Battle of Kampar: In Defence of Malaya
by Mr. Chye Kooi Loong PMPCompiled and Published by Khalsa Diwan Malaysia
Dedicated in the memory and a Tribute to the brave men who sacrificed their lives for a cause.
The Malayan Campaign (1941 – 1942) fought
by the British and Indian troops was a chain of disasters. The British,
Indian and Gurkha regiments were under trained and under armed. The
British has underestimated the Japanese invaders. They faced a superior
well-trained Japanese army veterans who had fought in Manchuria in 1931
and the Sino Japanese war (1937 – 1945). The British, Indian and Gurkha
regiments had no training in jungle warfare and some Indian regiments
had hardly six months of training in the rugged cold and hot North West
frontier of India.
In
spite of such adverse conditions the defenders fought a gallant losing
battle of “stand and retreat”. In Kedah, the 11th Indian division was
badly mauled in Jitra and Gurun. The division lost men, equipment, food
and arms as the Japanese tanks drove through the weak defenses. The
6th and 15th Indian Brigades had to be amalgamated as t he 6/15th Indian
brigade because of heavy losses in men and arms. The 1st Leicester
Regiment and the 2nd East Survey Regiment merged to form the one and
only one British Battalion who won their honor and battle honours at the
epic Battle of Kampar (30th of December 1941 to 2nd of January 1942).
The 1/8th Punjab Regiment merged with the 2/9th Jat Regiment to form
Jat/Punjab Regiment.
The men reached Ipoh on the 19th and
20th December 1941, where they were refitted with new weapons and
equipment. Two days later the refitted 6/15th Indian Brigade moved to
Kampar by train and road. Kampar was chosen by Lt. General Arthur
Percival, the G.O.C, Malaya Command to make ten days stand to hold the
Japanese advance as the three low ridges just a mile north of Kampar
town command the main road approach and also the railway line on the
flat tin mining terrain was ideal ground for the British to utilize the
superior British artillery.
The 28th Indian Brigade guarded the Kuala
Dipang-Sahum road to the east of Gunong Bujang Melaka (4070ft). The
12thy Indian Brigade held the Jeram to Kuala Dipang iron bridge section
(now a little up-stream of the present new brigade). There was heavy
fighting on the 28th and 29th December 1941 for the vital Kuala Dipang
iron bridge over Sungai Kampar.
The Japanese supported by 14 medium tanks
made a frontal attack from Jeram and due to the lack of anti-tank guns ;
the 12th Indian Brigade had no alternative but to withdraw. The
28th Indian Brigade withdrew to the Sungai Siput to Sahum road. When the
rear of the 12th Indian Brigade crossed the Kuala Dipang iron bridge,
it was blown up and due to the heavy rain, only the middle span was
destroyed. The British artillery was ranged on the iron bridge and the
Japanese were delayed for few hours. The defense of Kampar was left to
the 6/15th Indian Brigade and the forward defense was held on the three
low ridges north of Kampar. The defenders had only eighty days to dig
trenches and artillery positions to face the powerful Japanese assault.
Luckily the Japanese tanks were held up
by the damaged Kuala Dipang iron bridge and the five bridges further
down the road to Kampar. The strong British artillery made up of the
powerful 25 pounders and the mortars kept the Japanese from repairing
the dynamited bridges. For the first time in the campaign, the British
artillery bombardment frustrated the Japanese advance. During the
daytime from 30th December 1941 to 2nd January 1942 the Japanese planes
bombed and machine-gunned the British positions on the two forward
ridges.
To the west of Kampar, 1/14th Punjab
Regiment, 2/16th Punjab Regiment and 3/16th Punjab Regiment held the
railway line from Malim Nawar to Tronoh Mines. This area now known as
Bandar Baru was strongly covered by the British artillery of 25 pounders
and howitzers (88th Field Regiment RA). To the east of Gunung Bujang
Melaka (4070ft) was the 28th Indian Brigade of 2/1st, 2/2nd and
2/9th Gurkha Rifles supported by the strong 155 Field Regiment RA.
The main road defense position were
covered by the British Battalion and 6/15th Brigade reserve the
Jat/Punjab Regiment. From 30th to 31st December 1941the main defenses of
the British Battalion were attacked by Japanese infantry and many
Japanese died in their unsuccessful bonsai charges on the forward slope
of Thompson Ridge. The eastern flank failed because the Japanese
underestimated the tough fighting of the Gurkhas and many Japanese died
when the gallant men from Nepal used the deadly kukri with success. On
the west the Japanese were caught in the heavy saturation bombardment of
the 88th and 122nd Field Artillery RA. The Japanese were caught in the
swamps and deep mining pools and many died by drowning.
Lt. General Matsui the Commanding Officer
of the 5th Division from Hiroshima had to press the attack against the
main road defenses of the British Battalion who withstood continuous
bombing and strafing and mortaring from the Japanese units. On the
1st of January, 1942 the Japanese infantry had reserves and all units
were replaced by fresh reinforcement.
