The serial: Largie Castle, A Rifled Nest Day 87

Tthey were dispirited by passing groups of Australian stragglers and the incessant croaking of bullfrogs in the swamps

As it happened, Rose and Stewart’s guess was correct. The enemy arrived late that night, Sunday, February 8: The Australian battalions had by this time become alert and were convinced that the enemy had attacked the land on their front, and consequently they too started firing upon the crossing-points, raising pillars of water from the straits, sinking Japanese boats and killing many men.

Then the battle began on the island itself. The Japanese soldiers with white bands around their heads and the ashes of their comrade-in-arms in bags hanging around their necks, rushed the Australians, in spite of concentrated fire of machine-guns and mortars, and started a hand-to-hand fight under the moonlit sky. By 12.05am on the 9th, the Japanese had pushed back the Australians in the north-west sector of the island and were floating their tanks on ingenious pontoons over the Malacca strait.

During the small hours of that morning, 12th and 15th Indian Infantry Brigades were called in and placed under Major General Gordon Bennett’s command. 12th Indian Infantry Brigade was ready by 6am, but nobody at the brigade knew where they were to go. Communications failed because the bombardment cut the wires. Trusted friends Rose indicates the difficulties that faced my uncle and his staff at Brigade HQ. They had to deal with orders from Major General Bennett at North-Western HQ and disseminate them coherently to the battalions. While Bennett was an unknown quantity to the staff, officers in the Argylls were trusted friends.

The trouble was that Percival at Sime Road (where he ate, worked, and slept) was unsure if the early morning attack was the genuine thing or not, so he was unwilling to commit his reserve brigade until he was certain. Percival’s aim was to cover the approaches with defended localities and hold the mobile reserves ready for a counter-attack.

While Rose, Wilson, and others waited for orders, they heard on the wireless a news bulletin saying the Japanese had landed in strength on the north-west sector of the island and the British imperial forces were dealing with the situation. Then the phone rang and the unruffled voice of the Argylls’ brigade-major announced that the troops should be on parade (prepared for action) immediately. The 12th Indian Infantry Brigade was to move to Choa Chu Kang Road near Tengah airfield and take up position at the Neck, a spot of ground to the right of the KranjiJurong line that runs north/south-west, between the sources of the rivers Kranji and Jurong.

The brigade – consisting of 440 Argylls, of which 150 were marines – was accompanied by 440 officers and men from the 4/19 Hyderabads. The third battalion was absent; the battle of Slim River had wreaked such havoc on the 5/2 Punjabs that they ceased to function as a fighting force.

The job of 12th Brigade was to prevent the enemy surging from the island’s western shores towards Bukit Timah and deny them entry to Singapore city. With its two large petrol depots and supplies of food, weapons and vehicles, Bukit Timah was tactically important. Situated in the centre of the island, if captured, it would give the enemy command of the hilly northern sector but also Pasir Panjang on the south coast as well. Counter-attack As the two battalions took to the road, moving at 20mph and 15 vehicles to the mile, the Japanese dive-bombed them. Drivers from other battalions panicked, which caused fear in the Argylls and Hyderabads. The brigade was there to strengthen the 22nd Australian, being driven back by the Japanese 18th Division. There was every chance it would advance as far as the main road leading from the north of the island to Singapore city itself.

Bennett ordered the brigade to hold positions astride the road but, disappointingly, not to counterattack. Both the Argylls and Hyderabads knew this country well but their Australian commander had other plans. Brigade HQ was in the PWD buildings at the entrance to a quarry off Bukit Timah Road. Angus and staff had difficulties in making contact with the two battalions. Communications were not helped by each battalion being given only one telephone, as wires could be cut by the Japanese army ‘Gwens,’ their medium Mitsubishi Ki-21 Type 97 bombers, equivalent to a German Stuka. However, Hurricanes seeing off enemy aircraft heartened the troops.

The situation was worrisome with the brigade ordered to hold night, defensive positions until 9 o’clock the next morning. The western area’s crucial Kranji-Jurong line was now manned by a weak 12th Indian Infantry Brigade on the right, the special reserve battalion in the centre, and the 44th Brigade on the left, reinforced by 22nd Australian Brigade with 15th Indian Infantry Brigade in reserve.

The Japanese, firmly established on the island now, began to bring over their reserves, transport and tanks. The night of February 9 was exceptionally dark and wet. As the rain fell, it was black from the oil that blazed from the Kranji oil tanks. These had been demolished earlier in the day.

The men’s trenches filled with water; they sheltered under trees, huddling in their roomy, waterproof capes. Their provisions (enough for three full days) cheered them but they were dispirited by passing groups of Australian stragglers and the incessant croaking of bullfrogs in the neighbouring swamps.

Realising how serious the situation had become, Percival issued a plan at 12.50am on the 10th for an inner defensive ring around Singapore city to include Kallang aerodrome, the MacRitchie and Peirce reservoirs and Bukit Timah village. Unaware The next morning, Rose shaved in ditch water, unaware that, at first light, the Japanese had attacked the 4/19 Hyderabads which resulted in a withdrawal down the road to a position north-west of Bukit Panjang Road junction. Disturbingly, the staff at Western Area HQ were also unaware until 5am that the enemy, having repaired the partially-demolished causeway, had landed at Kranji and were advancing towards Mandai village only two miles farther north.

Since 27th Brigade had made an unexpected retreat from the area west of the causeway, Key (commander of 11th Division) sent his reserve 8th Indian Infantry Brigade to recapture the high ground that the Australians had deserted. At 8am, 12th Indian Infantry Brigade, on Choa Chu Kang Road east of Bulim, successfully checked the enemy, who mortared and machine-gunned the Argylls before moving round their right flank. Stewart asked Paris if he could withdraw his battalion to high ground behind Peng Siang River. By 9.30am, the Argylls were astride the road behind 2/29 Australian Battalion. More tomorrow