|
War |
Malaya |
Singapore
|
Service with other Units
|
Battalion
Movements |
Order of Battle
Arrived 0630hrs 10/2/1942
Departed 1130hrs 11/2/1942
1) Noel Johnston returns to Mandai Road
NX45487 KIDLEY, William Athol, Cpl. HQ. A/A.
"I drove along Mandai
Road and stopped at the place where we spent most of the day on 10th
February,1942 (where the pipeline crossed the road). There I took
another good colour shot which shows nothing but the foliage overhanging
the Main Roads depot & kampong - just as it was - with pigpens, etc.,
the day the shelling spelt the end for Billy Kildey & badly wounded
several others."
(Source:
Noel Johnston, Makan No. 158 -
July/August, 1963)
2) Billy whistled to keep his spirits up
NX45487 KIDLEY, William Athol, Cpl. HQ. A/A.
"Billy was very unlucky, in that a shell had hit
a tree, which diverted it straight into his slit trench. He said
that he will always remember the song that Billy whistled to
keep his spirits up: "The way you look tonight", from Noel
Coward's "Bitter Sweet".
(Vince Leonard, Makan No. 265 - April/June, 1982)
3) Slit trenches
NX30000 - ALBURY, Harold Raymond (Ray), Pte. B Company, 11
Platoon
"Vince also commented on Ray Albury's
death, saying that there had been a lull in the shelling by
the Japs, so folk had come out of their slit trenches, but
the shelling was recommenced and the men dived back again.
Someone else had filled Ray's position in the slit trench,
from which he had come. He turned for another trench, but it
appeared that the concussion of a passing shell had killed
him, because he was not marked."
(Vince Leonard, Makan No. 265 - April/June, 1982)
4) Keith Mulholland is wounded
NX36524 - CHARLESWORTH, Athol McNeil, Pte. - D Company, 16
Platoon
NX36522 - MULHOLLAND, Thomas Keith, Pte. - D Company, 16
Platoon
NX36521 - PERRY, Leslie George (Les), Pte. - D Company, 16
Platoon
NX70453 - TAYLOR, John Lindsay, Capt. - BHQ, M.O.
Les said his battalion's last
stand was at Mandai Road, where their only cover was a
rubber tree.
"Athol had a bren gun,
myself a tommy gun and Keith a 303 Enfield rifle. We seemed
to be going all right when Keith copped a burst from a
Japanese machine gun which went
from his chin to his eye and more bullets near his left
shoulder.
He left to find his way to
our first aid post and we were again forced to withdraw
across a road, where the machine guns of the Japs were
trained.
We had to escape by climbing
a hill, where many of our mates were shot down.
We found a track through
the jungle and found many of our men had assembled", Les
said.
They could not find Keith
and were certain that he had
gone, when the medical officer, Captain Johnny Taylor, came
up to them and said "Don't look so glum. I have just
attended to your mate Mul. He's in a helluva mess covered in
blood and I cleaned him up and sent him to Base Hospital".
Les later found out that when
Keith was hit he tried to find the regimental aid post, but
it had moved out.
A "pommy" soldier then
appeared on a motor bike and said "Hop on Digger I will get
you out" and despite the gunfire he got Keith to comparative
safety.
(Source: Les Perry -
interview in Narrandera Argus, 15/8/1995)
5) Kicking up sparks
NX46072 - FORRESTER, Harold Joseph (Harley), Pte. - D
Company, 16 Platoon
NX36567 - PARFREY, George Edward, Pte. - D Company, 16
Platoon
"Remember the pipe line and the Jap officer, that turned out
a pretty bad day and I still remember crossing the road
there with the Jap machine gun kicking up sparks."
(Source: George Parfrey -
letter to Harley Forrester, unknown date)
6) Japs breathing down our necks
NX37294 - FORWARD, Kenneth (Frank Walter L.) (Ken), Pte. - C
Company, 13 Platoon
NX70453 - TAYLOR, John Lindsay, Capt. - BHQ Company, M.O.
"The fastest starting of an
old Chev Truck, without the aid of ignition key or tools,
that I ever saw was on the Island, when a few of us were
badly trailing the field out of Mandai, with the Japs
breathing down our necks, and somewhat hampered by a badly
wounded cobber whom we were lumping out on a makeshift
stretcher. We had caught up with that stalwart Doc. Taylor
who, unlike the rest of us, seemed to have no fear, and he
proceeded to do just about everything except major surgery
on the spot, until we could practically see the yellow of
the Japs' eyes. Round the next bend, we came upon the truck,
and Ken needed no prodding on that occasion - the truck was
going and we were mobile in one second flat; and we finished
the trip in style, and some comfort."
(Source: Makan No. 197
Sep/Oct, 1971)
Back
Last updated
29/08/2022 |
