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Killed in Action
Royal Norfolk Regiment
5th Battalion
History
Compiled by Ron Taylor
Japanese Attack
8th December 1941 - 15th February 1942
Before the troops were moved, some hurried jungle training took place by officers who had been fighting in Malaya. This training was very sparse as the troops were needed to stop the Japanese who had landed and infiltrated behind the allied lines in Malaya.
The 53 Infantry Brigade moved into Jahore on the 16th January and were under the command of the 11th Indian Division.
Moving in military transport they reached the area of Ayer Hitam and took up positions around Yong-Peng but very soon were on the move again to Jemaluang, east of Ayer Hitam. Having made no contact with the Japanese the battalion was moved into divisional reserve at Ayer Hitam on the 20th January.
South Malaya
Showing Japanese Advance down Malaya
The first clash happened on the next day when a patrol was ambushed by a forward Japanese patrol, this left two injured and one missing. The Japanese were attacking the coast at Batu Pahat and also trying to infiltrate the allied lines by landing troops further south near Senggarang and Rengit which was over ten miles behind their present positions.
That evening the road from Ayer Hitam to Batu Pahat was crossed by the Japanese but the next morning the road was still in allied hands. It fell to the battalion to keep it open, at 4pm the enemy crossed the road again and gained possession near the 73rd milestone.
Capt. S.C.H.Boardman leading “D” company made contact with the enemy near their road block, the casualties included the company commander. The battalion were then ordered to move to Batu Pahat but as the road was blocked they stayed at the 72 milestone and prepared an attack on the Japanese block for the next morning.
The following morning the battalion found the road block to be heavily defended. Capt. A.J.Self attacked with “B” Company but received many casualties including 2nd/Lt.McKean who was killed, later Lt. G.H.Pallister died of his injuries, they were driven back. “C” company led by Maj. C.P.Wood managed to get round the southern side of the road block but the battalion was then recalled to take temporary positions near Ayer Hitam.
Later that evening the battalion made a detour south from Ayer Hitam spending the night near Skudai. Starting early they went through Pontain Ketchil and Rengit reaching the outskirts of Batu Pahat at 7am the morning of the 24th. They met the 2nd Cambridgeshires who had been ordered to withdraw from the town. The Royal Norfolks were given the task of retaking positions in the centre of the town as a holding operation to allow other troops to withdraw, the operation began at 10.45am. With very little artillery support the task was partly successful, the right flank being heavily engaged by the enemy, there was a constant threat of the enemy getting behind them and cutting off a withdrawal, these threats cam from two high spots overlooking their positions and held by the Japanese. “B” company was given the task of clearing these high positions of the enemy, which they did only to be later driven off themselves. At 4am on the 25th “C” Company with the remainder of the 2nd Cambridgeshires attacked these high points again but were stopped by heavy machine gun fire making an advance impossible. The battalion were then ordered to hold their present positions and cover the 2nd Cambridgeshires withdrawal. At 9pm, the task completed, the battalion withdrew four miles out of Batu Pahat.
On the morning of the 26th January the battalion found the Japanese had landed south of their lines and cut off their withdrawal. An attempt was made to clear the road for the transport but failed. The Brigade Commander sent orders at 5.45pm to destroy the 250 transport vehicles and continue on foot through the jungle. It was to be a long strenuous 18 mile journey which on the top of the five days of fighting took its toll.
The biggest part of the battalion, 500 in total, kept together under Maj. Wood and reached Benet on the coastal road on the evening of the 27th.
Capt. H.E.Schulman led a party to the coast and were evacuated by the Royal Navy. The men left behind to blow the bridge at Senggarang were cut off from the main party but with the C.O. they successfully made their way to the coast and escaped in a canoe.
The following day, 28th January, the battalion was taken to Serangoon Road Camp on Singapore Island and all allied troops were ordered to fall back to Singapore.
Official Escape Party
Capt. D.R. Gray, 32936, HQ - 5th Battalion
Capt. B. Savery, 99754, HQ - 5th Battalion
Lt. K. Potter, 124881, HQ - 5th Battalion
Sgt. F.C. Wilson, 76089, HQ - 5th Battalion
Sgt. G. Catling, 5771589, HQ - 5th Battalion
Cpl. J. Disdale, 5774564, HQ - 5th Battalion
L/Cpl. H.E. Carter, 5776951, HQ - 5th Battalion
L/Cpl. R.G. Cocks, 5774952, HQ - 5th Battalion
Pte. B. Catling, 5774600, HQ - 5th Battalion
Death Roll
Defence of Malaya and Singapore
8th December 1941 - 15th February 1942
| |
Died
|
Name
|
Service/No
|
 |
1942/01/18
|
Garrod, Philip
|
5778136
|
|
1942/01/20
|
Hogg, Arthur
|
5776723
|
|
1942/01/20
|
Wardley, Charles Edward
|
5777284
|
|
1942/01/20
|
Freeman, Frederick Thomas
|
5778134
|
|
1942/01/21
|
Oxbury, Charles Albert
|
5779724
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Rump, Ernest Jack
|
5772563
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Nash, George Walter
|
5770951
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Mckean, Peter Halley
|
176007
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Yarrow, Gus
|
5773300
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Smith, Robert
|
5776970
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Abell, Walter Edward
|
5773570
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Harvey, James George Mckean
|
5773059
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Leeder, Olaf William
|
5774599
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Etheridge, Ernest Alfred
|
5772859
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Taberham, Cyril James
|
5779859
