Unit diaries relating to service of Geoffrey W. Fennell - Wallet 1 - Part 3

On the night of Dec 7/8, the Japanese commenced hostilities, without previous

warning, and proceeded to bomb SINGAPORE and attack the great American base of

PEARL HARBOUR. They also occupied THAILAND and were reported to have made a

landing near KOTA BHARU and to have captured the aerodrome. Later, reports were

received on the bombing of the aerodromes at ALOR STAR and SUNGEI PATANI in KEDAH

on the West Coast. It was realised that KUANTAN would receive attention in due

course, as the full defensive scheme was put into force and RT Section A Troop

moved from the Football ground to Park, an was joined by Bty HQ.

More gun ammunition started to arrive from Railhead at JERANTUT. The lorries were

provided by 43 (Reserve) MT Coy commanded by Lt Maclaren RASC. They were driven

by Malay drivers who, in spite of very little previous training, did very well,

and long hours and bad weather weather did nothing to mar their cheerfulness, provided

they were given short rests for tea and biscuits. The lorries used to arrive in

batches of two or three at a time depending on how well or badly the JERANTUT FERRY

was  behaving. The escorting of the lorries usually done by the Malay Volunteer

Corps Motor Patrol consisting mosty of Rubber Planters under Capt PAYTON. With 
their assistance, a dump of nearly 600 rounds of 3.8, 4.5 and 25 pdr ammunition was 
built up in the Wagon Lines in VICTORY CAMP.

The time was spent in improving the gun positions and communications generally, 
also in arranging targets and concentrations with the Infantry. It was realised 
that the Coast line north of PENGORAK was a definite problem, but it was far out 
of range of 4.5 Howitzers, and the defences could not be extended beyond the RIVER 
BALOK owing to scarcity of men. It was rumoured however that a Battery of 25 pdrs
 was on the way.

BOMBING OF THE AERODROME

The local Air Force had been showing great activity, and had been seen departing

loaded with bombs to deal with enemy transports in the Kota Bharu area. They had

however suffered casualties to the extent of half their number. In the early

morning of Dec 9th, engines could be heard warming up and, shortly afterwards, some

bombers started off for their daily work.

About 1000 hrs, a message was received at the Wagon Lines that Major Fennell was

required at Bde HQ on the Aerodrome at once. There he met Brigadier Painter, who

told him that ^the personnel in the Wagon Lines were to be responsible for defending a

large open space at the back of VICTORY CAMP against any attempted landing by

parachutists. While he was giving these instructions, the Air Raid Alarm went.

The Aerodrome Adjutant said "Oh! It's only some Malay observer getting the wind up."

Brigadier Painter said "Anyhow lets get out of this office and get near a slit

trench and I will finish giving my orders."

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Just as Major Fennell reached the turn to VICTORY CAMP, 3 groups of 9 planes were

seen approaching flying in formation and evidently making for the aerodrome.

Not knowing what planes they were, the alarm was given and all available 10 rifles

were taken up to the open space, and men took up positions behind tree trunks in

case there was a parachute landing.

From the Aerodrome came some terrific explosions, rattle of Bren guns, and clouds 

of black smoke. There was also the noise of the crackling of a large fire, and

other smaller explosions, which seemed to show that a bomb or SAA store had been

hit. The attack lasted about 1½ hours, and every advantage was taken of some new

good trenches in the Wagon Lines, in case a few dropped wide!

As there appeared to be no immediate danger of a parachute landing, normal work

was resumed. Presently a man came up and said "Beg pardon Sir but some airmen have

a civilian bus and want some petrol." An Air-force officer then came up and said

that they had had orders to evacuate the aerodrome and were going to KUALA LUMPUR

to get some more "crates". This seemed fairly genuine, so he was given petrol and

some food and off they went.

On going to the end of the road, however, about 30 men came out of the wood and

appeared to have no idea what they were doing. At the same time, 3 or 4 lorries,

crowded with armed men, tore by at a rate of knots, heading fr JERANTUT. One, which

was rather more empty, appeared, and was stopped by the men on the road, who clambered

on. The driver was asked where he was making for, and he hadn't the least idea

except that they had been told to clear out. 2 huge petrol tank lorries also passed

laden with human freight and finally a petrol tanker going flat out at 10 mph

behind a diminutive tractor!

