British Battalion (Malaya 1941)
Encyclopedia
The British Battalion was an ad hoc
formation created on 20 December 1941 during the Battle of Malaya
.
It was amalgamated from two regular British Army
battalions
Both battalions suffered heavy casualties in North West Malaya during the early stages of the Japanese invasion
so it was decided to amalgamate the two battalions.
The British Battalion was commanded by Lieut. Col. Morrison; Lieut. Col. Swinton was badly wounded during the Battle of Jitra
.
The battalion fought with great courage, taking many casualties and earning much respect from other units. They were involved in fierce fighting during the Battle of Kampar
(30 December 1941–2 January 1942), before joining in the fighting retreat back to Singapore
. The Battalion was also involved in the short but fierce battle for Singapore
. They surrendered to the Japanese along with other units of the British Army under General Arthur Percival in February 1942. Many of the British battalion died in Japanese P.O.W. camps. Of the estimated 500 soldiers at the amalagamation, barely 130 survived the war http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/armedforces_british_battalion.htm#moves
Ad hoc
Ad hoc is a Latin phrase meaning "for this". It generally signifies a solution designed for a specific problem or task, non-generalizable, and not intended to be able to be adapted to other purposes. Compare A priori....
formation created on 20 December 1941 during the Battle of Malaya
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
.
It was amalgamated from two regular British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
battalions
- 2nd Bn, East Surrey RegimentEast Surrey RegimentThe East Surrey Regiment was a regiment in the British Army formed in 1881 from the amalgamation of the 31st Regiment of Foot and the 70th Regiment of Foot...
under Lieut. Col. G E Swinton MC and - 1st Bn, The Leicestershire Regiment under Lieut. Col. Charles Esmond Morrison, OBE, MC
Both battalions suffered heavy casualties in North West Malaya during the early stages of the Japanese invasion
Japanese Invasion of Malaya
The Japanese Invasion of Malaya, or Battle of Kota Bharu, began just after midnight on 8 December 1941 before the attack on Pearl Harbor...
so it was decided to amalgamate the two battalions.
The British Battalion was commanded by Lieut. Col. Morrison; Lieut. Col. Swinton was badly wounded during the Battle of Jitra
Battle of Jitra
The Battle of Jitra was a major engagement fought between the invading Japanese and Allied forces during the Malayan Campaign of the Second World War. The battle lasted from 11-13 December 1941...
.
The battalion fought with great courage, taking many casualties and earning much respect from other units. They were involved in fierce fighting during the Battle of Kampar
Battle of Kampar
The Battle of Kampar was an engagement of the Malayan Campaign during World War II, involving British and Indian troops from the 11th Indian Infantry Division and the Japanese 5th Division....
(30 December 1941–2 January 1942), before joining in the fighting retreat back to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The Battalion was also involved in the short but fierce battle for Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
. They surrendered to the Japanese along with other units of the British Army under General Arthur Percival in February 1942. Many of the British battalion died in Japanese P.O.W. camps. Of the estimated 500 soldiers at the amalagamation, barely 130 survived the war http://www.cofepow.org.uk/pages/armedforces_british_battalion.htm#moves
External links
- British Battalion roll as at 20 December 1941
- British Battalion prisoner of war information
- British Battalion by Chye
Further reading
- Chye Kooi Loong, The British Battalion in the Malayan Campaign 1941-1942 (revised edition), Published by Dept. of Museums and Antiquities, Kuala Limpur. (100 photographs and 80 maps)