10 December 1941. “The Ledge”, Thailand.
Lieutenant Stan Alden’s war had been ‘interesting’ so far. He had been away two days, fought an engagement and returned to base. He was sitting trying to write to his parents at home, knowing that the censor would probably tear it up. It had begun at the stroke of midnight as 8 December began. He got orders over the R/T to move off, leading Krohcol into Thailand. Alden was a bit of a history buff, but for the life of him he couldn’t remember any time in the past that the British had invaded Thailand. But there he was, in a Matilda II tank, at the forefront of a strong force crossing the Thai border.
There were some light tanks and armoured cars in the column, but Brigadier Thomas ‘Pete’ Rees wanted the heavy armour of the Infantry Tanks at the front. His reasoning had proven sound when, as soon as they crossed the border, they were fired upon. The standing order was to return fire, so the three Matilda IIs pushed through towards Betong working over the surrounding jungle with their machine guns. A few trees had been felled over the road, hoping to delay the invasion force, but these were simply crushed under the heavy tanks’ treads.
Rees had 4th Battalion 10th Baluch Regiment sweep alongside the tanks. The Thai Police and volunteers opposing the British invasion were lightly armed, and the sheer invincibility of the tanks and the overwhelming firepower of the tanks and infantry combined, were just too much for the Thais to bear. A few sepoys were killed, but by the time the tanks rolled into Betong itself, the level of opposition had almost disappeared, in fact, a constable of the Thai police came forward to apologise for the ‘mistake’.
Lieutenant Alden had wanted to try to explain why it wasn’t really an invasion, after all Thailand was actually being invaded by the Japanese, and the British were coming to their aid. Instead, five hundred rounds of ammunition had done their talking for them. Passing Betong, there was another 26 miles before they arrived at their objective. At a comfortable 10 miles an hour, Alden’s troop arrived at the Patani river just after 04:00hrs on 8 December.
Brigadier Rees, after consultations with Major Dinwiddie (CO 45th Field Company Royal Bengal Sappers and Miners), decided to send a mobile force forward of the planned demolitions to the road. They would need to buy time for the Field Company should the Japanese arrive before the work was complete. One of the Matilda IIs would be part of that, and Lt Alden volunteered. A couple of armoured cars from 3rd Cavalry, with the carrier platoon of 2nd Bn Highland Light Infantry, were already forward of the main column reconnoitering the road. Alden came across one of the carriers on his way, the corporal reporting that they’d found this to be about the best position to throw up a road block.
Alden’s tank, two 2-pdr anti-tank guns, two Vickers HMG teams, and two companies of 2nd HLI began to prepare their positions. Major Robertson from 2nd HLI took command of the forward group. The HLI men had fought at the battle of Keren in the East African campaign, so they had a fair idea of how best to site a blocking force, especially with the bulk of an Infantry Tank ready to stand in the middle of the road. Robertson had brought most of the platoon’s 2-inch mortar teams together to provide a concentration of mortar fire when it was needed. The place the 3rd Cavalry had picked was indeed a good position, there was a sheer drop on the right, and a good view down the road.
A section each of the Cavalry and the carrier platoon carried on further along the road to give as much warning as possible to the roadblock of advancing Japanese. One enterprising serjeant in the carrier platoon had ‘borrowed’ some explosives from the Sappers and promised to leave a few problems for the Japanese, so that they’d have time to get back to the main force.
The rest of the day had passed quietly. The sappers went about their business along the Ledge, while the infantry prepared positions to counter any flanking movement over the hills after the road was blasted. At Robertson’s roadblock, there was time to prepare good solid positions. The motor transport was already facing back they way they had come. Robertson had worked out a fairly simple set of signals so that each unit would know when to disengage, get back to their transport and hightail it back to the main position before the road was blown. Alden’s tank would be the last to leave, protecting the rear of the force. Once his tank was past the demolitions, the sappers would blow the road in such a way that it would take enormous efforts to repair it.
The morning of 9th December had continued in much the same way. The only excitement had been some Japanese planes flying overhead. The whole force had done its best to camouflage itself and as far as anyone could see they had been successful. Because of the terrain radio communications was sporadic, and there was a dearth of radios generally. Alden had played around a bit with the tank’s radio trying to pick up anything within range. Just before 10:00hrs the distant sound of explosions and firing could be heard, followed by silence then some more. Major Robertson ordered his force to stand to, and sent a messenger on a motorcycle back to Brigadier Rees to report contact.
