1941 December Royal Artillery & Indian Artillery UNits in Malaya and Singapore

25pdr guns with their quad tractors & ammo lumbers embarked at Keppel Harbour, Singapore November 1941 - enroute to Northern Malaya via rail. (source:life)

The list is not complete as I have difficulty tracing some batteries composition that have been attached, detached from their Field Regiments. Your inouts are most welcome - TOM

Dec 1941 Artillery Units in Malaya

11^th Indian Division

137th ( 2^nd West Lancashire) Field Regiment (G Holmes) – attached to 15th Indian Brigade 24 x 25pdrs

- 349^th Battery 8 x 25pdr

- 350^th Battery “

- 501^st Battery “

155th (Lanarkshire Yeomary) Field Regiment 16 x 4.5 inch howitzers (A Murdoch) – moved to Malaya Oct 1940 from Kirkee, India

- A Battery (Gold) – stayed in India to form 160^th Field Regiment

- B Battery (Wilson)

- C Battery (?) 8x25pdr/8x4.5 howitzer

80th Anti Tank Regiment (Napier)

- 2^nd Battery (Clegg) 12x2 pdr antitank(40mm Vickers A/T)

- 215th Battery (Steward) 12x40mm Vickers A/T

- 272^nd Battery 2 pdrs

- 273^rd Battery (Gairdow) 14x40mm Vickers A/T minus 01 troop Vickers 40mm A/Tx2 attached to KROHCOL

85^th Anti Tank Regiemnt ( 36x 2pdrs)

- 45^th Battery

- 251^st Battery

- 270^th Battery

- 281^st Battery

6th Indian Brigade

22^nd Mountain Regiment (Huges)- 24x3.7inch Howitzers

- 4^th Battery (Sawyer)

- 7^th Battery (Scott)

- 10^th Battery (Gowie)- attached to KrohCol

- 21^st Battery ( Soper) – attached to8th Indian Brigade

28th Indian Brigade

Attached, 88th Field Regiment, from 9^th Division

16^th Anti-Aircraft Battery (Ivers) – 8x40mm Bofors

12^th Indian Brigade

122^nd ( West Riding) Field Regiment (Clegg)

- 278th Battery 12x4.5inch Howitzer

- 280^th Battery 12 x 4.5inch Howitzer

KrohCol

Attached, 10^th Mountain Battery (Gowie) – 8x3.7inch Howitzers, from 22^nd Mountain Regiment, 6^th Indian Brigade

Attached, 01 Troop (2xVickers 40mm A/T) from 273^rd Battery, 80th Antitank Regiment, 11^th Indian Division

9^th Indian Division

5^th Field Regiment - Jephson( from Rawalpindi & Nowshera, India 1939-1941) 16 x 4.5 inch howitzers

- 63^rd Battery,

- 73^rd Battery

- 81^st Battery

88th (2^nd West Lancashire ) Field Regiment (D’Aubuz) – attached to 28^th Indian (Gurkha) Brigade (Indian III Corps Reserve)

- 351st Battery(Cornish)

- A)Troop 4x25pdr

- B)Troop 4x25pdr

- 352st Battery (Ford) 8x25pdr

- 464^th Battery 8 x 25pdr

1941 December, Royal Engineer and Indian Sapper & Miners Units in Malaya & Singapore

Wire Obstacles Drills , 1941 ( source : Life)

Warning Sign in 4 langauges ( English, Chinese, Jawi & Tamil) probably set up by Sappers & Miners at entrances into minefields or defence works in Malaya? ( Source : Life)

Unit	Engineers Commander	Attached , Location
Malaya Command	Brig I Simson	Singapore
15th Field Coy, Madras Sappers & Miners	Maj B R Muir	12th Indian Brigade, Command Reserve, Port Dickson
13th Field Coy, Madras Sappers & Miners	Maj B E Whiteman	45th Indian Brigade
III India Corps	Brig K B S Crawford	North Malaya
1st Artisan Works Coy, Bombay Sappers & Miners	Maj J H Heep	8th Indian Brigade & 9 Indian Division for demolition works
45th Army Troops Coy, Bombay Sappers & Miners	Maj J R Dinwiddie	KROH COL Force, 6th Bridging Section attached
46th Army Troops Coy, Madras Sappers & Miners	Maj JRSW Elkington	11th Indian Division for Local Defences, Sg Petani
9th Indian Division	Lt Col T H Lindesay	East Coast Malaya
19th Field Coy, Bombay Sappers & Miners	Maj M Delme-Radcliffe	8th Indian Brigade, Kota Bahru
22nd Field Coy, Bombay Sappers & Miners	Maj H T Heard	22nd Indian Brigade, Kuantan
42nd Field Park Coy, Bombay Sappers & Miners	Maj Tw Nash	9th Division Stores KL
11th Indian Division	Lt Col J F D Steedman	North West, Jitra Malaya
3rd Field Coy, Bengal Sappers & Miners	Maj A R Battle	15th Indian Brigade, Jitra
17th Field Coy, Bombay Sappers & Miners	Maj N S Bhagart	6th Indian Brigade, Jitra
23rd Field Coy,Bombay Sappers & Miners	Maj J E Bate	28th Indian Brigade, Ipoh
43rd Field Park Coy,Bombay Sappers & Miners		11th Division HQ, Sg Petani

