal Gharwal Rifles who were to man the 
beach defences, and maintain a striking force in TOWN CAMP area to deal with any 
attack inland from the North.

The rear Sector was to be held by 5/11 Sikhs, who were to hold the Southern bank 
of the River, a line astride the PEKAN road called the TAJ line, named after 
Capt Taj Mohamed MC the Company Commander, and to have a Company detailed to 
assist in the defence of the aerodrome. The Rear sector was to be prepared to 
work independently under Lt Col Parkin in event of the destruction of the Ferry 
or a breakdown in communication.

Col Jephson made the following Artillery dispositions:

RT Section A Troop “PARK”

Gun Position Football ground BESERAH GPO (BSM McGarva)

OP Rest House BESERAH (2Lt K B Davies)

LT Section A Troop “GAMP”

Gun position Up the AVERPALEH ROAD and then through the Rubber to cover the BALOK 
RIVER (GPO 2 Lt Reeve)

OP KAMPONG BALOK (Lt Bladen)

RT Section B Troop TAJ

Gun position PADI research dump covering PEKAN road (2Lt McKenzie)

OP with Coy Cdr 5/11 Sikh Regt up PEKAN road (Capt Hunt)

LT Section B Troop TOWN

Gun position TOWN CAMP 2Lt Hogshaw

OPs TEMBELING POINT (2Lt Mason)

         RANGE CAMP (Lt Reid)

Battery HQ TOWN CAMP

Section 21st Mountain Battery

Gun position Right of road West of the Gap (2Lt Cross)

OP BUKIT PELINGDONG (Capt Coleman)

RHQ

Chinese Doctors compound opposite Sultan’s Palace in BESERAH ROAD

B Echelon

VICTORY CAMP

62/81 Field Battery RA arrived from JERANTUT during the afternoon and went straight 
into action. During the night, 1200 rounds were taken across the river and dumped 
at the positions and 400 were dumped at TAJ. The aforementioned minefield was 
treated with the greatest respect! The ammunition had to be fetched from Brigade 
Headquarters dump in VOLUNTEER CAMP, and, 

for some of the gunners, it was their 
first experience in loading large quantities of ammunition. They all worked hard 
and the job was completed in the early hours of the morning.

[*17*]