Met
Captain Reade on the motorcycle before the guns arrived.
The
fourth gun was put out of action -- breach block removed and the dials
smashed.
The
7th February 1944
Three
guns ready for action and opened fire on Jap planes (fighters).
The
position
is very exposed -- hills on four sides, and with back to the pass.
The
tanks saved the guns by their support during the withdrawal from the
first site.
Further
still, in the Valley opposite to pass entrance is 1200 yards away, our
Ammo hill is 400 yards away, and the hill on the south side of the pass
is 600 yards away, and is held by the Japanese.
We are completely surrounded.
In the position is very bad and the pass is closed.
Terrific
gunfire from tanks and Bren gun posts all night.
Food
plentiful, and plenty of ammunition.
-- West Yorks are the only infantry support and have done great
work.
8th
of February1944
Fired
at some of the hilltops in Japanese hands, patrol later found dead Japs.
We
are being pounded by Jap 75 mm gun and mortars from hill at the opposite
end of the valley.
Men
in good spirits. We
received our first severe casualties to direct hits on the gun site, the
first one in the morning and about six were wounded, but not seriously,
including H.
Lockhart.
In
the afternoon, it was a bad smash.
Jack
Thompson and about a dozen others were severely wounded.
Bombardier Sherrard was killed instantly, on Jim Dubois's gun and
Talbot at the Bren gun pit nearby.
I
brought a vehicle onto the park to take the wounded to the ADS
about 100 yards away. We
had a job of getting them into the EDS as Japanese gunfire was coming
right over the lorry and we had to take shelter.
Lt.
Warke was also killed, and both men were buried on the gun site.
Lance
Bombardier Thomas was with me. When
the gunfire ceased, we could not get any stretcher bearers.
We later found out that a lot of them were killed.
We managed to get some stretchers ourselves and then we had
assistance from an RMC sergeant and private to get the worst cases of
(14 that day. Six of them
and died later, making eight dead that day.)
The
ADS had to be moved to a more sheltered spot, the other side of the
river in the pass.
We
are brought over blackouts and medical supplies, that had been left.
I
was called by some of the drivers and Bassett
played in a Nullah beside two bulldozers an RE officer had parked.
He had been left there to rest as he had a touch of malaria.
It was a shock as no one knew he had been hit.
A Padre conducted funeral services, for some of the dead, who are
buried on the gun site and the enemy guns were firing away all the time.
Bassett
was buried next morning, where he was killed, Mr. Bing, taking his pay
book and I have his wallet.
The
guns of the 5-5, the 25 Pounders, the tanks and ourselves (3.7 inch)
have blasted away at the Hills whenever we find a sign of Japanese 75 mm
or mortars.
The
crows are finding plenty of deadly Japanese.
9th
February 1944
Japanese
got into the ADS on the
Buthidung Road
about a mile from us and have murdered Indian doctors, stretcher bearers
and wounded men. Tanks went
into action against them.
Gun
were shelled again and there are more casualties.
The officers and men are sticking
it extra well. Defence
posts are manned all night. Thomas,
and I only get an hours sleep every other hour.
DC3's
are dropping tons of supplies every day, coming in very low.
The
situation is very critical on the ninth February, as there is still no
sign of the 26th division and there is very little fighter support.
10th
of February 1944
Bofors
guns have been doing very good work.
We
received another direct hit on a gun.
There was a bad smash on the gun Park. More lorries ablaze and
exploding ammunition and hand grenades.
When I was able to leave the dugout I found two dead on number
one gun. Sgt.
Dubois, and all of the gun team were injured.
The military police and
West Yorks
helped to take them to the ADS.
Capt.
Reade was mad, and also Sgt. Maj. Francis, and it was decided to blast
the hill. The Admin Cdr.
helped to direct the shoot.
Sgt.
Sharp was in charge of one gun, and the scratch team for the other gun
still an action was: --
number
1 -- Sgt.
Arthurs, Dials -- Bombardier
Pain and Gunner McGillaway, Loaders
-- Lt. being, Lt. Francis, Sgt. McLaughlin, myself (Sgt Adrain).