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Guymer, Christopher George
|
5775221
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Thirst, John Ernest
|
5774175
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Whiley, Reginald Arthur
|
5777267
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Symonds, William Edward John
|
5779673
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Dickinson, Cyril Frank
|
5773840
|
|
1942/01/22
|
Jones, Donald Alfred
|
5773006
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Brown, Frederick Charles
|
5779538
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Reeve, Frederick Allen
|
5773080
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Mears, Albert George
|
5774051
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Mackender, Stanley Charles William
|
5778219
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Frost, Geoffrey George
|
5777088
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Large, Sidney Henry
|
5773905
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Richardson, William George
|
5774810
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Manning, Harry
|
5773508
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Watker, William Charles
|
5778549
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Ward, Victor Norman
|
5771270
|
|
1942/01/23
|
Seago, Cecil Edward
|
5772956
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Greenacre, Alan George
|
5775177
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Gooch, Reginald Charles
|
5779579
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Hughes, Joseph
|
5777465
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Frost, Percy James
|
5775107
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Dunthorne, George Arthur
|
5775131
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Taylor, Allured John
|
5772349
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Lincoln, Edward George
|
5777306
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Hewitt, Arthur James
|
5773641
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Dexter, James Verdun
|
5776991
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Cohen, Leslie Ernest
|
5777160
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Shippey, Frederick Stanley
|
5775464
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Pallister, Guy Humphrey Roscamp
|
138779
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Blunt, Harry Sutton
|
5774829
|
|
1942/01/24
|
Leigh, Henry Harry
|
5775414
|
|
1942/01/25
|
Piggin, William Thomas
|
5778436
|
|
1942/01/25
|
Miller, Bernard Robert William
|
5773970
|
|
1942/01/25
|
Creasey, Dennis Albert
|
5773609
|
|
1942/01/25
|
Lawrence, Douglas Norman
|
5777098
|
|
1942/01/25
|
Rix, Ernest George Frederick
|
5779295
|
|
1942/01/25
|
Stocks, George Frederick
|
5775436
|
|
1942/01/25
|
Stebbings, Reginald Bert Sidney
|
5770379
|
|
1942/01/25
|
Hornsby, Edward Samuel
|
5773481
|
|
1942/01/26
|
Mayes, Gerald Victor
|
5777123
|
|
1942/01/26
|
Pentelow, Jonas Harry
|
5775562
|
|
1942/01/27
|
Saunders, John
|
5771063
|
|
1942/01/27
|
Boardman, Stuart Cozens-Hardy
|
32936
|
|
1942/01/27
|
Stevenson, Norman
|
5777275
|
|
1942/01/27
|
Dixon, Victor Arthur
|
5777083
|
|
1942/01/27
|
Snell, Cyril Thomas
|
5775083
|
|
1942/02/05
|
Sharman, Albert George
|
5776968
|
|
1942/02/06
|
Howard, John
|
5775501
|
|
1942/02/07
|
Digby, Frank William
|
5774906
|
|
1942/02/07
|
Jones, Ralph
|
5772530
|
|
1942/02/10
|
Brereton, Cloudsley Shovell Malcolm
|
87629
|
|
1942/02/10
|
Barnard, Edward Sam
|
5772941
|
|
1942/02/12
|
Brace, William
|
5777108
|
|
1942/02/12
|
Vincent, Thomas Albert
|
5774926
|
|
1942/02/12
|
Carmen, Arthur Ernest
|
5777220
|
|
1942/02/12
|
High, Ernest Henry
|
5776365
|
|
1942/02/12
|
Hague, Samuel Arthur
|
5776954
|
|
1942/02/12
|
Puttick, William
|
846706
|
|
1942/02/12
|
Jacobs, Frederick Alfred
|
6002805
|
|
1942/02/12
|
Smith, Bertram John
|
5772778
|
|
1942/02/13
|
Emerson, William
|
5772441
|
|
1942/02/14
|
Stone, Harry Samuel
|
5777262
|
|
1942/02/14
|
Land, Herbert John
|
5777484
|
|
1942/02/14
|
Kendle, Cecil Robert
|
5775158
|
|
1942/02/14
|
Smith, Frederick William
|
5775432
|
|
1942/02/14
|
Rouse, Charles William
|
5776966
|
|
1942/02/14
|
Gee, George
|
5774843
|
|
1942/02/14
|
Griffin, Oswald James
|
5770986
|
|
1942/02/14
|
Blunden, Lloyd George Joseph Charles
|
5779120
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Palmer, William Percival
|
5777831
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Woods, Robert Stanley
|
5775160
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Burrows, Thomas Lawrence Leonard
|
5777219
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Reynolds, Frederick Henry
|
5778454
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Baker, Albert George
|
5774286
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Armiger, William Charles
|
5775370
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Aldred, Charles Noel George
|
5771491
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Randall, Stanley Charles
|
5779644
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Butler, Arthur Harold
|
5777077
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Shipp, Robert Arthur Jellicoe
|
5772030
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Chaplin, William
|
5777600
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Marshall, Ronald Edward
|
5773346
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Lightwing, Walter John
|
5774604
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Dyball, Robert Stanley
|
5773616
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Eggleton, Kenneth
|
5777085
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Jarvis, Harry Hansley
|
5782043
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Ward, Russell Wilfred
|
5778543
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Jarvis, Bertie Frederick
|
5773967
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Turner, Reginald Clement
|
5776975
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Hill, Charles Benjamin
|
5777114
|
|
1942/02/15
|
Smith, Cecil Jack
|
5778490
|
|
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