As all this seemed rather queer, a recce party went up to the aerodrome under the

CO2 to find out what was happening. On arrival there, the Control Room and two

workshops or stores were found to be well alight, also the bomb store, and two

badly damaged planes were on fire. The order had apparently gone forth to destroy

as the Brigade Signal Officer, Capt Young, was discovered shaking with rage at the

mess in the Wireless Room, and the damage caused by human hands rather than aerial

bombs.

Remembering that the regiment was short of Light Automatics and SAA a search was

made, and the deficiency remedied to no mean purpose! All was fair and above board

as a Flight Lieut, before leaving himself, told us to take what we liked or it would

be burnt! Other kinds of stocks were replenished in the same way, but the question

being constantly asked was "Why evacuate the aerodrome?" Admitted that a fair

number of bombs had been dropped, and yet it was nothing to what the civilian

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population in England had been taking night after night, and the damage did not

appear to have been incapable of repair. It was thought at the time that an order

had been give to evacuate the bombers (ie to get them out of the hangars and spread

them out) and in some way this had not got round as "Evacuate the aerodrome".

Many months later we found out that the Squadron Leader, without reference to the

Station Commander, had rung up HQ SINGAPORE, had reported that the aerodrome was

unserviceable, and had been told to clear out.

The following is a true story. One pilot officer, on arriving at JERANTUT, 100

miles away, decided he had recovered his breath, and came back. He reported to

Brigade Headquarters, asked if there was anything he could do, and was told he

could fly away a slightly damaged plane, when it had been repaired. He drank the

Bde beer and ate their food in large quantities for two days, was taken in a car

to the plane, which had been repaired by the Brigade LAD, and flew off. Imagine

their disgust when they heard the officer speaking on the SINGAPORE Wireless, and

to read an article in the Straits Times describing how he had returned to the

aerodrome at the risk of his life, slept alone in his deserted quarters, repaired

the machine, and had brought away secret documents stuffed in the landing wheels!

A perfect hero, but don't mention it in the Bde HQ Mess!

There was another story, the veracity of which cannot be guaranteed, that some

rather dishevelled looking airmen were found wandering about IPCH and were put

under arrest for being improperly dressed by an unimaginative Military policeman,

who refused to believe that they were the sole survivors of KUANTAN.

However much the Regiment had benefited in a material sense from these happenings,

the unpalatable fact had to be faced that the garrison of KUANTAN Had lost a very

valuable pair of eyes. The RAAF did very fine work at PENANG and RANGOON, but

KUANTAN will certainly not rank high among the Battle Honours. Their reconnaissance

and air cooperation would have been invaluable later.

BLITZ-KRIEG NIGHT

In the early morning of Dec 10th, an event took place, which was usually referred

to a Blitz-Krieg Night. A fatigue party had been detailed to assist the Sappers

and Miners in building some rafts to convey guns an vehicles across the river in

event of the ferry being damaged. Work did not start until after dark, and

consisted of moving heavy logs of timber from a dump down to the river bank.

While the work was going on, heavy firing was heard, and the following morning it

was discovered that this is what happened.

The OP of 21st Mountain Battery reported that Japanese were landing near PELINGDONG

in 5 boats, and immediately opened fire on them with the result that they got

back into their boats and started to go North. Infantry corroborated this report.

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At this, all the remaining Artillery sprang to life and opened up on previously

arranged targets within the area. It was the first occasion the enemy had been

definitely located, and there was great excitement, not only at the guns, but

also at Regimental Headquarters. One immediate result was that everyone spoke far

too fast on the telephone.

Very soon afterwards, every sort of Very Light went up and the concrete emplacements

and other infantry posts on the beach reported heavy sniping from the flanks.

