Papers relating to the service of Cyril John Watson, 1941-1945 - Part 7

 

C.J. Watson
VX39057
LIEUT. C.J. WATSON
4 ANTI TANK REGT.
R. A. A
A. I. F.

Shorthand outlines - see original document
JANUARY 1942
Thursday 1st
Bty in harbour at
Meergkibol Estate, KLUANG.
A Tp placed under comd. 2/30 Bat.
I moved to Jernaluang.
Friday 2nd
Reported 2/30 Btn. Role Bn Gp
commder attack any enemy
penetration in Malacca.
Saturday 3rd
Returned Kluang.

JANUARY 1942
SUNDAY 4th
Back to Jernaluang
in evening and
reported to 2/30 Bn H.Q.
Monday 5th
Another air raid at KLUANG
Returned Kluang in the
evening.
Wednesday 7th
Bty. moves to new harbour

further down road from

C.C.S. - near or opp. Coronation

Estate.

Thursday 8th

B.C. orders digging at 0400 hrs.

Friday 9th

Prepare to move.

Saturday 10th

0800 hrs. under comd 16 Bty.

move to harbour 8 mile

South of SEGAMAT.

13 Bty less A & B Tps move

down to MUAR area - harbour

at BAKRI crossroads.

JANUARY 1942

SUNDAY 11th
Move out to see Vance on
Jermentah rd. In afternoon
ordered to move out there
also. Guns in post by dark.
Monday 12th
Guns on Jermentah rd.
in support 26 Bn.
Bty move back to Segamat.
Tuesday 13th

Recced Bn areas.

Wednesday 14th

2/26 Bn move out for BATU

ANAM about midday. Positions

taken over by 2/12 Greenhalle's.

Changed Tp H.Q. BC arrives

about midnight to change gun

positions.

Thursday 15th

B Tp move about 0100 hrs to B.ANAM

rd junc. A Tp on Jermentah rd.

CO changed positions in morning.

Loyals move into area in morning.

A.I.F. in action at GEMAS.

Friday 16th

Positions unchanged, things pretty

good. Man shot in night.

Went B.H.Q on Jermentah rd.

Saturday 17th

Moved fwd Sec. back to Causeway

across swamp as Loyals

tightened perimeter.

M^cCure moves to MUAR.

JANUARY 1942

SUNDAY 18th

Laid mine field. Capt. Lloyd's 

Independent Coy. arrives back.

2300 hrs. moved behind MUAR bridge

with Loyals. Macmeikan has accident.
Monday 19th
Cover bridge over S. MUAR until
blown about 1300 hrs. 2000 hrs.
withdrew behind SEGAMAT to harbour.
Their guns into posn. Arty all
round. SEG bridge blown.
Tuesday 20th
Vance & I recced route to LABIS.
Saw 16 Bty, B ech. Moved back
to LABIS. Sect B Tp did withdrawal
with Carriers. Picked up stragglers.
From LABIS to YONG PENG on PAloh rd.
Wednesday 21st

Arrive PAloh rd. harbour about

0400 hrs. Had no sleep for days.

1800 hrs. 3 guns in 1 mile forward Y.P.

rd junc. 2 guns (Sgt Collis under)

1¼ mile behind Y.P. with Tp H.Q.

Bty HQ moved up PAloh rd to 27 Bde.

JANUARY 1942
Thursday 22nd

About midday, 5 guns sent back

to Vance aT AYER HITAM. STABB & I

go to 30 Bn on MUAR rd for night.

Put platoon 30 Bn in position on

LABIS rd.

Friday 23rd

Blitzed like hell at Y.P. Pulled

out that night with Coy 30 Bn

as rearguard after bridges blown.

MUAR survivors came back.

Saturday 24th

Fun on road with stragglers & Loyals

Arrived AYER HITAM 0400 hrs. Guns

in position [[?]] by Vance.

I go 26 Bn HQ. Day fairly quiet

only bombing until mortared in

evening. I had five guns again

at BATU PAHAT - A.H. -KLUANG rd.

Stragglers still coming through

from MUAR.

Vance & I now run 9 guns to

Singapore. Father acts as B.C. 

We carry dead weight!      

JANUARY 1942

SUNDAY 25th

Still AYER HITAM. Mortared & bombed

all day. Pulled out at night. I

did withdrawal with 30 Bn. 26Bn

transport nearly left. xxxxxxxxxxxxx
during day. Loyals fighting well.
Monday 26th
Took up positions SIMPANG RENGAM
& tea on Rengam rd. Gordons came
thro' this evening. Emmett & Rosser
came in with 26 Bn. Rosser
captures WOG.
Tuesday 27th

Still in post S. Rengam. Blitzed

all day. Gleeson casualty. Lot of

aerial activity. 26 Bn. capture 3 M.G's

All full of water. [[boons? ]] inclined to

leave positions. [[?]] back to harbour.

