'Pounding Along to Singapore' is
the book I wrote about the 2/20 Battalion Australian Imperial Force (AIF) who
were sent to Singapore and Malaya in 1941 as part of the 8th Division. Captain
Bill Gaden's letters to and from the family provide the timeline along which
the story of the 2/20 Bn is woven, from inception in June 1940 to the end of
the Second World War. Other threads come from the 2/20 Battalion's War
Diary and Routine Orders (available from the Australian War Memorial) newspapers and magazines of the day, interviews with
some of the men who survived the eventual POW years and came home and other
reports from the time. (The book is available from me at
cagaden@iprimus.com.au)
4 May 1941
Unit moved tactically by M.T. from Seremban to Port Dickson and took
over lines vacated by 2/18 Bn who moved into Seremban. The move was carried out
very quickly and without any delay.
Several officers were reported as being in hospital. The next day the
unit and Company HQ took part in an exercise in preparation for a whole unit
exercise in a couple of days time. Unfamiliarity with the area caused many
difficulties but it raised many points
of interest and ideas.
6 May 1941
The 2/20 settled into their new quarters and made preparation for the
exercise to be held the next day. This exercise covered movement through
jungle, attack, organisation of HQ and the exercising generally of all
Companys. The War Diary reported it was the best 'all day' exercise so far. It
was umpired and organised by the Brigade
to produce situations and events in such
a manner as to thoroughly exercise all personnel in their duties and coordinate all branches
of the unit. As a result of these lessons the troops themselves became more
interested in tactical training.
8 May 1941
Unit out training all morning in jungle on Movement on Compass
bearings. Unit B Echelon Recce. Op. on receipt of message from Brigade moved
out on a Recce in connection with Div. exercise the next day. Ptes Sym, Storey
and Serong were selected to play for Negri Sembilan in the inter-State soccer
match versus Selangor on Saturday 10 May and Pte Quinn was selected as referee.
(Sadly two of these men were destined to die as POWs, Daniel Quinn (15 November
1943, Naoetsu) and Gordon James Storey (8 April 1945, Sandakan). Lest we
forget.
9 May 1941
Several NCOs marched out on a 15 week course at an OCTU (Officer Cadet
Training Unit).
10 May 1941
Bill Gaden wrote to his mother that
"Our batmen ....are becoming expert
gardeners and ... tomorrow, Mother’s Day, they will decorate the place with
white flowers in jam tins. Our white flowers are frangipani, petunias and some
small ones I have no name for."
Mother's
Day was obviously important for the troops. In my history of the 2/20, "Pounding Along to Singapore", there
is a transcription of an interview given by four released POWs to ABC reporter
Fred Simpson whilst waiting in Thailand for repatriation. Padre Harry Thorpe
('D' Force) told listeners "Each year we observed Mother's Day in our
jungle area. It was moving to see a thousand men going to work with white paper
flowers in their mixed kinds of headgear." Alick Davis ('A' Force) asked
"Where did you get the paper? We
used all our paper for cigarettes!" and was laughingly admonished for
being a "heathen" by Bill Gaden ('D' Force).
11 May 1941
Major Robertson, in command of unit during the absence of the CO, and
the Adjutant, went to Malacca to visit the CO and discuss several
administrative matters. They found Lt Col Jeater to be greatly improved and he
was to shortly rejoin the unit.
12 May 1941
The guard left for duty in Kuala Lumpur, several men went on leave to
Singapore.
14 May 1941
22nd Brigade held a Sports Day meeting at the Malay Regiment's Sports
Ground (they also competed). The 2/20 did 'quite well' but the 2/19 finished a
long way ahead. The Adjutant commented that the meeting was very well enjoyed
by the troops who need such distractions to keep them in good spirits.
16 May 1941
The Unit was carrying out the syllabus in the camp area to help with
the prickly heat.
Syllabus
of Training
A Syllabus of Training for a week in
May 1941 showed how the troops were kept busy.
Squads used a "Bull Ring" within each Company to rotate
all troops so they learned how to use the equipment. Every day they
spent an hour on each of their weapons, using the Bren LMG (Light Machine Gun),
the Thompson SMG (Sub Machine Gun) and the Anti-tank Rifle. They also did rifle
exercises, Smartening Drill, had Brigade Sports on Wednesday afternoon and on
Saturday morning did a 3½ hour Route March.
19 May 1941
A check of personnel admitted to hospital with VD complaints showed
very small figure of 2.55% of Unit active strength since arrival of unit in
Malaya. A slight unrest amongst the more difficult of the Unit's trouble makers
has again appeared and a number of minor but annoying cases of ill behaviour
have occurred in the last few days. These cases seem to be due to the fact that this type of man
is not used to discipline and does not wish to remain so far from
"action". Apart from these few cases, the Unit discipline has been
really splendid.
20 May 1941
A couple of men were detached to the Port Swettenham Detention
Barracks.
21 May 1941
The Battalion's War diary reported that a Divisional Conference was
held in the Officers Mess to discuss the exercise held on 9 May 41. The G.O.C.
considered that the exercise showed distinct improvement in all phases to that
held in April. The Battalion had a rest day on Sirusa Beach (about 7km from Port
Dickson near the Alor Gajah peninsula). Boats were hired and all appeared to
have benefitted from the day. Bill Gaden wrote to tell his family of his visit
to Malacca, a town full of historical buildings which captured his interest,
for example the old Gate and the fort, both built by the Portuguese in 1511.
28 May 1941
Lt-Col Jeater was still
suffering from a severe skin rash but he remained with the unit. This day the first issue of the unit's
magazine 'Thumbs Up' was published and it appears that it was the only issue as
no others have been located. The unit was on the range getting used to the Bren
Gun.
31 May 1941
Several officers either left
the unit to go to an Indian exercise, or rejoined the unit from Convalescent leave.
The Officers organised a dance in their Mess and invited the nursing sisters to
come from Malacca and Port Dickson, an evening which proved 'most enjoyable'.