The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-01-16
Tough Australians To
Aid OF Tired British
Continued from Page u

Australians are everywhere. They
march to the front with fresh killed
mutton draped over the tops of their
armored cars. They are policing the
roads, waving their arms at the
thinning traffic good naturedly
The front country is marvelously
camoufiaged for the big fight. Moss,
underground, all natural features
have been utilized, for a fight with
the Japanese's own weapons, and
the Australians are eager to go.
Men From Down Under"
Sons OF the men from down I'M
der" who made themselves famous
on the hottest fronts of the last
last World War, the bronzed Aus
tralianS were moved as united,
compact force to the west front
without a casualty, in the biggest
and most dramatic troop movement
of the Malaga campaign.
They are now holding the key part
of the line against the japanese
hordes who for weeks have poured
down the narrowing Peninsula to-
ward Singapore.
They waited all night in the eerie
stiffness of the jungle for the jap
anese approach.
At dawn they struck out sudden
ly and, with bayonet and hand gren-
AIDE, backed up by machine guns
and anti-tank guns, gave the Jap
anese a sound beating.
Reports from the front said that
the fight was marked for ferocity.
The Australians went in for
merciless fight and 1t was asserted
here that teh result, though on
small scale, was decisive.
Australians We're Fighters
The Australians under their
own commander, Major General
Henry Gordon Bennett, o hero of
the last war, had been trained in
tensively for months in the very
country which the fighting has now
reached to meet a japanese army
superior in numbers.
my men are undoubtedly better
than the Japanese man for man."
General Gordon Bennett said to me
at his advanced headquarters, where
he was talking to Major General
Lewis Gordon MacClesfield Heath,
general of command at the front.
This Is not man for man fight,
however" he continued. 1T is many
men for man. That does not per-
turb us. We believe that we have
qualities which outweigh 1t. When
these splendidly fit men meet the
Japanese, it is the Japanese who will
get the Shock"
1t is now possible to reveal that
the Australians started for the front
Sunday and that the movement was
completed Tuesday night.
The entire force moved up with
out hitch and without a casualty
despite the fact that the movement
was made during terrific tropic
storm and at times under the at
tack of Japanese plane fleets.
Supply conveys of almost unbeliev-
able length moved up behind the adj
vanced troops, and they are still
moving
With the Australians at the front
are British and Indian troops. But
the "Aussies" relieved thousands of
weary British and Indian troops who
mad been in the lines constantly,
fighting a heroic delaying action,
since the Japanese attacked more
than one month ago.
1t was q short trip to the front
this time, compared to visits to pre-
vious fronts.
The roar OF planes came intermit-
tently.
Not far out of Singapore, field
ambulances began to pass us, with
wounded.
Trucks In the long conveys rum
bled along and we began to pass
the exhausted British and Indian
troops whom the Australians had
relieved. Tired as they were they
exchanged the "v" and the thumbs
up" signals with the Australians.
AS the Australians moved in. the
relieved units moved out with per-
feet precision, SO that no territory
was left uncovered for an instant.
1t seemed miraculous that the
great troop movement was completed
so perfectly. The japanese had had
control of the air for weeks. On the
first day. occasional fleets OF Japa-
nese planes dropped bombs without
any effect whatever. On the second
day railroad junction far ahead
was bombed, but 1t merely caused
slight delay to a troop train.
The third day came the rain, pour
ing down In sheets amid thunder
and lightning. The Australians
moved on through the storm,
thanking Providence for 1t because,
at the critical time, 1t kept away
the japanese planes. They COM
pared 1t, SO far as they were con-
cerned, to the Dunkirk mists that
aided the evacuation OF the British
evolutionary force when France
COLLAPSED.