大象传媒

My part in Tojo鈥檚 Downfall
By J. L. Westcott
I was on the Troopship Worcester out of Bombay heading towards a beach close to Port Swetenham in Malaya. We had been preparing for this Invasion for some time and were ready to go when a Superfortress Aircraft named 鈥淓nola Gay鈥� dropped a superbomb on the City of Hiroshima in Japan. It was the first Atom Bomb and began the process of Surrender by the Japanese Government.

The reason why the Allies decided to cause the mass destruction and loss of life was the fact that the Japanese were fanatical in their defence of the Islands in the Pacific that the Allies were trying to occupy leading to the Invasion of the Japanese Islands. It was considered that the cost of lives on both sides would be enormous with the Japanese population Suiciding as they did on Okinawa Island, when they were overrun. Whatever the reason the Japanese Government did Surrender but the forces in the Occupied Countries were an unknown factor and may have decided to fight it out.

I was part of a small contingent of 4 or 5 Officers 4 Indian troops a Malay (who had been captured off a small coastal steamer in the Johore Straits) one British other Rank (me, as general factotum). The Officers were to help interpret when negotiating with the Japanese.

As we neared the coast, we joined-up with other ships bound for Malaya.
Arriving early in the morning we assembled on deck ready to disembark, when the Landing Crafts began the short trip to Morrib Beach which we could see a few miles away. It was dark by the time we were on the LCI but could see well due to the combined illumination from the ships in the Bay. I was first off and found myself wading ashore in waist-deep water followed by the others. We began to light our fags when I was recalled to the LCT to help with one of the Officers baggage. After we moved up the beach to a grove of Casuarina trees, it was decided we would kip down until it was light enough to proceed. Unfortunately the Amphibious Tanks began to arrive and passed close by. We saw their headlights and hoped that one didn鈥檛 decide to take a shortcut through the trees, when we may have become more integrated with Malaya than we intended. However all was well and at first light we moved inland until a friendly lorry driver gave us a lift. We passed many Attap Houses but all were empty, the natives sensibly had evacuated until they could work-out if we were friendly or not. It is just over 60 years ago when I was involved in Operation Zipper, which was the Occupation of the Malay Peninsular, originally surrendered to the Japanese in 1942.

We came to the Klang River where there was a hold-up due to the fact the existing bridge was not large enough for the volume of traffic. The Engineers were busy erecting a Bailey Bridge so we got off the road to have Breakfast.
There were tin 1 man packs of hermetically sealed food, issued for Breakfast, Dinner and Supper. The Breakfast pack included a cube of Compressed Porridge a cube of Compressed Cheese, 5 Cigarettes some Biscuits and a small bar of Chocolate. Water purifying tablets and 4 sheets of green paper for utilitarian purposes. You boiled some water in your Mess Tin then pared slices of porridge into it and soon you had a tin of creamy sweet porridge. The cheese looked like dried soap but did taste of cheese.

The officers went to obtain further instructions and returned to tell us that they had to proceed to K. L. and we were to follow later. What was K.L? I didn鈥檛 want to show my ignorance and asked the Malay afterwards. It was Kuala Lumpur the Capital of Malaya and only 5 or 6 miles away.

We had been given a few Malay Dollars and the Indian Cook scouted around and found a Malay that sold him a Chicken. He paid for it in our precious dollars. When he told me I told him he should have offered cigarettes or chocolate first which was more acceptable to the natives than paper money of doubtful value. From there on we found that cigarettes, biscuits or chocolate were very good for barter. Anyway we reimbursed him and enjoyed the chicken between us. There was a Office nearby, raised on stilts so that you could walk under it, so we all kipped down for the night.

The next day after breakfast we went on to the road to thumb a lift. We were told that the Japanese Surrender would take place at Victoria School so we tried to get there. As we got off the lorry we met a number of happy smiling children. Yes they knew where the School was so they set off with us, thoughtfully taking excess luggage off us,- Chocolate, Biscuits, Boiled sweets- or anything else they could wheedle out of us. So feeling like the Pied Piper we found our way there.
There were hoards of troops milling around the outside of the building and peering through a window I confirmed we were in the right place as the room was full of 鈥楤rass-hats鈥� , a name given to high ranking officers. So we waited for several hours until finally an officer of our contingent found us and announced that after negotiations the Japanese were agreeable to an honourable surrender. The only thing left to do was to find a place to kip in the dry before seeking a permanent location for the rest of the Unit which should be following shortly.
We found that all the houses that the British Sahibs left in 1941 were now vacant again as the Japs had all moved out, so we could take our pick. We found a large modern house suitable for the Officers with another opposite for the Other Ranks, the only trouble was as the Japs had left they had smashed all the ornate glass light fittings and the Parquet floor was covered in shards of glass. The banisters had not been left out, with inch deep sword-cuts every 2 or 3 inches. However the Electric Light worked and we had running water for drinking and showers so we felt good. It didn鈥檛 take long to sweep-up the broken glass, there was nothing we could do about the banister and if the house is still there could still be seen. We did have one stroke of luck I found 3x40 Gallon drums of petrol in a rear storeroom, petrol was very scarce.

Within a few days the main Contingent arrived and with transport we were able to get around better. We found a Godown (Warehouse) full of goodies and came away with a bag of rice, Camp Beds, Plates, chairs and tables and other useful things. What luxury! At night in our spare time we went to the BB Amusement Park. There were Shops, Theatres, Cinemas and Open-air Caf茅s. You could buy a pair of locally made shoes for an unopened tin of 50 cigarettes. You could spend the night in the Caf茅s drinking cups of coffee and nibbling on free sun-flower seeds and peanuts for a few cents or cigarettes, listen to the local band playing European Music or watch a Chinese Opera with it鈥檚 elaborate costumes, all dialogue sung in a high-pitched slightly off key voice, accompanied by Gongs, Cymbals and One-String Fiddles.

It couldn鈥檛 last, we found that the equipment we had set up was not needed and the Headquarters based in Singapore needed personnel to rewire the Accommodation that they had taken over, the Japs had Sabotaged the Electric Wiring before leaving. So I was sent on the over-night train to Singapore. I did not see Kuala Lumpur again for about 35 years, when my wife and I stayed
overnight in one of the High-rise Hotels at the beginning of a tour of Malaysia. There was little evidence of the K.L. I knew in 1945, except perhaps for the Railway Station which was designed as a Mogul Palace in the 1930鈥檚.
My adventures in Singapore and Johore will be continued in Part 2 .

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