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Killed in Action
Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders
2nd Battalion
&
Plymouth Argylls
History
Compiled by Ron Taylor
With help from:- ‘Moon Over Malaya’
by Jonathan Moffatt and Audrey Holmes McCormick
Andrew Snow, Thailand Burma Railway Centre
Malaya and Singapore
August 1939 - 8th December 1941
In March 1937 the 2nd Battalion were posted from China to Rawalpindi, India.
During 1938 there was unrest in North Waziriston and the Argylls were transported to the North West India frontier post where they stayed until September 1939, to keep the peace.
On 3rd August 1939 the majority of the Battalion were transported from Madras in the SS Egra to the Far East and Singapore. The rest of the battalion followed in the SS Karagola which departed Calcutta on the 15th September 1939. The battalion were billeted with the Loyal Regiment at Gillman Barracks, near Keppel Harbour, but in December the Argylls moved into Tyersall Park Camp, Singapore.
New recruits received Basic Training which was carried out at Stirling Castle in Scotland. Throughout 1940 and 1941 these recruits joined the 2nd Battalion in Tyersall Park.
Early in 1940, Lt-Col Ian Stewart prepared the Argylls for jungle warfare in Malaya. Preparing them in the harshest terrain in tactics which gave them the nickname of ‘The Jungle Beasts’. They became part of the 12th Infantry Brigade.
Photo from the Imperial War Museum
Given use of the old Lanchester Armoured Cars which were in service during WWI, the 4th Platoon, Armoured Cars was formed. Each armoured car carried four men, commander, gunner, hull gunner and driver.
Photo from the Imperial War Museum
Without radio communication, which would have been of no use in the jungle, the Argylls reverted back to hand signals.
The Lanchester Armoured Cars gave the Argylls mobility and with their aggression, their patrols were nicknamed ‘Tiger Patrols’. The main object of the Tiger Patrols was to get behind enemy lines and cause havoc.
Being from poor families in the depression, the battalion were very streetwise and knew how to look after themselves.
The spirit was running very high in the battalion.
Acknowledgements
Photos of Lanchester Armoured Cars supplied by Jonathan Moffatt
‘Moon Over Malaya’ by Jonathan Moffat and Audrey Holmes McCormick
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
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