The British and Indian defenders did not
have reserves to replace the wounded and the tired defenders. The Japans
pressure was telling on the tired and exhausted defenders of the
British Battalion. They held on grimly and on the 2nd of January 1942 ,
the Japanese launched two strong assaults on the eastern flank of the
British Battalion. Some eastern trenches were overrun and the Japanese
were occupying the trenches. Two British reserve companies made two
counter attacks to reoccupy the lost trenches. The British in spite of
causalities retook the trenches and drove out the Japanese. Later in the
afternoon the Japanese applied great pressure after heavy Japanese
artillery bombardment, the British defenders had to give up as they were
short of ammunitions and mounting causalities.
The Japanese occupied the trenches .
Brigadier Moorhead the Commanding Officer of the 6/15th Indian Brigade
ordered the Jat/Punjab Regiment to counter charge to remove the Japanese
on the east. The first Jat/Punjab Company suffered badly and had to
give up. Later at about 5:00pm. Captain Graham assisted by Lt.Lamb led a
company of Sikhs and Muslims to counter charge the Japanese postions.
Captain Graham led his company up Greed
Ridge and gave his final instructions. All men were given two drams of
rum and then he ordered them to fix the 18 inch steel bayonets to the
rifles. He led the group down the trench from Green Ridge. Captain
Graham told his men that the attack must succeed and the honour of
1/8th Punjab Regiment depended on it. He wished them all the best and
the counter charge up the rear of Thompson Ridge started.
Captain Graham and Lt. Lamb led their men
to their desperate venture. From the very start, the brave attack was
greeted by Japanese devastating fire and brave men fell like ninepins.
Lt. Lamb was among the first to be killed in the hail of machine gun
fire. However the second line inspired by Captain Graham’s example
shouted their battle cries.
The bearded Sikh warriors yelled the blood curdling cry of “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal”and
the Mussulman shouted “Ya Ali”. The front line Japanese trenches were
breached and close hand to hand combat with shining bayonets proved the
tall Sikhs superior to the short Japanese. They continued their braved
counter – charge like men possessed. Captain Graham was everywhere
giving exhortation to his inspired men.
The Sikhs and Gujars succeeded in
dislodging the second line of Japanese. Undeterred by heavy causalities
Captain Graham by now wounded urged his men onwards to clear the third
line . His gallant company was by now depleted in strength and weapons .
He led his men for the final assault and before he reached the Japanese
third line of trenches a Japanese trench mortar bomb fell into the
trench and blew off both his legs below the knees. Mortally wounded,
Graham Sahib shouted encouragement to his few Sikhs and Gujars, kneeing
on his shattered stumps and hurling grenades as the remnants of the 41st
Japanese Regiment fled towards the jungle.
The third line was held when Graham
collapsed and was carried back to Green Ridge first aid post. He was
attended by Captain Doctor Roy of the British Battalions and sent by
ambulance to the 11th Indian Division hospital at Tanjong Malim. He died
from loss of blood a badly damaged kidney and liver. After Graham’s
counter-attack Brigadier Moorhead and Lt. Col. Morrison of the British
Battalion reported that the Kampar positions could not be held
indefinitely as news of new Japanese west flank landings had occurred at
Telok Anson and at Bagan Datoh to the South West of Kampar.
Indeed the epic four day Battle of Kampar
was throughout a tribute to the endurance and valour of the 11th Indian
Division after its heartbreaking experience in North Malaya. The Battle
of Kampar where the British, Indian and Gurkha troops fought extremely
well showed that untrained troops are at least the equal to the Japanese
troops.
“
To the struggle which had been going on at Kampar from dawn to dusk on
the 2nd of January 1942 it is difficult to do full justice. It is a
classic example of what can be achieved by grit and determination and it
brought out the finest characteristic of the various troops engaged.
There were the enemies repeated attempts to gain possession of Thompson
and Green Ridges commanding positions which would have enabled them to
enfilade our positions on the lower ground. The attacks were made with
all the well known bravery and disregard of danger of the Japanese
soldiers. There was the dogged resistance, in spite of heavy losses by
men of the British Battalions and their supporting artillery and finally
when the enemy had captured a key position and the battalion reserves
were exhausted, there were the traditional counter-charges by the men of
Jat/Punjab Regiment. The final charge of the Sikhs and Gurkhar of the
1/8th Punjab Regiment. Through a tremendous barrage of trench mortars
and machine gun fire. The gallant men went let by their Company
Commander Captain John Graham, until he fell mortally wounded. Their
cheering rose to a roar, “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal” as they charged.
The situation was completely restored buy only 30 men of this gallant
company remained. The Battle of Kampar had proved our trained troops
whether they were British or Indian, were superior man for men to the
Japanese troops.
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