Sleeping Too Near the Enemy
Somewhere along the road I met Bob Boudreau who was also in "D"
Company and had been a runner. Night was descending so we decided
that we had better find some place to wait. There was a pill box nearby,
just below the road. Bob wanted to go in, but something told me that it
would be dangerous to do, so we lay down on the flat roof of the pill box.
In the morning we heard unfamiliar voices, and sure enough, there was a
detachment of Japs milling around on the ground below us. We didn't
breath. After they moved off, probably to join forces with the attackers at
Repulse Bay Hotel, we got down. We were hungry and thirsty, not having
had anything to eat or drink since God knows when. In the pill box we
found a can of condensed milk. We punched a couple of holes in it with a
bayonet and drank it. Pretty strong stuff on an empty stomach. Now,
every time I see a can of condensed milk I think of Bob Boudreau and the
close call we had that night on top of that pill box. In our position we had
no way of reporting the incident, or any way of informing Army
Intelligence, of the presence of the enemy.
Company and had been a runner. Night was descending so we decided
that we had better find some place to wait. There was a pill box nearby,
just below the road. Bob wanted to go in, but something told me that it
would be dangerous to do, so we lay down on the flat roof of the pill box.
In the morning we heard unfamiliar voices, and sure enough, there was a
detachment of Japs milling around on the ground below us. We didn't
breath. After they moved off, probably to join forces with the attackers at
Repulse Bay Hotel, we got down. We were hungry and thirsty, not having
had anything to eat or drink since God knows when. In the pill box we
found a can of condensed milk. We punched a couple of holes in it with a
bayonet and drank it. Pretty strong stuff on an empty stomach. Now,
every time I see a can of condensed milk I think of Bob Boudreau and the
close call we had that night on top of that pill box. In our position we had
no way of reporting the incident, or any way of informing Army
Intelligence, of the presence of the enemy.
There's 15 Japs in Stanley Village
By December 24, we had been pushed back to Stanley Fort, a British
installation on the top of a high promontory. accessible from the rest of the
island through a narrow isthmus, and Stanley Village, located on a broader
part of the isthmus. We were billeted on the bottom floor of a four or five
story building, and if I recall correctly, even though mortar shells kept
landing on the top of the building, we had some rest on Christmas Eve.
installation on the top of a high promontory. accessible from the rest of the
island through a narrow isthmus, and Stanley Village, located on a broader
part of the isthmus. We were billeted on the bottom floor of a four or five
story building, and if I recall correctly, even though mortar shells kept
landing on the top of the building, we had some rest on Christmas Eve.
Christmas morning Major Parker came in and told us we were assigned to
clear out a small party of Japs in Stanley Village, located on the isthmus
below the fort. We understood that there were on 15 Japs there, so the
task would be quite easy. How naive of us to swallow that story. The
whole Japanese invading force was massed behind whatever detachment
was holed up in the bungalows at the graveyard, and could have, and did,
reinforce them as soon as the action started.
clear out a small party of Japs in Stanley Village, located on the isthmus
below the fort. We understood that there were on 15 Japs there, so the
task would be quite easy. How naive of us to swallow that story. The
whole Japanese invading force was massed behind whatever detachment
was holed up in the bungalows at the graveyard, and could have, and did,
reinforce them as soon as the action started.
We girded our loins and began the trek to the village through the main gate,
and across the open space to the right, to the edge of the cliff, and down the
cliff to Stanley Village. All the way across that open space we were
followed by Japanese artillery fire. They must have had an observation post
overlooking our line of progress, but we couldn't spot it.
and across the open space to the right, to the edge of the cliff, and down the
cliff to Stanley Village. All the way across that open space we were
followed by Japanese artillery fire. They must have had an observation post
overlooking our line of progress, but we couldn't spot it.
One of Mother's Gospel songs kept going through my mind, "Will the circle
be unbroken?" I couldn't help thinking of my family back home, but no
doubt concerned for my own safety. I was scared.
be unbroken?" I couldn't help thinking of my family back home, but no
doubt concerned for my own safety. I was scared.
The only casualty on that trip across open space was Lorne, Molly,
McIntyre, a Rifleman in 18 Platoon. He got a shard of shrapnel in the
buttock, and when he sat down, he sat in a mess where someone had
previously had a bowel movement. Lorne's reaction,with blood pouring
from his wound was, "Some dirty bastard shit in the grass."
McIntyre, a Rifleman in 18 Platoon. He got a shard of shrapnel in the
buttock, and when he sat down, he sat in a mess where someone had
previously had a bowel movement. Lorne's reaction,with blood pouring
from his wound was, "Some dirty bastard shit in the grass."
Seventeen Platoon spearheaded the attack on the graveyard where the
Japanese had positioned themselves. They soon found out that the numbers
of invading Japanese had swelled to several hundreds, and the resistance
was unsurmountable. Many of my close friends died that day, among them,
Bert Irvine, Jack Lyons.
Japanese had positioned themselves. They soon found out that the numbers
of invading Japanese had swelled to several hundreds, and the resistance
was unsurmountable. Many of my close friends died that day, among them,
Bert Irvine, Jack Lyons.
Photo courtesy of Tony Banham
The object of our attack was Bungalow C where only 15 Japanese soldiers
were supposed to be holed up. It sounded like an easy enough chore, but it
turned deadly in very short order, and a lot of men died.
were supposed to be holed up. It sounded like an easy enough chore, but it
turned deadly in very short order, and a lot of men died.