NX70758 - EATON, Ronald Warr (Ron), Lt. - BHQ, Intell.
Officer Adjt.
NX26919 - LUTZ, Edward Herman (Ted), L/Cpl. - B Company,
Coy. HQ Platoon
NX70446 - OLLIS, Ronald Nesbitt (Ron), Lt. - D Company, O/C
17 Platoon
NX26290 - WALKER, Frederick James (Cabby or Jim), Pte. - B
Company, 12 Platoon
NX32560 - WRIGHT,
Eric Stanley (Curly), Pte. - BHQ, Bn. Q. Store
Do you
remember how Australian O.R.’s were regarded in some
Singapore circles as being 'uncouth Colonials' and therefore
not to be allowed to set foot in some of 'the holy of
holies'? They were set 'out of bounds'.
JACK
MACLAY reminds me that the 2/30 Bn fielded a team on one of
these 'most holy places', The Singapore Cricket Club, so the
'out of bounds' criteria had to be lifted.
He says
that he was one of the team, as reserve cricket keeper to
"Curly" (E.S.) Wright, who was wicket keeper.
Others
were, as he remembers: Ted Lutz, Ron Eaton, Ron Ollis, and
Jimmy Walker.
Can
anyone fill us in on who else played?
(Source: Makan No. 241,
May/June, 1978)
NX70426 - MACAULEY, Norman Gilmour (Red), Capt. - HQ
Company, O/C Tpt. Platoon
NX12544 - McLEOD, Graham Stanley, Lt. - BHQ; D Company,
A/Adjt.; 17 Platoon
"Being
a sucker for anniversaries, I draw the attention of Members
of the Battalion to the approach of what I regard as an
important date, this being the 15th August. On that day, 39
years ago, the 2/30 Battalion reached Singapore.
I
remember it so well. The weather was fine and clear as the
'Johan' threaded her way through the islands, as we made our
approach and we marvelled at how green everything seemed
after the bleakness of Bathurst. Typical, Singapore clouds
towered high in the sky as a gaggle of Brewster Buffalo
bellowed past us. “Havc a go at THEM! Those are REAL
fighters!” and everyone was agog with excitement and
anticipation.
It was
all so new. Here we were in one of the most highly fortified
areas in the entire world. The place was impregnable.
Everyone knew that, and we were to take our part in seeing
that it remained that way.
Of
course, it was slightly disappointing not to have gone to
the Middle East. That's where the real fighting was and
where we'd have had the chance to show just how good we
were. Still, we were at least on our way to the action. The
Japanese? Don't be a goat! They'd never have the nerve to
attack this place. Polite little blokes, who spent most of
their time bowing and hissing. Crook eyesight, too. They all
wore glasses.
It was
funny how those clouds, that we saw so high, as we came in,
suddenly dropped their load in a tropical downpour. That we
were to learn was one of the peculiarities of the weather of
Malaya.
There was
a bunch of Top Brass on the wharf, as we disembarked.
Fortunately, no one made a damned fool of himself by falling
in as everyone struggled down the gangplanks. ("B.J."
wouldn't have liked that. In fact, he'd have been most
upset, which wouldn't have pleased me, since I always seemed
to be the one, who got the blame, when something went wrong.
To me, it would have been a familiar scenario ...'McLEOD!!!..Hell!
What's the latest disaster?)
Pictures
of that morning. The long line of Marmon Harrington's to
transport troops and gear to our new camp. The smooth
organisation shown by the Pommy NCO's and troops as they
shepherded the Colonials into the trucks. The heat and
sweating. The noise and apparent confusion.
Then
suddenly, everyone was gone and I was alone. I had to stay
behind to deal with the paperwork and the gear yet to be
unloaded. I stared at the piles of documents, which I had to
process, and the holds crammed with freight. What would
happen, if things sort of got lost? A Court Martial? For a
dreadful moment, I thought I was going to start crying.
What was
that clatter? (thousands of wooden clogs on the pavements.)
Why were those natives shouting at each other like that? It
sounded as if a 'Blue' would break out at any moment.
(Relax. That's quite normal. They only sound aggressive.)
Gee, all
this took a lot of getting used to. Well, I'd better get
weaving. The Old Man Will be cranky, if I drag this out too
long. (What've you been doing, McLeod? Sight-seeing? Don't
you know there's a war on?)
Yes, the
15th August, 1941, was a mixed day for your humble
correspondent, but I suppose that it was much the same for
the rest of those who comprised the 2/30 Bn.
A couple
of days later,
Norm Macauley picked me up. He was driving a Humber
staff car. As we crossed a bridge not far from the Cricket
Club, I reeled back in dismay. “What's that bloody awful
stink?”. “The Singapore River”, he told me with the aplomb
of an old stager. “They're all like that. No, that's not
right. Some are worse. They say that the honk makes your
teeth go green”.
Suddenly,
I began to have doubts about Singapore......
(Source: Graham McLeod - Makan No. 255,
Aug/Sep, 1980)