We
fired 10 rounds from each gun at
the hill, where the Japanese gun was located.
The number one gun was hit on the barrel and is out of action.
Maj.
Gen. Messerly and Brigadier Negly,
aide-de-camp, arrived and congratulated us on putting up such a good
show.
The
usual gunfire all night.
11th
February 1944
This
was much the same still the subject it to gunfire and mortar fire.
The Japanese are very accurate.
The tanks and the guns blasted the hills and were in action from
before 1100 hrs to 1800 hrs without a stop.
The fire was terrific, and the machine-gun fire was very intense.
There was no reply from the Japanese, and plenty of them were
reported to be found dead on the hills when our patrol was not there.
There
is still not enough infantry to hold in the hills so that there are only
observation posts left on them.
It
was a bit quieter during the night, and the men were in very good form
There is still no sign of the pass being opened, or the 26th
division arriving.
12th
of February 1944
The
shelling of the hills continued and there was returned mortar and
shellfire from Japanese positions.
We've got very little sleep at night.
Plenty
of supplies still arrive every day, dropped by DC3's .
13th
of February 1944
Plenty
of fighting going on around in the hills by the pass.
Our guns have made the hills very bare in parts.
Punjabi infantry, 220 strong make contact with the 6 Lee tanks at
0 600 hours.
Lincolns
reported to be getting closer.
Heavy
bursts of machine-gun fire in the evening, across the
Gun
Park
.
Gunner
Titch
Ebery was killed instantly and was buried on the gun Park.
It was about 1700 hrs when the men were having a dinner.
Bombardier
Thomas and myself had a very narrow escape as the bullets were flying
all around us. I felt
very shaken up and tired.
There
was fighting as usual, at intervals during the night, and the usual
sniping.
14th
of February 1944
Much
the same: Japanese gun put out of action by tanks and on the same
evening another one received a direct hit from our gun site.
Our Ammo was set on fire, and a lot of ammunition destroyed.
The
general came along to congratulate the men on the great show they had
put up, and it was only then I realised I had been talking to him after Sergeant
Dubois's gun was put out of action. The
troop has been praised by everyone. They
have made a name for themselves. The
West Yorks
, and the tanks have put up a great show.
15th
of February 1944
Lincolns
are reported to have made
contact. The hills nearby
are completely under our control. The
hill on the north-side of the pass is again in Japanese hands, and the
tanks have blasted it for over an hour. Patrols of our infantry later
gained control of it.
The
position is much better, but the pass is still closed.
I
visited the ADS every day to see the wondered.
The medical officers, Colonel
Bonnet and Major Currant, stretcher bearers and orderlies have done a
great job in an impossible situation as the Japanese guns burst about it
at times.
I
hope the pass will soon be open and the wounded taken away, as there is
no proper hospital just a hideout on the side of the pass.
It is very nerve racking for the wounded.
Japanese
gunmen fired from a new position and hit Ammo hill again after 1700 hrs
and the tanks had to clear away from it.
Ammunition continues to explode all over the place for most of
the night. It was fairly quiet
during the night. I could
hear some fighting on the pass. The
K. O. S. B. arrived in this morning, this will be a great help.
16th
of February 1944
Japanese
gun firing again, when I was at the ADS and were bursting on the hills
close by. Shrapnel was falling
around the patients. It was
fairly quiet until after dusk, when the Japanese are on the hills tried
to come in to support others already about the pass.
They had a hot reception from Bren
guns, and I hear 80 dead Japanese were found by the KSOB's this
morning.
17th
of February 1944
The
situation is the same today. Some
gunfire at times. The tanks
and KOSBs went up in the pass this morning and have just returned.
The second in command was killed by a sniper.
The tanks cleaned up some machine-gun nests.
At
dusk, the Japanese started sending over incendiary bombs, one landed
beside the Bofors gun in the field in front of us.
Another one set a vehicle alight, and one set fire to oil on the
north-side of the hill at the petrol dump.