1941 Operation Matador - Forward Defence of North Malaya in Thailand

Indian Infantry Regiments on "ready" to march into Thailand? ( actually they were training in Singapore, November 1941 - source : Life)

The proposed "Operation Matador" was planned in conference with Far East Command & Malaya Command in anticipation of the Imperial Japanese Army seizing the port of Singora in Thailand (on the east Coast of the Kra Isthmus which was large enough to land a sizable attacking force)

A British force of 3 Brigade Groups, supported by 6 air force squadrons would be sufficient to hold the Singora area against possible attacks by IJA forces of 1 Division from the North, advancing from Bangkok and 2 IJA Divisions landing from the sea.

Chief of Staff informed Brook-Popham, however, that there will be no reinforcements for "Operation Matador" and there will be no advancement of British Troops into Thailand before the Japanese invade it. He will have to use his forces on hand to effect the operations.

8th December 1941 25th Imperial Japanese Army Battle Groups

( information source for above & below : wikipedia)

8th December 1941 ( excluding ancillary & supporting units)
25th Imperial Japanese Army - Lt Gen Yamashita
Main Battle Groups		Location	Commanders
2nd Imperial Guards Division - Nishiruma
3rd	Imperial Guards Regiment	Indochina
4th	Imperial Guards Regiment	Indochina	Kunishi
5th	Imperial Guards Regiment	Indochina	Iwaguro
5th Infantry Division (Carp) - Matsui
9th	Infantry Brigade	Singora	Kawamura
11th	Infantry Regiment	Singora	Watanabe
41st	Infantry Regiment	Singora	Okabe
21st	Infantry Brigade	Singora	Sugiura
21st	Infantry Regiment	Singora	Hanada
42nd	Infantry Regiment	Petani	Ando
18th Infantry Division ( Chrysanthemum) - Mutaguchi
23rd	Infantry Brigade	Canton	Takumi
55th	Infantry Regiment	Canton	Koba
56th	Infantry Regiment	Kota Bahru	Nasu
35th	Infantry Brigade	Borneo	Kawaguchi
114th	Infantry Regiment	Canton	Kohisa
124th	Infantry Regiment	Borneo
3rd Tank Group
1st	Medium Regiment	Singora	Mukaida
6th	Medium Regiment		Kawamura
14th	Light Regiment		Kita

8th December 1941 Malaya Command Land Forces in Malaya and Singapore

7th Dec 1941 Malaya Command Land Forces dispositions ( Left Map) - source : US Military Academy/Department of History