Wednesday 28th

[[Infantry?]]  back with x 24 guns.

These guns in harbour at 29 M. post.

Vance with 5 guns at [[Est?]] rd junctions

40 ½ m.p. Cordell Kaull killed. Muir

wounded. Gordons, 26 & 20 Bns in fierce
charges. Attacking well but Japanese
use gas. Chas & I go to Singapore on recce.

for alternate rd. thro' [[?]] [[?]].
Feed of pineapples. Very quiet night
Inf. very tired
JANUARY 1942
Thursday 29th.
In position with Gordons, 26 [[?]]
1 Sec with Gordons, 1 gun in [[?]]
fighting & sniping, heavy air conditions
all day. Did not like withdrawal
Mortared on road. Withdrew with
20 Bn then moved into harbour.
Friday 30th
Day in harbour, had good rest.
Expecting to be back into fight, but
went back over island. I went
2300 hrs. Vance did rearguard.
Saturday 31st
Arrived on island. I put B Tp in
position. A Tp to have [[mobile?]] role.
Also put C Tp in. 4 [[Bridas?]]
Go chasing carrier in early morn.
Then back to "B" Ech. & rest
When doing recce with Stabb in
afternoon on Causeway. shelled
from J.B.

FEBRUARY 1942
SUNDAY 1st
Still resting in harbour with
Ech. in track off Jurong rd.
Air raids.
Monday 2nd
A reasonable role. Guns. to
Bn's mounted Portée. Still with
R. Tel.
Tuesday 3rd
B.HQ move to Singapore dairy.
Sgt Kiely recces. part of island.
Rossy takes over C Tp.
Wednesday 4th
Begin work on trucks.
Brooks. Major Schneider becomes
R.C. Stabb back to Adjt.
FEBRUARY 1942
Thursday 5th
Reshuffle of Troops to 4 Tp lots
A tp move to rear R.H.Q with X
B.C & I saw testing of Portée 2 plns
x Tp (Sgt Cock) to have 75 [[mounted?]]
Visited Gilstead Rd.
Friday 6th
Father. & I go into Singapore.
Working on harbour & trucks. When
Rossy has accident after taking [[?]] [[?]] [[?]]
x Tp into position on [[?]] rd
& Tengah aerodrome - came under
comd. 15 Bty.
Saturday 7th
x Tp in position at [[?]]
Tengah aerodrome shelled [[?]] [[?]]
Heavy shelling everywhere

FEBRUARY 1942
SUNDAY 8th
Heavy shelling all day. Heavy
Air raids. Attempted landings
reported late in evening.
C.D.F.
Monday 9th
Landing effected in early morn.
22 Bde H.Q move into our harbour.
22 Bde pushed back to Tengah drome.
Beach guns lost. Withdrew to Jurong
rd. Then to Botanical gardens.
Tuesday 10th
Spent good night in Gardens. Saw
Ken 0900 hrs - told report. Maj.Quick.
Put 4 guns in Bukit Timah rd.
Tp H.Q with B.H.Q at Holland rd. The
1400 hrs. went to 6/15 Bde at Burkit Timah.
[[?]] Searle killed. [[Bennett?]] wounded
Wednesday 11th
With 6/15 Bde. Driven out Bde HQ at
0700 hrs Guns attacked down road
towards junc. Lost everything.
Sgt [[?]] Tangey missing. Cut across
country to 22 Bde. Then to Bot.
Gardens & B. Ech. Finished up
with Vance & Father. [[at?]] [[No 68?]] Grange
rd. Put guns [[?]] before dawn.
from B Timah rd to Alexander rd.
FEBRUARY 1942
Thursday 12th
At Grange Rd. (No 68). Scrambled
eggs for breakfast. Had bath.
Took over x Tp with Sgt. cock. 2 [[?]]
2 75mm.
Friday 13th
Still Grange Rd. Collected stuff
from [[?]] Barracks. Collected
bit of kit. Heavy shelling &
bombing. Situation bad. Sniping
all round.
Saturday 14th
Living well at Grange Rd. Too
many troops in Singapore.
Shelling road outside, & over
to town, which is in shocking
state. Water cut off. B Echs
&c have formed protective groups
for guns. Time they did something.
Took dive over hedge with
Father in Air Raid & cut shin.
All troops being organised as
Infantry.