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2/20th Battalion A.I.F. |
On the Sunday we were individually informed that 22nd Brigade, then consisting of 18th and 20th Battalions, plus 12 Engineers Company, 2/10 Artillery Regiment, were to withdraw to Jemaluang about 5 or 6 miles behind us toward Singapore.
Jemaluang was previously occupied by 27 Brigade and 2/19 Battalion of 22nd Brigade but 27 and 2/19th had been switched to west coast to meet a major Japanese thrust, where 2/30 ambushed the Japanese successfully at Gemas, inflicting heavy casualties and blocking some eight tanks in a cutting where they were destroyed by guns of 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment.
Still, the Japanese managed to regroup after their defence and first major defeat. They quickly regrouped and attacked a large Indian force where the 2/29th Battalion, Victoria, 2/30 Battalion, Blackjack's mob (Persia's husband) - and 2/26 Battalion, Queensland, were thrown in to rescue the Indians who had been defeated by advancing crack Japanese regiments consisting of the Japanese Imperial Guards Division and 2/5th Division, experienced troops from years in China.
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Copyright © 2002, Elliott McMaster, "Glen Ora", Nabiac, New South Wales, Australia, 2428. Original content in these Web pages is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be produced by any process or any other exclusive right exercised without written permission from the copyright holder. This Web was prepared by the Great Lakes Historical Society Ltd, C/- Great Lakes Museum, Capel Street, (P.O. Box 23), Tuncurry, New South Wales, Australia, 2428. |