At this point Col Jephson smelt a rat, for how could there be sniping from the

flanks if the enemy had not yet landed! In addition, if the enemy had landed, the

volume of fire produced would presumably be anything but sniping! He was with Lt Col

Hartigan of the 2/18 Gharwalis at the time, and decided to call the party off.

The excitements of the night were not yet over. A report had been received that

boats were to be seen at the mouth of the KUANTAN RIVER. Major Tucker, CO2 of the Gharwaliis,
was detailed to collect sampans and investigate towards the boom. Meanwhile,

Hogshaw started to let drive from TEMBELING POINT and had a grand time shooting up

boats. The OP wire was through to Regimental Headquarters and such remarks as 

"Good Shot", "Got the sods", "Keep at it", came floating through at intervals.

Next morning, rumours of piles of bodies went round, but none could say definitely

where the bodies were and how many. One small boat was found on the beach with 4 dead

Malays near it, and at the mouth of the KUANTAN RIVER, a number of logs were seen

floating about. Can it have been that the logs were the invading fleet? At any

rate, logs or no logs, a very happy evening was spent by all, and it had certainly

been proved that the garrison were well on their toes and had no intention of being

caught napping. It was found out later that there had been a reconnaissance force

all along the coast, as boats with Japanese equipment in them floated ashore in the

PEKAN bay down to the South.

PADRE AND 25 PDRS

On December 14th an event of the greatest importance took place. During the morning

a message was received at the Wagon Lines "go to Brigade Headquarters and arrange

collection of TARSON's batman". This seemed rather queer. Who was TARSON? A hasty

look at the list of code did not reveal that TARSON was GOC Malaya or any

one else for that matter. On arrival at Bde HQ, it was discovered that PARSON was

meant, and that the Parson was the Rev Thomas Pugh MA BI Chaplain to the Forces who had

just arrived from JERANTUT, complete with a Dogra Orderly. The Dogra Orderly was

left at Bde HQ, where he could be suitably fed, and the Padre was given a British

batman in lieu.

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The Rev Thomas Pugh, or Captain Puj as the troops used to call him, proved a

decided asset. He had entered the Church rather late in life, having already

tried his hand at running an enormous slate quarry in Wales. A 100% Welshamn

he emulated the famous Taffy of the nursery rhyme, and was a first class scavenger.

The Padre and the Doctor proved a very formidable team to send forward as a 

reconnaissance party for Regimental Headquarters. They both had a good eye for

"Real Estate"  and, once in the Padre invoked the aid of the Almighty to keep away

intruders, and cursed them with candle, with bell, and with book, so that they slunk

away.

No chicken, duck, goose, sucking pig ever missed his roving eye, and the Mess pot

benefited on many occasions. On the day of his arrival, he was confronted with

"Birnam Wood moving to Dunsinane", in other words, a Malay but apparently moving 

on its own. "What quaint customs the Natives have" quoth the reverend gentleman.

He need not have worried, as a fatigue party presently emerged from under the hut

and erected it over Regimental Headquarters!

The following day, he was summoned to KUALA LUMPUR for a synod, Eisteddfod, or some

conference or other. He was away for 3 days, but returned complete with a tin hat,

and, what was even more important, a large car. This was given a smart coat of

green paint, and was used on many a foraging expedition. The padre was evidently

a descendant of the famous Jehu as he drove furiously. The more twisty the road,

the more firmly was the ecclesiastical foot wedged onto the accelerator. At first, fate

was against him arranging Services. No sooner had arrangements been made, when the

tactical situation immediately demanded either a change of position or the summoning

of a number of men to unload ammunition.

On Dec 10th a welcome reinforcement arrived, 464 Field Battery under Major Kelly TD,

arrived from JERANTUT having been rudely plucked from the remainder of their Regiment

(88th Field Regt) at GEMAS JUNCTION, many miles to the South. They were a territorial

Battery, mostly from the PRESTON area, and proved a most efficient Battery and it

was a pleasure to work with them. The guns arrived in the afternoon, and went into

action during the night.

As a result there was a reshuffle of postions:
Lt Section B Troop (Lt Radcliffe and 2Lt Hogshaw)

Left TOWN and moved to Aerodrome in the Sikh position an was in future called AIR.