This burned for a long time but the rest were put out quickly.
Went
up with
Denton
, Haycock and
Taylor
to move the transport, as some of it was in the petrol dump Valley.
I moved B 10 as it was fully loaded with ammunition into the far
corner of the old ADS and then we moved the other vehicles on that side
of the valley down to the ADS road below it.
Got the Indian other ranks and MPs to clear all the diesel and
oil away from that side. It
was just as well as an incendiary landed a few feet from where the
ammunition lorry had been. It
did no damage just burning the grass.
The
night was fairly quiet, ordered bursts of artillery fire, mortar fire
and machine-gun fire off and on during the night.
It was mostly ours. There
were sounds of fighting in the pass..
18th
of February 1944
I
went along to the petrol dump first thing in the morning to see if the
incendiary bomb had landed near to
where our lorries were parked. We
had a fairly quiet day, but received word at breakfast that Haughey
had died the previous night at the ADS, that makes 13 dead.
The wounded are doing fairly well.
The most serious cases are Sergeant Thomson, Sergeant Dubois,
Gunner Warilow, Gunner Woolhead,
Wakefield
and Robertson, Rydes and
Bombardier Mills went over to see them as usual.
I had more rest, and unloaded ammunition into a pit at the end of
the ABS road in case any more incendiaries came over.
I had a nice quiet afternoon and was reading "Village in
August." Written by a
Chinese about
Manchuria
, under the Japanese.
At
dusk, 1900 hours all our guns opened up, along with the mortars, and
they pounded round the hills to
the north side of the pass all night.
The regiment guns on the other side of the pass were firing over
as well. I guess there will
be plenty more dead Japanese this morning
The
figures for dead Japanese up to a couple of days ago was 750.
The KOSB's were out most of the day, and some of the tanks
clearing up machine-gun nests in the hills by the pass and found plenty
of dead Japanese. They
captured some more Japanese machine-guns.
I saw the first Japanese 10 rupee note, also a half rupee note,
all ready for use in
India
. Hutton
had been given them by one of the infantry.
[see photo left]
19th
of February 1944
There
is still no sign of the pass being opened to get the wounded away.
They have had a rough time as some of them have been lying in the
shelter of the hill by the pass for most of the time.
The doctors have had a tough time as most of the wounded are in
the open and there is no proper hospital for treating them, its nerve
wrecking for them, lying helpless and gunfire going on all around them
especially when Japanese guns and mortars started bursting around.
A
very quiet day, just the occasional gunfire, and our own
mortars firing. There are
still a number of Japanese in the
hills nearby.
DC3's
(Dakotas)
are still dropping plenty of supplies, and we seem to have more control
of the hills around. Infantry
patrols of the KOSB's are active against the Japanese on the hill at the
South-side of the pass.
12
Hurricanes and 12 Vengeances, staffed nearby, just after 1700 hours.
I
was over to see the wounded as usual.
They all seem to be keeping in good spirits.
There is still no sign of the pass being opened.
I hope it will be soon as it is time the wounded were in a better
place.
Heavy
fighting, about 0 200 hours this morning on the north-side of the pass.
The usual gunfire, mostly from our own guns and mortars.
20th
of February 1944
It
was a quiet morning. Our
guns were firing at ground targets, I
was over to see the wounded, and they all appear to be very well but the
gunfire usually upsets them.
A
church service was held on the site by the Padre of the 24th LAA
Regiment who was at the burial of our dead.
He preached a very good shaman, based on the story of the lost
Horizon. His text was
"my peace be with you."
The
pass is still closed, hope it will soon be opened for the sake of the
wounded. I am feeling a lot
better, as I am now at the command Post and getting more sleep.
We've
managed to put some more of the vehicles on the road by changing tyres,
most of the vehicles bear the scars of battle.
Vengeance
dive bombers gave an exhibition of bombing on the hills, facing us about
1200 yards away.
It
was a very quiet night, just some board bursts of gunfire and
machine-gun fire for some
21st
February 1944
12
Japanese bombers passed over before 900 hours, escorted by fighters our
guns had a go at them. The
regiment guns on the west side of the pass
also opened up. Spitfires
appeared hard on the tail of the Japanese fighters.