Malaya Command 8 December 1941
Main Battle Force
Singapore Fortress Division - Maj Gen F. K. Simmons
Artillery Brigade - Brig Alec Warren Greenlaw Wildey
Royal Artillery		Location
7th	Heavy Regiment - Coastal	Blakang Mati
11th	Heavy Battery	Blakang Mati
31st	Heavy Battery	Blakang Mati
9th	Heavy Regiment - Coastal	Changi
7th	Heavy Battery	Changi
22nd	Heavy Battery	Changi
32nd	Heavy Battery	Changi
16th	Defence Regiment	Singapore
Hong Kong - Singapore Royal Artillery
5th	Heavy Battery	Blakang Mati
7th	Heavy Battery	Blakang Mati
Anti Aircraft Artillery
Royal Artillery
3rd	Anti Aircraft Regiment ( Heavy)	Singapore
11th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
21st	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
22nd	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
35th	Anti Aircraft Regiment (Light)	Singapore
Hong Kong - Singapore Royal Artillery
1st	Anti Aircraft Regiment (Heavy)	Singapore
6th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
9th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
10th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
2nd	Anti Aircraft Regiment	Singapore
11th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
Singapore Fortress
Royal Engineers - Brig I Simmons
30th	Fortress Company	Singapore
34th	Fortress Company	Singapore
41st	Fortress Company	Singapore
	Fortress Company - SRE(V)	Singapore
Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (SSVF)		Singapore
SSVF Brigade - Col R G Grimwood
1st	Singapore Volunteer Force	Singapore
2nd	Singapore Volunteer Force	Singapore
4th	Malacca Volunteer Force	Malacca
	SVC Armoured Car Company	Singapore
	Singapore Royal Artillery, Volunteers	Blakang Mati
	Singapore Royal Engineers, Volunteers	Singapore
1st Malaya Infantry Brigade - Brig G. C. R. Williams
2nd	Loyal Regiment	Singapore
1st	Malay Regiment	Singapore
2nd	Malay Regiment	Singapore
2nd Malaya Infantry Brigade - Brig F. H. Fraser
1st	MG Manchester Regiment	Singapore
2nd	Gordon Highlanders	Singapore
2/17th	Dogra Regiment	Singapore
Royal Corps of Signals
Malaya Signal Company		Singapore
Indian State Forces ( Airfield Defence)
	Jind	Singapore
	Kapurthala	Singapore
Malaya Command Reserve
12th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brig.A.C.M.Paris
2nd	Argyll & Sutherland	Port Dickson
4/19th	Hyderabad Regiment	Port Dickson
5/2nd	Punjab Regiment	Port Dickson
122nd	West Riding Field Regiment, RA	Port Dickson
15th	Madras Sappers & Miners	Singapore
Indian III Corps - Lt Gen Lewis Heath		Kuala Lumpur
11th	Indian Division Signal Regiment	Kuala Lumpur
Indian State Forces ( Airfield Defence)
1st	Mysore Infantry	Alor Star
1st	Bahawalpur Infantry	Sungei Petani
1st	Hyderabad Infantry	Kota Bahru
Indian III Corps Reserve
28th Gurkha Infantry Brigade - Brig W. St J. Carpendale		Ipoh
2/1st	Gurkha Rifles	Ipoh
2/2nd	Gurkha Rifles	Ipoh
2/9th	Gurkha Rifles	Ipoh
Line of Communication Brigade - Brig R.G. Moir
Federated Malay States Volunteer Force (FMSVF)		Kuala Lumpur
1st	FMSVF Perak	Ipoh
2nd	FMSVF Selangor	Kuala Lumpur
3rd	FMSVF Negri Sembilan	Seremban
4th	FMSVF Pahang	Kuantan
	FMSVF Armoured Car Company	Ipoh
1st	FMSVF Light Artillery Battery	Kuala Lumpur
	FMSVF Signal Company	Kuala Lumpur
	FMSVF Engimeer Section	Kuala Lumpur
Unfederated States Force
	Kedah Volunteer Force	Alor Star
	Perak River Platoon
Penang Fortress Garrison - Brig C.A. Lyon
8th	Heavy Battery ( HKSRA)	Penang Garrison
11th	Coastal Regiment	Penang Garrison
2nd	Anti Aircraft Regiment, Indian Artillery	Penang Garrison
3rd	Penang & Province of Wellesly Volunteer Force	Penang Garrison
36th	Fortress Company	Penang Garrison
Penang Signal Section		Penang Garrison
11th Indian Infantry Division - Maj Gen David Murray-Lyon		Sungei Petani
Divison Command Troops
3rd	Calvary, Indian Armour	Sungei Petani
100th	Light Tank Squadron, Indian Armour	Sungei Petani
155th	Lanarkshire Yeomary, Field Regiment, RA	Sungei Petani
80th	Anti Tank Regiment,RA	Sungei Petani
85th	Anti Tank Regiment,RA	Sungei Petani
1st	Independent Company	Sungei Petani
23rd	Royal Bombay Sappers & Miners	Sungei Petani
43rd	Field Park Company, RE	Sungei Petani
KOHCOL - Lt Col H D Moorhead
5/14th	Punjab Regiment	Penang
3/16th	Punjab Regiment	Sungei Petani
2/3rd	Australian Motor Transport Company	Sungei Petani
6th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brig William Oswald Lay		Jitra
2nd	East Surrey Regiment	Jitra
1/8th	Punjab Regiment	Jitra
2/16th	Punjab Regiment	Jitra
22nd	Mountain Regiment, IA	Jitra
4th	Mountain Battery	Jitra
7th	Mountain Battery	Jitra
10th	Mountain Battery	Jitra
21st	Mountain Battery	Jitra
15th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brig Kenneth Alfred Garrett		Jitra
1st	Leicestershire Regiment	Jitra
2/9th	Jat Regiment	Jitra
1/14th	Punjab Regiment	Jitra
9th Indian Infantry Division - Maj Gen Arthur Edward Barstow		Kuala Lumpur
Division Command Troops
88th	2nd West LancashireField Regiment, RA
42nd	Royal Bombay Sappers & Miners
8th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brig Berthold Wells Keys		Kota Bahru
2/10th	Baluch Regiment	Kota Bahru
3/17th	Dogra Regiment	Kota Bahru
1/13th	Frontier Force Rifles	Kota Bahru
2/12th	Frontier Force Regiment	Kota Bahru
21st	Mountain Battery, IA	Kota Bahru
22nd Indian Infantry Brigade - Brig G W A Painter
5/11th	Sikh Regiment	Kuantan
2/18th	Royal Garhwal Rifles	Kuantan
5th	Field Regiment, RA	Kuantan
Australian 8th Division - Maj Gen Gordon Bennett		Kluang
22nd Australian Brigade - Brig Harold Burfield Taylor		Mersing-Endau
2/18th	Australian Infantry Battalion ( NSW)	Mersing-Endau
2/19th	Australian Infantry Battalion ( NSW)	Mersing-Endau
2/20th	Australian Infantry Battalion ( NSW)	Mersing-Endau
27th Australian Brigade - Brig Duncan Struan Maxwell		Kluang
2/26th	Australian Infantry Battalion ( Queensland)	Kluang
2/29th	Australian Infantry Battalion (Victoria)	Kluang
2/30th	Australian Infantry Battalion ( NSW)	Kluang
2/4th	Machine Gun Battalion
2/4th	Anti-Tank Regiment ( Western Australia)
Unfederated States Force
	Johore Military Force	Johore Bahru
	Johore Volunteer Infantry	Johore Bahru
	Johore Volunteer Engineers, JVE	Johore Bahru
Sarawak (SARFOR) - Lt Col C M Lane
	Sarawak Armed Police	Kuching
	Sarawak Rangers	Kuching
35th	Fortress Company	Kuching
2/15th	Punjab Regiment	Kuching
	6"Gun Battery, HKRSA	Kuching
( Sourced :Wikipedia)

