大象传媒

OPERATION ZIPPER

Operation Zipper was the code name for the part of the invasion force that landed in the Port Swettenham area to help in the re-taking of Malaya. The first landing took place on Sunday 9th September 1945. The following is a personal record of my experiences recalled by reference to the many letters I sent to my mother, over a period of eight months that were among her keepsakes.

The RAF unit to which I was posted was named 314 Mobile Signals Servicing Unit. It was formed in India. It was only thirty strong and as advised above we passed through several transit camps on the way to our departure point of Bombay in late August 1945. Eleven members of the unit were to sail from Bombay these were to be the advance party. The remainder of the unit were to depart with our 11 vehicles from Madras at a later date.

I was with the advance party - we sailed on the troopship named the 鈥淣ea Hellas鈥�.
We sailed in a convoy towards Malaya (unaware of the dropping of the Atomic bombs on Hiroshima on 6th and 9th August 1945). Our journey took eight days with several other ships visible at times some stretching back as far as forty miles.

During our journey V.J.Day (Victory in Japan) was declared on August 15th 鈥� the final surrender in Singapore was still to come.....

The landing point was approximately half way down the Malay peninsular, on the west coast nearest to Kuala Lumpur and this was where the unit would set up its operation base. As we approached the coast we could see a number of anchored ships lying some three miles off the beach waiting to unload 鈥� we joined this group. The ship dropped anchor about 10.00 am on Tuesday 11th September 1945 - 鈥淒鈥� Day +2. All aboard were anxious to get going not knowing what chaos had been caused by the changed situation. The landing had started at the correct time and on the right date but fell rapidly behind schedule due to the muddy sub soil just below the sand. Innumerable gullies criss-crossed the beach and a shallow sand bar ran parallel to it. About a mile off shore we could see heavy vehicles submerged and landing craft stranded.

All we could see was a very green belt ashore with faint activity on the beach. We were told that there was a shortage of landing craft assault (LCA) many had been diverted to beaches further south.

On Thursday morning we were given our disembarkation orders and after a frustrating three-day wait it was our turn. We helped each other lift our backpacks, which weighed 40-pound, onto our backs, then with our rifle and 150 round of ammo we scrambled down the nets into the landing vessels, not knowing what might be waiting for us ashore. We proceeded inland to about eight hundred yards from the shore and from here we transferred to a smaller LCA vehicle to enable us to access the shore. I was designated the first person off our LCA and as it scraped the sand and lowered the ramp I jumped only to find myself in water up to my chest. Having stumbled a bit my fellow shipmates levered themselves off with more caution, however we all got very wet wading the fifty yards ashore.

On the day that my unit landed on the beach 6000 Japanese soldiers surrendered in Kuala Lumpur only 30 miles away.

The Navy had established the beachhead but were much disorganised, and in the first two days some 300 vehicles were lost 鈥� these included Water Bowsers, Communication and other support services.

As our Unit were without transport we were finally given temporary shelter on the veranda of a beachside property being used by the beach Commander. We managed to get a bonfire going which allowed us to dry out. However my boots must have been kicked too near the fire and were soon unfit to wear (the pair of comfortable shoes in my pack were invaluable). Our occupation of the veranda was not appreciated by the naval types, as our wet kit was hung up and made it look like a Chinese laundry. I do not recall the rank composition of our group but clearly our requirements i.e. ration packs, water etc., whilst we were awaiting transportation was taken care of.
Problems in Madras were the reason for the delays in our transportation arriving.
Being a small unit, little attention was paid to us those who had transport took priority in order to clear the beach as soon as possible.

It started to rain as we moved all our stuff back onto the beach. This helped, as a departing group passed us a tent complete with an inner and outer section. The senior five of our Unit had the Inner Compartment and I, a mere AC2, and others had the outer which was very cramped. It was also necessary for us to use mosquito nets for sleeping. We decided to try and improve our living conditions a bit by searching the beach for anything to keep our kit from the sand. The weather conditions could change very quickly with short bursts of heavy rain, but it was not cold.

During my second night in the tent I was roused feeling something crawling up my neck. Struggling with a failing torch I found the culprit was a large centipede. I must have been bitten as next morning I had a very stiff neck. When I located a doctor on the beach he was very unsympathetic 鈥� he said 鈥淭here was no problem; it would soon go off鈥�. During our stay on the beach we were sustained by 鈥淜鈥� ration packs and water, which we sterilised with the supplied tablets. Also in the ration pack there were a few cigarettes. These we found useful for bartering with the local Chinese and Malayan people - two cigarettes got you a sack of pineapples and the fresh fruit was so welcome after our 鈥渘ormal鈥� rations.

Whilst still looking for things to improve our living quarters we found two wooden boxes that had been washed in by the tide. When these boxes were opened each contained 1500 cigarettes (Deccan Goldflake and Neptune Navy Cut) in sealed packaging, both from India, presumably lost from one of the vehicles.

