The invasion of Malay began after midnight on 8 December 1941 before the attack on Pearl Harbour. Two of the Hudson bombers were shot down and Flying Officer John Dowie was the only survivor that became the first Australian POW captured in Malaya. On 9 December 1941, NO 8 Squadron which had gone into action evacuated from Kuantan field. On 10 December 1941, destroyer HMAS Vampire became australian first ship in action against Japanese when HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales were sunk off the east coast of Malaya. On 14-15 January 1942, company of the 2/30th Battalion, commanded by Lieutenant-Colenel Frederick Galleghan mounted an ambush which cut down hundreds of Japanese soldiers riding bicycles through cutting and over a bridge on the Sungei Gemencheh river. Their plan was to withdraw and let the main battalion group at Gemas fight the main battle. As they withdrew, the found themselves encircled by Japanese patrols but most managed to get through. The battle of Gemas raged that night and on 15 January 1942 the Japanese called the aircraft and tanks and the Australian withdrew. They managed to cross the Straits of malaya till 30 January 1942 when they made their way over the Causeway to Singapore Island and on 1 February 1942, after the last man had crossed, engineers blew up sections of the Causeway to isolate the Island.
Sources: http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/japadvance/malaya.html (Date accessed: 14-02-13)
No comments:
Post a Comment