BT Section B Troop (Capt Hunt and 2Lt McKenzie)

To Brick Kilns near Bn HQ Sikh Regt, still called TAJ.

464 Bty HQ 1 Troop (F Troop)

To TOWN position.

1 Troop (E Troop)

To PADI RESEARCH PLOT dump, with one gun to the left of the road, and called SETO.

A joint OP was made with TAJ on the river bank up the PEKAN ROAD.

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Arrangements were also made to man a Ferry OP if required.

Section 21st Mountain Battery

To position along TELOK SISEK ROAD and called ALOR.

A few days later there was a small modification as TAJ moved back to TOWN, and

was used as a Mobile Reserve to go out with a Mobile Column of Infantry. Battery

HQ and F Troop 464 Bty moved to a new position called HILL near a quarry close to

BUKIT UBI. Great satisfaction was now felt that fire could now be brought down

from the 25 pdrs on the danger spot near PENGORAK.

GAMP

For the next week nothing out of the ordinary occurred, apart from the daily visit

of an enemy plane about 1015 hrs and again about 1530. He was so regular that he

was soon christened "George" by the Second in Command. Later he was joined by

another, who of course had to be "Margaret" after the well known stage success.

GAMP was still being occupied and, as the journey to this position was no mean

adventure, let 2Lt Reeve, the GPO, describe the original occupation and the

difficulties to be encountered. Here is the story.

The story of GAMP began when Col Jephson told Lt Bladen and myself that our

section (LT Section A Troop) was the most Northerly position of the KUANTAN

defences. About 1700 hrs on December 10th, we were given a guide from the 2/18

Royal Gharwal Rifles and told to reconnoitre our position, and meet the guns at a

rendezvous at 1800 hrs.

We set off, with a light heart, along a decent tarmac road, but, after going 4 miles,

we came to a rubber estate road, which was very narrow and very slippery. Time was

short, but "More haste, less speed" and, before long, the truck had slipped off the

road, but was easily pushed back. We carried on in the rubber, the track gradually

getting worse, and, as far as we could see in the gathering darkness, very little

used.

Darkness came very quickly, the track was terrible, it had started to rain, and the

guide did not seem too sure of his way. We decided to leave the truck, G.A., and

carry on on foot. We wandered around in the dark getting wetter and wetter.

Occasionally the guide would stop and show me what he thought was the position but

all we could see was a very small clearing of about 10 trees in very high rubber.

This, no doubt, was excellent for AA guns, but not for Field Artillery!

After another 3/4 of an hour, we decided to return to the truck, as the guide had

obviously lost his way. By this time, we had left it far behind, but to give the

guide his due, he did manage to get us back to within 300 yards of it for, after a

good deal of shouting, the driver heard us and gave a welcome answer.

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The rain was still pouring down, and it was pitch black, so we had great difficulty

in getting the truck back to the road, as we were continually getting stuck, and

losing the track. At last, to the relief of the driver, we came to the decent

track, and he began to go a little faster. As we came level with the Rubber

Factory, the track was very slippery being very little wider than the truck, and had

a ditch on either side. Slap we went into the ditch, and all our efforts failed to

move it. However, we were to remember this stretch of road before the night was 

through!

Lt Baden had to meet an Infantry officer at his OP, as he and the guide set off

on foot for the OP about 3 miles away, whilst I was left to get the truck on the

road. There were some coolies in the factory, from whom we tried to get food, but

they either could not understand or did not have any. At least I got an Indian

to understand, and he produced a bicycle and a guide, and led me to the Foreman's 

bungalow. Fortunately, he was a Madrassi and spoke English. He produced some

coffee with a lot of brandy in it, and also a lorry to tow the truck out of the

ditch.

The track was so slippery by now that the wheels of the factory lorry merely skidded

around and nearly burnt the tyres off! I decided to borrow the lorry, go on to the

Rendezvous, and meet Lt Bladen as arranged. I shall never forget this drive, for

the driver, a Malay, who obviously knew the road like the back of his hand, kept his

foot hard on the accelerator the whole way down this slippery narrow track! At times,

I had to shut my eyes, but we arrived at the RV safely at midnight - just 6 hours late!