At nearly twenty years old Operation Zipper seemed to be a great adventure, which so easily could have been disaster.

On the third day of our encampment on the beach six of our vehicles arrived having been off loaded at Port Swettenam. We quickly got rid of any excess baggage this included the tent, but not the cigarettes. On the way to Kuala Lumpur we passed through several villages where we were greeted by cheering crowds waving flags. In some villages wooden arches had been put across the road and these were bedecked with flags this showed that everyone must have been relieved to be free of the Japanese suppression. We did a good deal of bartering with the cigarettes for fresh fruit.

As we neared Kuala Lumpur we were stopped at a marshalling point and told to report to a RAF unit located on Kia Peng Road at a place called Montrose House. The Unit stayed there for two days while a suitable property was found which could be turned into accommodation and workshops. A large house used by civil servants before the occupation, was requisitioned and nearby there were some disused pineapple packing sheds, which were very suitable as workshops. In the house there were many rooms with a large central area for eating and recreation. The food was much improved as we now had access to Pacific Compo rations 鈥� it was all tinned, but excellent quality. This was then supplemented with whatever the cook could scrounge. This proved to be a good location.

We spent three months September to December 1945 in Kuala Lumpur and our task was to visit all the airfields and signal stations on a rota basis to ensure that all radio and radar equipment was functioning correctly. We had to make repairs on site where possible and when we were unable to do this we had to replace the malfunctioning or broken item. Items returned to the workshops were serviced and held in reserve. In December 1945 I was upgraded to a Leading Aircraftman. During our three months in Kuala Lumpur the No 2 Base Signals and Radar Unit was set up at Paya Leber, which was some three miles from the center of Singapore, and our unit soon became a detachment to this base unit. This unfortunately meant we were soon on the move and this time the accommodation was much more barrack like and we lost the freedom of a small unit. We even had to salute! The work at this base was much the same, we just had more beacon sites to visit, but it was so much more formal with records to be kept, not the almost casual visits previously. We were based at the No 2 Base Signals and Radar Unit from January 1946 to May 1947. In May 1946 I was I again upgraded to Acting Corporal 鈥� paid and from July for three months I was deployed to Sabang for an Installation task with the Signals Unit.

INSTALLATION DEPLOYMENT TO SABANG - July to October 1946

It was planned to set up a Signal Station and Radar Beacon on the Island of Sabang as soon as permission was obtained from the Dutch who were setting up administration. I was loaned to a signals unit to be the radar support to a party comprising one officer, one sergeant, three lance acting corporals and one motor transport mechanic.

We needed to be totally independent so we loaded up three vehicles with supplies to last at least a month. Additional supplies would have to be airdropped if required. It was thought that we would be flown in, but the emergency landing strip was not serviceable so we were finally taken with the vehicles in a landing ship from Singapore the journey was torturously slow. Everyone in the party was friendly, which was just as well as we all had to tackle any task that was required - even the cooking! The rations were again the 鈥渃ompo packs" that we had had before.

The site selected for the installation was an abandoned Japanese position on the highest point. The site had to be cleared and this involved removing two big masts - a very heavy gang job. We were fortunate that we could call on a forty strong Japanese working party, under an officer with a fair grasp of English. While we organised the Japanese we were informed that we were the first British service people to return to the Island since the occupation began.

We operated the site at Sabang for a few weeks before the arrival of some Dutch personnel who were to be trained by us in order to take over when we left. We were away for ten weeks. We returned to Singapore by sea, but with only one vehicle as arrangements had been made to leave the other vehicles to house the equipment until more permanent accommodation was built

You may wonder why I have mentioned beacons so much. initially, both at Kuala Lumpur and at No 2 Base Signal Radar Unit in Singapore the first priority was to equip the various sites with beacon identification, which of course involved a lot of traveling which is best remembered, very useful to get acquainted with the sites.

When at base a lot of time was spent getting to know all we could about the large amount of new equipment that was coming in, all new to us. Portable radar sets from America came with extensive special tools and spares.

Back at base all the talk was the speeding up of the demob expectations. The release times for each trade were based on an age/service group number. Radar Mechanics were later - my number was 57. I returned to the UK in May 1947 having completed a thirty-month tour. After repatriation leave I was posted to a Radar Station at Sandwich in Kent, not far from Walmer, where I stayed until my final release at the end of demob leave in February 1948.

Following my wedding in 1949, I sent the change of address card from my paybook to the RAF Records office in Gloucester. In reply I was sent an Air Ministry Order, number a128/47, listing the areas for which medals were awarded. To my surprise about six months later I received the General Service Medal South East Asia clasp 1946-1947, engraved on the edge with my name, rank and number. Presumably because I had been deployed in Dutch territory.

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