At 10.45hrs a carrier appeared on the road ahead and approached at its top speed. There were four wounded men in the rear and the corporal in charge, reported that a strong Japanese force had been seen heading up the road from the direction of Yala. A couple of the armoured cars from 3rd Cavalry had gone as far as Yala and had spoken to Thai police who reported that a Japanese force had landed at Pattani in the early hours of the previous morning. The cavalry had tried to keep ahead of the Japanese while keeping an eye on them. When they got back to where the carrier platoon was wiring a bridge, they had put on a small ambush, blowing the bridge when a Japanese tank was crossing it. After a brief firefight they had withdrawn at speed to the next site that the serjeant with the explosives had identified.
Again, they had done the same thing, but the firefight had got too hot. The four wounded men had got their injuries there to some kind of mortar barrage, three others had been killed. One of the Armoured Cars had been damaged and abandoned and one of the carriers destroyed. The corporal had been ordered to bring the wounded back, and report the contact. The rest of the carriers and armoured cars were behind him, but the serjeant had one more bit of mischief planned.
Not long after the carrier with the wounded had left them, another explosion and machine gun fire could be heard, a good bit closer. The remaining armoured cars and carriers appeared, obviously at top speed. They carried straight on through Robertson’s position, except one armoured car. The 3rd Cavalry Jemadar reported that the Japanese force consisted of at least a company of tanks and he estimated it was probably about the strength of a regiment, though he had only counted one Battalion’s worth personally. Major Robertson thanked him, and waved him off back to the main position.
Lieutenant Alden talked to his crew about what he wanted from them. If there were Japanese tanks, then the intelligence they had about them was that the 2-pdr would be more than adequate to deal with them. As far as he knew, they didn’t carry a gun that would be a threat to the frontal armour, so they should be pretty safe for the most part. Alden’s and Robertson’s orders were clear. The driver had spent the morning walking back over the route he would have to reverse along for about a mile before there was space to turn.
The motorcycle messenger arrived back with word that the sappers were running final checks, so Robertson’s force wouldn’t have to stay much more than an hour before heading back. A quick Officers’ Call followed so that all the information could be passed on to each element of the force and any other questions dealt with. A section of HLI troops were ahead with a view beyond the main position’s outlook. They had orders to get a rough estimate of what was coming up the road, then return, preferably without being spotted.
The four men arrived breathlessly a few minutes before noon. They had counted three light tanks with about a company of men, then a gap of about two hundred yards, then a bigger force, with at least five tanks. Most of the infantry were on foot, but there was some motor transport somewhere behind them, they could hear the grinding of gears. Robertson thanked them, ordered back to Motor Transport to get water and something to eat. Then they could rejoin their platoon.
The Company Sergeant-Majors had spent the morning going round the HLI men’s positions making sure everyone had had something to eat and drink. They also reminded the men why there was an elephant of their cap badge and reminded them of the 74th of Foot’s stand at Assaye. The men of the 74th would be watching down on the work that would be done today, and they had better be bloody proud, or else. The warning was left open ended, but the vast majority of the men had seen action before, and had a veteran’s eye for where things were, what their field of fire was, and the signals to watch out for.
The intermittent rain showers passed for the moment and Alden, watching the road through his binoculars, began to see movement through the haze. Sure enough, there were three tanks coming up the road. Tank recognition skills weren’t Alden’s strong point, but his gunner called them as ‘tin cans’. Robertson had noted that the presence of the Matilda II would be noticed at just over 1000 yards. Range markers had been laid out down the road to aid the defensive fire. At 1000 yards, the gunner noted that he was ‘on’, so Alden quietly said, ‘Fire!’
The leading tin can stopped dead. They couldn’t see it, but the shell had penetrated the armour and gone straight through the driver and bounced around inside the tank killing the gunner and commander. As no smoke could be seen, the gunner put another two rounds through the dead tank, just to be sure. The effect on the Japanese was to respond rapidly. They’d already been ambushed on the road, and the leading company spread out and started moving forward quickly. The other two light tanks managed to push the destroyed tank out of the way, and were providing covering fire for the infantry, with their 7.7mm MG and 37mm main gun.
Alden’s gunner hit the second tank almost as soon as it cleared the dead tank. A shot through the turret seemed to silence the main gun, though the forward machine gun was still firing, and the tank was still moving. Another two strikes knocked it out, though there had also been two misses which had caused some swearing. At four hundred yards the 2-inch mortars dropped their loads, scattering the Japanese troops, most of whom disappeared into the jungle to the side of the road.