Our
guns are still shelling some of the hills and the mortars are at it, as
usual. And there was no
Japanese return fire.
Vengeance
dive bombers came over at 1300 hours and blasted the hills near to the
pass on the north side. This
was quite close to us so we had a
grandstand view. There
should not be many Japanese there now.
I
was over, as usual to see the wondered and found Jimmy
Dubois, feeling a lot better. He
was afraid he was going to lose his left leg.
Jack Thompson and Woolhead still much the same, Bombardier Mills
was making a good recovery, Robertson was not feeling too good.
The
RTE Lt. Thomas who stays at our site is still doing good work with the
bulldozer. He has been
making more room for the wounded for the last couple of days.
The
Scots Lt.
I.
AOC is still around with us. The
battle dress suppliers on his lorries are all gone, as we have been
giving them to all that need a change of clothes.
Vengeance
dive bombers came over at 1700 hours and blasted around the same hill on
the north-side of the pass.
Clouds
of dust spread over the hill.
The
RI ASC managed to get the bakery working and we have had fresh bread for
the last three days instead of biscuits.
The food situation is very good and we get enough to eat.
We also have M and B tablets and one mepacrine tablet every
night. The men's health
keeps very good, considering we have been living underground for 17
days.
I
was on duty from midnight, and shelling started up.
There was plenty of machine-gun fire.
Japanese mortars started up about 0300 hours and our mortars and
the guns were very active.
At
0645 hours one Jap plane flew
over from north to south, too far out for our guns to engage.
The
sun is coming up like a golden ball, it's a beautiful sight, talk about
Kipling's poem.
Japanese
105 mm gun making a nuisance of himself.
I hope it won't be long until it's blasted and gets a pasting.
There was heavy fighting on the pass at 1000 hours and there were
plenty of stray bullets flying around, especially about the hospital.
I
was at the hospital, as usual, all of the men were very cheerful.
A private of the
West Yorks
, told me Sergeant
Scott had been injured yesterday and had died early this morning.
He was a
Belfast
man and lived in
Fortingale Street
. I had met him at the
beginning of the battle, and he was one of the
West Yorks
who brought the four pixies of tea to the gun sight after a direct hit
on Jimmy Dubois's gun.
The
KOSBS's and five tanks went up to the pass at 1200 hrs along with the
RE's and bridging party. The
pass is expected to be cleared today and the first convoy through by
tomorrow.
It
was very quiet this afternoon, just occasional firing DC3's were
dropping supplies as usual. I
met the pantry (padre?) of the West Yorks and ADS, who comes from the
south of
Ireland
. He was at Trinity with
our Padre,
Quinlan. An RI AMC
Captain in the ADS. Comes
from Ballymoney.
A
Japanese 105 mm gun, open fire at dusk. Some
of the shells burst nearby and a mule was killed in the Chung below.
I found out later four Indians were killed in the ADS.
It
was very quiet all night.
23rd
of February 1944
It
was a very quiet morning, and I was at the ADS to see the wounded.
A Japanese gun fired one shell when I was there.
Fighting
is going on in the pass . It
should soon be clear.
Vengeance
dive bombers were over about 1600 hrs bombing, a feature south of the
pass.
DC3's
were over as usual, 8 of them escorted by eight Hurricanes dropping
plenty of supplies.
12
Hurricanes (4 cannons) passed by on a staffing expedition.
It
has been a very quiet day, just the odd bursts of machine-gun fire
during the night.
24th
of February 1944
The
morning was very quiet, and we expect the pass to be open at any time.
I
was at the ADS with Captain
Reade to see the wounded. They
were all in very good form.
1320
hrs. I've just heard the first
convoy has come through the pass from the West.
It is good news. We
have waited 18 days for this.
The
first convoy of wounded left in the afternoon for the other side of the
pass and a second convoy left by 1700 hours.
There is only Sgt.
Dubois, and Wakefield