3rd September 1939 Malaya Command Land Forces in Malaya & Singapore

Hong Kong- Singapore Royal Artillery men( HKSRA) during drill practise ( source: life)

Malaya Command 3 September 1939		Location
Singapore Fortress
Royal Artillery
7th	Heavy Regiment	Blakang Mati, Singapore
11th	Heavy Battery	Blakang Mati, Singapore
31st	Heavy Battery	Blakang Mati, Singapore
9th	Heavy Regiment	Changi, Singapore
7th	Heavy Battery	Changi, Singapore
22nd	Heavy Battery	Changi, Singapore
32nd	Heavy Battery	Changi, Singapore
Singapore Fortress
Hong Kong - Singapore Royal Artillery
5th	Heavy Battery	Blakang Mati, Singapore
7th	Heavy Battery	Blakang Mati, Singapore
8th	Heavy Battery	Penang Garrison
Malaya Anti Aircraft Brigade
Royal Artillery
3rd	Anti Aircraft Regiment	Singapore
11th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
21st	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
22nd	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
Hong Kong - Singapore Royal Artillery
1st	Anti Aircraft Regiment	Singapore
6th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
9th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
10th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
2nd	Anti Aircraft Regiment	Singapore
11th	Anti Aircraft Battery	Singapore
Singapore Fortress
Royal Engineers
30th	Fortress Company	Singapore
34th	Fortress Company	Singapore
35th	Fortress Company	Singapore
36th	Fortress Company	Penang Garrison
41st	Fortress Company	Singapore
	Fortress Company - SRE(V)	Singapore
Royal Corps of Signals
Malaya Signal Company		Singapore
Penang Signal Section		Penang Garrison
Infantry Regiments & Brigades
2/17th	Dogra Regiment	Taiping
5/14th	Punjab Regiment	Penang Garrison
1st	Malay Regiment	Port Dickson
Malaya Infantry Brigade
1st	MG Manchester Regiment	Singapore
2nd	Loyal Regiment	Singapore
2nd	Gordon Highlanders	Singapore
12th Indian Infantry Brigade
2nd	Argyll & Sutherland	Singapore
4/19th	Hyderabad Regiment	Singapore
5/2nd	Punjab Regiment	Singapore
22nd	Mountain Regiment, IA	Singapore
4th	Mountain Battery	Singapore
7th	Mountain Battery	Singapore
10th	Mountain Battery	Singapore
21st	Mountain Battery	Singapore
15th	Madras Sappers & Miners	Singapore
Straits Settlements Volunteer Force
1st	Singapore Volunteer Force	Singapore
2nd	Singapore Volunteer Force	Singapore
3rd	Penang & Province of Wellesly Volunteer Force	Penang
4th	Malacca Volunteer Force	Malacca
	SVC Armoured Car Company	Singapore
	Singapore Royal Artillery, Volunteers	Blakang Mati, SIngapore
	Singapore Royal Engineers, Volunteers	Singapore
Federated Malay States Volunteer Force (FMSVF)		Kuala Lumpur
1st	FMSVF Perak	Ipoh
2nd	FMSVF Selangor	Kuala Lumpur
3rd	FMSVF Negri Sembilan	Seremban
4th	FMSVF Pahang	Kuantan
	FMSVF Armoured Car Company	Ipoh
	FMSVF Light Artillery Battery	Kuala Lumpur
	FMSVF Signal Company	Kuala Lumpur
	FMSVF Engimeer Section	Kuala Lumpur
Unfederated States Force
	Johore Military Force	Johore Bahru
	Johore Volunteer Infantry	Johore Bahru
	Johore Volunteer Engineers, JVE	Johore Bahru
	Kedah Volunteer Force	Alor Star
	Kelantan Volunteer Force	Kota Bahru
	Perak River Platoon
	Sultan Idris Company
Sarawak
	Sarawak Armed Police	Kuching
	Sarawak Rangers	Kuching