There I found Lt Bladen with Capt Pearson and a fresh guide, but I knew that with the

state of the road, it woud be many hours before the guns were in action. All went

well until we reached the slippery track, and vehicles started to slip off every few

hundred yards. At one point, a hole about a foot in diameter and two feet deep,

suddenly appeared, and we had to search for large stones to fill it in. This

delayed us about half an hour.

At last we reached the Rubber Factory, where GA was stuck, and it took us from 

0200 hrs until 0630 hrs to get all the vehicles along the 100 yds road in front of

the factory. Every vehicle slipped into the ditch and each vehicle made the track

a little narrower at the point where it went in. The men, who were all tired after

their long drive from JERANTUT, worked like niggers, especially SSgt Artificer Jones,

who superintended the unditching of nearly every vehicle.

Capt Pearson had gone on with one of the guns as soon as his truck was through, and

found the gun position (the new guide was an NCO and knew the way). He told me to

follow the telephone wire, which ran alongside the track, until I came to the gun.

It was light now, and I carried on, and it was not until 0800 hrs that the last

vehicle arrived.

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The gun position was most depressing, being merely a small clearing in a rubber

estate. There were no buildings near, so tents were necessary, but, as it was still

pouring with rain, we delayed putting them up. For the first few days it was very

wet. This made the track as far as the Rubber Factory almost impassable to anything

but a Spider. Occasionally, a tired person would stagger into the position, tell

us that his truck was stuck, and could we please pull it out. This became a regular

job for our Spider drivers who had learnt the art of negotiating the track. They 

kept to the ruts already made and literally bounced from rubber tree to rubber

tree!

Here is his account of Blitz-krieg Night. On Dec 10th, in the early morning, there

was a good deal of excitement as we heard machine gun fire from the direction of 

the beach. I phoned the OP to find out what was happening, but Lt Bladen could

see nothing, neither could Capt Fancis, with whose Op we were in communication.

The machine gun fire gradually became more intense, and seemed to stretch along

the whole of the beaches, but still, neither OP could see anything. At last,

Lt Bladen received a report that a patrol had seen a boat land, but could not

distinguish the occupants. The men, who had taken part at the first machine gun

fire, were getting impatient to fire their first round in action, so imagine their

relief when I started on fire orders, They all thought that a terrific landing

was being made, so imagine their amazement when I gave out 1 round Gunfire! No

more was fired that night. It was found out the following morning that a very

high tide had set off some mines on the beach and the infantry, handicapped by the

intense darkness, had imagined that a landing in force was being made.

Such is the story of the beginning of GAMP. It started a small clearing and

finished almost a barren plain as the zones of fire were increased and more rubber

trees were cut down. The Section got quite fond of it in spite of many mosquitoes

and myriads of fireflies, some of which were taken as being 5th Columnists flashing

torches out to sea, and were duly shot at with rifles! Rumour hath it that the

Battery picket nearly suffered death one night for the same reason!

Before leaving GAMP, two more adventures must be chronicled. One afternoon one of

the gunners was playing a mouth organ near a very old dead tree trunk. To the

amazement of everybody, a snake stared to creep out of the tree to listen to the

music. Everybody shouted, and the snake rushed back into its hole. It was smoked

out and Sgt Neill, who was not afraid of snakes, attacked it with a bush knife and

a piece of wood. The men gave him moral encouragement, and the result was a dead

9ft cobra! See what a mouth organ does!

To get to the OP necessitated the crossing of three swamps, each about 100 yards

long, making the laying of telephone lines an extremely unpleasant job. The

maintenance signallers always returned with mud up to their knees, as the only

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means of crossing the swamps was on two circular logs, which rolled if one was 
not very careful. This the signallers found very difficult, when work had to 
be done at night, carrying a mile drum as well. There was a great rivalry 
between signallers at the OP and the gun position, as to who would first negotiate 
the swamp without falling in!