This was exactly what Robertson had guessed would happen. He had D Company prepared to counter a flanking movement, and one of the Vickers HMGs was supporting them. 18 Platoon were furthest forward, and soon the noise of their Bren gun teams spraying the jungle and the rifle sections putting lots of lead down range signalled that they were in contact. The platoon OC, Lieutenant Bill Hamilton, blew his whistle three times to signal his men to get ready to pull back. On hearing the whistle blown twice as many men as possible threw hand grenades towards the enemy and immediately withdrew. One long whistle told the other platoons of D Company that 18 Platoon had successfully disengaged. These signals were followed by a Very Light to have the rest of D Company disengage.
The men returned to the road and immediately headed for their lorries and were the first to move back past the Ledge. C Company, with Alden’s tank, covered their withdrawal, and that of the two anti-tank guns and Vickers teams. The third Japanese tank had been dispatched by Alden’s tank and the co-axial Besa kept up a continual fire down the road, and the gunner occasionally took a shot with the 2-pdr to keep the Japanese honest.
Major Robertson fired the green flare that told everyone else to head for the motor transport. As C Company began to disengage, Alden warned the driver to be ready to pull back. The loader noted that they were running low on MG ammo, so it was just as well. Alden was watching back and forth, calling targets to the front and checking for the signal that the rest of the MT had left. The driver revved the engine as the tank was bracketed by mortar shells. Alden told him to calm down, but he had another look to see if the signal was made. The red flare burst and Alden said ‘move.’ The driver stalled the engine. The loader and the gunner cursed, more and more bangs and things rattling off the tank, and the low ammunition count were getting to them all.
Alden calmed spoke to the driver, ‘take a breath, and start it up, just like usual. Don’t panic, there’s plenty of time.’ The engine fired and the tank began to move backwards, Alden said, ‘right lads, nice and easy, short bursts until were out of contact. Put a few 2-pdr rounds down range occasionally. Everything’s going to be fine. Gunner, keep your eyes forward, I’ll direct Harry back down the road.’
Having stalled the engine once, the driver was concentrating hard not to do anything daft, especially with a long drop down the hill on one side of the road. Alden calmly called for corrections and the Matilda II broke contact with the Japanese. In five minutes, they reached the place where the tank could turn around. Once they were driving away, with the gun trained over the rear of the tank towards the enemy, everybody began to breathe again. Soon they were smiling, especially as they passed along the part of the Ledge that was going to be blown up.
An hour later, as the leading Japanese troops and vehicles passed into the blast area, a satisfying series of cracks and bangs caused almost a mile of road to disappear from view. A long cheer from the men of 10th Indian Brigade and attached forces echoes over the hills. The plan had worked, the Japanese weren’t getting along that road any time soon.
With the mission accomplished, Brigadier Rees had consulted some of the Thai police and locals for their local knowledge. The road that had been destroyed was the best road (which wasn’t saying much) between Yala and Betong. He didn’t want to have his Brigade flanked by lesser roads or paths through the hills. There were indeed trails and pathways used by the locals, and while they weren’t much use to motor transport, an enterprising infantry commander could certainly use them to get round the flank. A couple of times in Ethiopia, those kind of trails known only to locals, had proved very helpful, and once, quite dangerous when the Italians used one.
Rees decided to leave one Battalion of infantry (4th Bn 10th Baluch Regiment), with some heavy weapons to hold the area and try to dissuade the Japanese to fix the road. The majority of his Brigade he wanted to take back to Betong, where he could block access to the Malayan road network. Rees also thought that the other Brigades of 11th Indian Division at Jitra would likely need reinforcing at some point. If 10th Brigade was at Betong, or even back at Kroh, then he could pivot his force in whichever direction the Division needed him.
The three Infantry tanks were ordered back to Kroh immediately where they could meet up with their section of the Light Aid Detachment to do some of the maintenance which was always required after travelling 100 miles. Lieutenant Alden had led his troop of three Matilda IIs back along the road and back over the border. His invasion of Thailand had been short-lived, just two days. He couldn’t help wondering whether “Veni, Vidi, Vici” was a description he could use in his letter to describe the previous two days. Just like Julius Caesar’s visit to Britain, it hadn't lasted long.
(5th ind and AIF).