1941 Force Z Naval Fleet to Singapore Naval Base at Sembawang

The battle cruiser, HMS Repulse - taken in Haifa July 1938 ( Library of Congress)

The Flag ship of Naval Fleet Force Z, battleship HMS Prince of Wales coming to moor in Singapore December 1941( IWM Collections)

Below: The Admiral of the Fleet, Admiral Tom Philips ( Right) and his deputy, Rear Admiral Palliser ( Left) receiving the arrival of the capital ships into Singapore, Sembawang Naval Base. ( IWM Collections)

Commander in Chief, China Fleet 1940, Admiral Sir Geoffery Layton - handed over command to Admiral Phillips upon arrival of Force Z. With him ( right) was General Keith Simmons, Commander of Singapore Fortress - Garrison Troops ( Life)

2nd Dec 1941, the arrival of battleship, HMS Prince of Wales and the battle cruiser, HMS Repulse. Together with their escort destroyers, HMS Electra, HMS Express, HMS Tenedos and HMAS Vampire, formed the Force Z Naval fleet. This created a "completeness" of all British arms and their commonwealth allies ie the Navy, the Air Force and the Army in the defence of Fortress Singapore and Malaya of an eventual attack by Japanese forces.

Map of Malaya Dec 1941 showing RAF deployment of NORGROUP & No. 224 Group

( source : D Richards & Hilary S G S)

RAF Far East Command deployment of NORGROUP & No. 224 Group in Malaya

Buffalos probably in Sembawang Airfield, Singapore - Hence could be 453 RAAF Squadron ( source:life)

29 Nov 1941, AHQ was warned to support Operation Matador at 12 hrs notice, as such addtional air force were moved to Nort Malaya & daily recce were carried out.

8th Dec 1941, AHQ deployment in Malaya was as follows:

NORGROUP ( No.223 Group before 18 Oct1941)
Base	Sqn	Formation	Type	No.
Sungei Petani	21	RAAF (F)	Buffalo	12
	27	RAF (NF)	Blenheim I	12
Kota Bahru	1	RAAF (GR)	Hudson	12
detachment	243	RAF(F)	Buffalo	2
Gong Keda
detachment	36	RAF (TB)	Vildebeeste	6
Kuantan	8	RAAF (GR)	Hudson	12
	60	RAF (B)	Blenheim	8
Alor Setar	62	RAF (B)	Blenheim II	11
				75

No. 224 Group
Base	Sqn	Formation	Type	No.
Seletar	36	RAF ( TB)	Vildebeeste	6
	100	RAF ( TB)	Vildebeeste	12
	25	RAF (FB)	Catalina	3
Dutch detachment			Catalina	3
Tengah	34	RAF (B)	Blenheim IV	16
Sembawang	453	RAAF (F)	Buffalo	16
Kallang	243	RAF (F)	Buffalo	15
	488	RNZAF (F)	Buffalo	17
				88