16 Chickens had been fattened p for the Xmas dinners and cherished from day to 
day. All preparations had been made, but unfortunately the Tactical Situation 
demanded a sudden move on Xmas Eve, and in the hurry, they were left behind.

Christmastide

About 2100 hrs, the night before Xmas Eve, the Adjutant rang up the Wagon Lines with 
the following information: “We have just got a message” said he “that Japanese 
warships escorting transports have been sighted, and, at their present rate of 
steaming, should reach KUANTAN about 0500 hrs tomorrow.” It certainly looked as 
if something was in the wind. There was a general “Stand to” and the RA 
representative for SOUTH KUANTAN went to spend the night at Bn HQ of the 5/11 Sikhs.

He did not get there without his life being in grave danger, as his Driver, not 
expecting a sudden alarm, had decided to start his Xmas celebrations early, and 
proceeded (a) to drive on the wrong side of the road (b) to its getting the 
car ditched by a hairsbreadth (c) charge a convoy going in the opposite direction 
head on! He was then banished to be back seat, where he went to sleep tired but 
happy!

The Night Duty Officer very kindly gave up his cap bed, but, almost immediately, 
messages started to come in. The Sikhs had sent a patrol under an officer down 
the PEKAN road to the rive PAHANG, where he had embarked on a launch complete 
with wireless. The wireless truck working with the launch was quite near the 
tent, and the whole story began to unfold itself.

X calling, X calling - Over.

Harbaksh Singh, the Adjutant of the Sikhs, “What is it” - Over.

X “I am drifting down the river and there is something like a searchlight 
playing on the mouth of the river, and the patrols say that they can see a 
large warship.”

Harbaksh Singh “Are you quite certain? Have you seen it with your own eyes?”

X “No, but patrols report that they have seen it.”

Harbaksh Singh “Then land a patrol to cover you, and take the remainder on 
with you and find out for yourself.” Over.

About 1/4 hr later, X called up again, “I went down the river and can see the 
light but cannot see the warship, not can I find the patrol I landed.” About 2 hours 

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later, a DR arrived with a message from X “I cannot see the light or the warship, 
I cannot find the patrol, I went on shore to try and find the patrol and now I 
cannot find my launch and the wireless set!” “Blast the Boy” said Col Parkin, the CO 
to the RA representative. “Anyhow let’s go and have a drink. I expect the Warship 
was only a fishing boat.”

Shortly after this, two guns opened fire from the right of PELINDONG, followed by 
more gunfire from the same direction. I twas Coleman of the Mountain Section, who 
rang up Regimental HQ to say that boats were approaching in the darkness. As in 
another shoot, he encourage himself with whoops of joy as each round went off and 
“My God! We’ve sunk ‘em! Just a little more to the right and we’ve got ‘em cold!” 
Bang. “Look out, there’s another! Have at em! Etc etc.” Next morning, no traces 
of a shattered Japanese Navy could be found. Could they be more logs?!

22nd Infantry Bde had a system of track watchers in the Jungle to the North. 
This system ws organised by a Mr Shebbeare, a Forest Officer, who knew the jungle 
like the back of his hand. There was an agent in KERMAMAN, a town some 20 miles to 
the North, who made periodic reports. His reports ceased suddenly.

One of the track watchers noticed men* coming into a large house. When about a dozen 
men had arrived, they turned on the lights and prepared to cook a meal. Assuming 
that, by now, all the guests had arrived the watcher crept away, and reported what 
he had seen to the nearest Gharwali post. A strong armed patrol was sent out and a 
very pretty bag of 4th Columnists was rounded up and brought back to Bde HQ, together 
with the contents of the house. They turned out to be a Japanese Military Advance Party.

In addition, Mr Cole of the Malayan Civil Service with an armed party met 
Mr Kamura, the manager of the Kermaman Iron Works, with 10 Japanese in civilian 
clothes and captured them. They had been specially selected to look like Chinamen 
and were guides to Japanese units having a preliminary reconnaissance routes to 
Kuantan.

* These men were found to be in possession of details of all tracks, ferries, tide-
tables etc and would be undoubtedly used as guides later.

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