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.
(Source: Graham McLeod - Makan No. 255,
Aug/Sep, 1980)
NX12530 - COOPER, James Herbert (Jim), Lt. - HQ Company, 2
I/C Carrier Platoon
NX38682 - McDOUGALL, Eldred Ernest
(Jock), A/U/Sgt. - C Company, 15A Platoon
"Being a closed camp
at the end at Bathurst and no information being allowed to
be mentioned by ANYONE! I racked my brains to see, how I
could let JACKIE know, we were departing for a place, we
knew not where. It suddenly struck my addled brain that a
telegram given to one; JAMES COOPER; who had to remain at
Bathurst later than the rest of the Bn., may suffice. It
read, "Meet me at the steps at 3.30pm." and lo, there
beneath the old JOHAN when we boarded, was a boatload of
ladies ... JACKIE, PHYL COOPER, etc., who followed us out to
the Heads, when we departed.
In those days for those
who didn't live near the Harbour, there was only ONE, 'THE
STEPS', they were MAN 'O WAR STEPS at the 'LOO."
(Source: Jock McDougall - Makan No.
265, April/June, 1982)
NX47761 - JONES, Baden Stanley (Sluggo), Pte. - D Company,
18 Platoon
"Sluggo" told me that he
acquired his nickname on the "Johan" shortly after leaving
Fremantle and on the way to Singapore, although Troops did
not then know that we were not headed for the Middle East,
and a short cut of hair was considered the thing. It was
actually first night out, when "Sluggo" had his hair cut
"short", and, when he appeared at breakfast the next
morning, his hair stood up like the comic-strip character of
that name; a shout went up, "Here's Sluggo:" And so it was;
he was "Sluggo" from that time on."
(Source: Baden Jones - Makan No.
235, June/August, 1977)
