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Killed in Action
Royal Norfolk Regiment
4th Battalion
History
Compiled by Ron Taylor
In memory of my father and his mates in the 4th Battalion
The 18th Division
by Mary Michael
"For their country they did serve and recognition do so deserve"
On the William Sail they came
Proud and longing to fight with hearts aflame
To the Far Eastern Shores of Singapore
Where many a man would be the same no more
Oh how hard they fought
But victory was not to be bought
The Battle of Bukit Road raged
Til it was realized it just couldn't be saved
Young and brave the fear crept in
Why were we sent too late to win
For the men of the 18th this was their fame
Did they deserve to take history's blame
For they were trained for the desert not over here
Why they were there they sure weren't clear
The men of the 18th try as they might
There was no way they could win this fight
The fight over there sure wasn't fair
What's a Jap, what does he wear
How could they know about jungle warfare
This was their first battle but who did care
Alas no victory for the 18th would there be
Instead part of the Singapore surrender history
With all of the rest of the brave heroes over there
With no chance or hope to escape the Jap's brutal care
Why were our men left over there
With not a thought or a care
Where were the planes and rest of the supplies
Nothing appeared from out of the skies
In these words the truth can be seen
How unfair and unjust it all has been
Time now to honour and acclaim
And give these brave men finally their fame
August 1939 - 8th December 1941
The 4th Battalion was under the command of Lt-Col. J.H.Jewson, M.C., T.D., who had his H.Q. at the Drill Hall, Chapel Field, Norwich. Second in command was Maj. A.E.Knights, M.C., M.M.
H.Q. Company was at Norwich, “A” and “D” Companies were at Yarmouth, “B” Company was at Attleborough and “C” Company at Harleston. The strength of the 4th was 29 officers, 39 warrant officers and sergeants and 607 other ranks, making a total of 675 men.
In September 1939, four sergeants and 91 other ranks were transferred to the 6th Battalion, leaving the 4th with 580 men in total. The 4th, 5th Battalions were brigaded together and with the Suffolk Regiment formed the 54 Infantry Brigade under Brig. E.H.W.Backhouse as part of the 18th Division.
In October, at the start of WW2, the Battalion was brought together at Gorleston, the H.Q had taken over the Holiday Camp situated at Bridge Road with “A” and “B” companies. “D” Company were at York Road Drill Hall, and “C” Company was at Great Yarmouth Race Course. Training began in earnest when N.C.O´s and other ranks were drafted from the 2nd Battalion.
During May with Britain at a low point after Dunkirk, and the threat of a German invasion, the 4th Battalion were given coastal duties. Beaches were mined and road blocks were manned by them. The 54 Infantry Brigade had the job of defending the beach from Cromer to Lowestoft, with the 4th Battalion covering Gorleston and Yarmouth. In June 1940 the Battalion was taken to 29 officers and 950 other ranks by drafts from the I.T.C., Royal Norfolk Regiment, at Billericay and the I.T.C., Wiltshire Regiment. This month also saw the first air raids with several bombs being dropped in the battalion’s area. During August the King visited Battalion H.Q. and inspected the Officers and men at Gorleston Holiday Camp.
On September 18th the battalion was moved to Langley Park Loddon and within days were put into Action Stations as an invasion was thought to be under way. After twelve hours of being on alert the men were stood down and training continued.
The Home Defence Units were getting up to strength by the end of 1940 and had been trained sufficiently to take over the coastal defenses of Britain. This released 54 Infantry Brigade to have more specialist training at Cambridge.
The 18th Division received its orders to finish its training in Egypt just before Christmas 1940, but before this Stobs Camp near Hawick, Scotland was to be its last training ground on British soil. Accompanied by the 4th Suffolks they arrived on January 8th 1941, in very cold conditions. The men wished they were back in the flat lands of Norfolk as the marches became longer but they were getting fitter.
By April the plan for Egypt was shelved and the 18th Division was moved to Blackburn under the command of Maj-Gen M.B.Beckwith-Smith. Here the training continued but with more stress on exercises, this ended with a two day endurance test in June. The Division came through this with flying colours and were now seen to be near ready. Before being posted abroad final route marches were to be carried out in Ross-on-Wye. So back to Scotland on August 13th went the Division. The men knew things were hotting up as their exercises now included river crossing and day and night landings from craft.
On September 9th, Lt-Col Jewson was promoted and Lt-Col. Knights was given the command of the battalion. With the Kings visit the men were seen to be now ready for action. Tropical kit was issued and orders were to proceed to Liverpool.
‘Private 5776807’ by Frederick Noel Taylor
HQ 18th Division - Bren Gunner (4th Royal Norfolks)
We left Blighty on the 28th October 1941 sailing from Liverpool on the Reno Del Pacifico (18,000 tons formerly Queen of the Pacific), although embarking with tropical gear, our was destination was unknown most thought it would be the desert of the Middle East. I was with HQ 18th Division as their bren gunner, my mates from the 4th Battalion Royal Norfolks were on the Andes, both ships sailing in the C.T.5 Convoy.
The 18th Division consisted of mainly East Anglian Territorials from Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambrigdeshire but there were also the 5th Beds & Herts, 1/5 Sherwood Foresters, 9th Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and the 5th Loyals from Lancashire.
The journey was rough and seasickness on a crowded boat has its disadvantages but it can also help bind men together and spirits were high, we were off to show the enemy what we were made of, but under the bravado I was uncertain of what lay ahead. Halfway across the Atlantic our small British escort changed to a large American force including an aircraft carrier the Lexington, two heavy and two light cruisers and destroyers. Arrived Halifax, Nova Scotia , Canada, on the 8th November, we where only ashore a few minutes before being transferred to the U.S.S. Wakefield (27,500 tons) with 5.000 others, including my mates from the 4th Battalion. The Wakefield was formerly a luxury liner called Manhattan, our quarters had tiered beds, four to a tier, but we were not overcrowded.
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We left Halifax on the 10th November in the Wakefield with U.S.S Westpoint (formerly Miss America) and U.S.S. Mount Vernon (26,000 tons, formerly Washingto. Sailing as Convoy William Sail 12X we were accompanied by an American escort including an aircraft carrier, Ranger, cruisers and destroyers. America was not in the war at this time so there was no shortages on board, the food was very good and being a luxury liner it was very comfortable and we found ourselves putting on too much weight. We passed through the Mona Passage between Puerto Rico and St Domingo, arriving at Trinidad on 17th November in glorious sunshine so our tropical kit came out, but unfortunately no shore-leave, we left after two days of taking on supplies. On 24th we crossed the equator, there was a crossing the line ceremony.
Crossing the Line Ceremony Certificate
At this time we were not told our destination but we were soon to realise it was not the Middle East as we believed.
Acknowledgements
This information was collated using
The Royal Norfolk Regiment by P.K.Kemps - 1919 to 1951 - Voume 3
The Royal Norfolk Regiment by Tom Care
To Singapore and Beyond by Neil Storey
Private 5776807 by Frederick Noel Taylor
Hell in Five by Jack Symon
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