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Men of Sherwood
Singapore
Report by a Forester
We stayed two days in the suburbs of Singapore after arriving and sorting ourselves out - re-packed everything wintery and not needed was put back in trunks and stored in a school to be claimed after the battle was won. We were moved that evening up to the Northeast area of the island - two full brigades and artillery, all trained me - but not of course trained in jungle warfare. We took upon defensive positions on the Northeast coast very similar to Norfolk - two battalions of each brigade forward, dug in and wired round. We were mobile reserve to the Division. The Australians were on the Northwest side of the island. The next two days after arrival we wired and dug ourselves in. Coy.Cos. made reconnaissance of various routes we should have to take if needed. By this time the R.A.F. had GONE. The Japs however never bombed by night always by day, having complete mastery of the air. Their 5th Column was extraordinary strong - even stronger than France. A 100 yards near the Headquarters or gun position, washing hung in a glade in a shape, paddy fields were beaten down in the same way to give directions. In the North, the 5th Column acted as guides, many stayed in the villages using wireless, signs etc,. and acted as informants. The Singapore island “Fortress” was certainly a myth.
The Japs stated started shelling in the Northeast. We were well dug in and only had two injuries, always keeping well underground. The Australians on the West coast were surpised and the Japs poured in. The two brigades frittered away. Companys and Battalions were shoves into a thin red line which had already been proved hopeless in France.
On the Sunday (8th and 9th I think) ‘A’ and ‘D’ Coys. were given orders to go across the straights and land, destroy enemy guns in a certain area, and come back Monday night. We prepared as well as we could for this but no reconnaissance had been made of the coast, no practice in embarking and disembarking. At the last moment, it was cancelled and the Battalion were moved to the west side of the island for a counter attack. We started this at 900 hours Tuesday, all Coys. on a different axis. Marched 10 miles through grass 7ft tall, through paddy, across country by compass. The Japs sniped us most of the way. This didn’t worry us unduly, we arrived nearly at the objective and met ‘C’ Company. They had suffered 10% and had been knocked off the objective by our own artillery. ‘B’ Coy. hadn’t gone so far and had inflicted a fair number of casualties on the Japanese. ‘A’ Coy. were somewhere in the blue. We moved into a camp and then given the order to withdraw. Back we came and took up a position at Approximately 0400 hours in the morning astride the Bukit Teman Road, no digging and no wire. Wednesday morning, the Japs attacked with infantry and Nortar, although not dug in we held on and their usual trick of sending a few men behind our lines to let off crackers, which sound like machine guns and mortar fire, and also the 5th Colomnists up trees, didn’t worry us.
At about 10.00 hours, I got a message from the C.O. to move to Paul’s left (Major Paul Robinson ‘C’ Company). I saw Paul and he said that this would expose his right flank, so I went back to the C.O. to ask him, but could not find him. B.H.Q. (Battalion Headquarters) had moved and by the remains that were left, they had caught it. It was a miracle that I was able to get across, billets were flying about but I could see only one of the Japs and he was lying in a disused pipe. I made him move - all officers carried rifles or Tommy guns. I heard just up the road very loud - ‘Bang - Fizz - Boom’. I’d heard this before some distance away and wondered what it was. Saw Colin Argyle who told me the C.O. was about 400 yards back and he was going back. I told him I thought something was happening in front, I was going to move as the C.O ordered. I went back behind some houses lining the road and at the end of these I could see the road ahead and about 300 yads clear ahead were the Company. Six Jap tanks on the road were firing two pounders and machinf gunning the Company, they were not dug in. I got another 10 yards down and a Jap from the tank started sweeping his fire between me and the Company. I got nicked in the thigh and lay down low. I sw ‘C’ and ‘D’ Coys, withdraw into the wood in batches. The only way I could move was backwards, so I retired to B.H.Q. about 600 yards away. Saw the C.O. and told him what happened. The Staff Captain came and I told him the Norfolks and the Loyals had gone and we saw we saw the Brigade go and we were told to withdraw to the line of the Adams Road across the country. ‘B’ Coy. went through, ‘C’ and ‘D’ went another way. ‘A’ Coy. were lost to us. The wounded officers were John Coatly and Schofield and Renwick who was with another battalion - none of these serious. After the Coy. had gone, Major Reid, Jack Barnett, Thornton and myself were left in B.H.Q John Walker came up and reported ‘B’ Coy. were clear, so off we started. We had some high ground to cross and before we had gone very far the Japs started firing two pounders from their tanks. There were some near misses and we got on to a road at the tip when one fell in the middle of us. Jack Barnett was hit in the stomach and John Walker in the side. Reid and myself were O.K. I helped jack along, he was wonderful. We had no big shell dressings, half of my small one had been used, so he nipped the wound with his hand and off we went. Reid helped John Walker and Thornton helped L/Cpl. Whiles (?). They all got back safely. I took Jack in a truck to hospital. Both he and Walker are quite alright.
We returned and found ‘A’ Coy. and were then in reserve, behind the Norfolks for the night, a good position, we took over from them on Friday morning.. The Japs were dive bombing but we were O.K. ready for anything. Joe Swingler and Cartwright lost with some ‘D’ Coy. men. No check could be made on our casualties - rumours of men killed were going about, but nothing definate. The C.O. was marvellous.
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