LITTLE INFO ON WORLD WAR 2 HEROES
FEB 15, today, is a reminder of that date in 1942, 80 years ago. The events of World War 2 and their effects on Malaysia and neighbouring countries were significant.
It is an appropriate time to revisit the part played in a bitter conflict by the men of the Malay regiment and the volunteer battalions.
Official records show that pre-war, there were about 3,000 European volunteers and more than 7,000 local volunteer soldiers of all races, the forerunners of today’s Wataniah.
These volunteers trained in their local units, but when the Japanese invaded, they were assigned to, and fought under, the command of regular British, Indian and Australian regiments.
After fierce battles in various places as they retreated down the peninsula, the British surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army in Singapore on Feb 15, 1942.
Some years ago, through my association with the Malayan Volunteers Group, which was formed to conduct research on these soldiers, I was shown a list of names of men from the Kuala Selangor district who were killed in action.
There were 23 names, 16 of whom were Europeans and seven Malays. The son of one of the men whose father’s name is on the list queried who those seven Malays were.
Some research had been done on the European names and I followed up on this with Arkib Negara Malaysia (ANM).
Coincidently, the son of another European whose name was on the list, produced a letter to his mother dated Feb 15, 1951. This informed her that a memorial plaque (with all the names) had “just been unveiled in Kuala Selangor”.
Even with a list of names, and now a date to go with, I found no mention of any of these men in the newspapers of the time.
However, I was able to confirm that three were Malay Regiment solof diers.
Corporal Napi Ahmad was killed by howitzer fire while defending the bridge over Sungai Muar in Buloh Kasap on Jan 7 or 8.
Private Ismail Mat was recorded to have been killed in action at Pasir Panjang Ridge, Singapore, on Feb 14.
Private Sulong Sudin was a bandsman and would, in all likelihood, have been a stretcher bearer in the very last days of the Malay Regiment’s action in Singapore.
Further research confirmed that three of the other Malays were volunteers with the Federated Malay States Volunteer Force, 2nd (Selangor) Battalion. I believe that Zakaria Mat Yuda would have been a volunteer too.
I could find no information about him or of Abdul Rani Malhmudin or Busu Haji Kussin. However, ANM holds reports of Sergeant Idrus Mohd Yunus and Corporal Radzi Haji Mohd Yunus’ bravery. Were they both brothers?
The volunteers who were killed in the line of duty during World War 2.
Lieutenant Wickens separately corroborated the events Jan 10, 1942. Following orders, No. 14 platoon, 2 FMSVF, moved out of Klang and headed towards the Bukit Raja Estate road before going into action.
On their retreat towards Batu Tiga, the assortment of trucks in which they were travelling was ambushed and several men were wounded, including Radzi (who survived) and Idrus.
Wickens wrote of the wounded men’s “stoicism” and of Idrus’s response when Wickens asked how
they were in the back of the truck — “Semua ada baik”.
Idrus was, in fact, mortally wounded in the chest. He died in the truck and was later buried at Seremban Hospital’s Tanah Wakaf.
This Feb 15, it is time to recall the volunteers such as those “men of the district” as the former plaque on the Kuala Selangor memorial stated.
Perhaps family members and neighbours could come forward to provide more information.
By no means, all of the 7,000 volunteers lost their lives — what of the men in the Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Perak and nearly all the other peninsula state battalions?
There must be other stories to be recalled from Feb 15, 1942.
Kuala Lumpur