Evening star., 1942-01-31
BY GEORGE WELLER,
Foreign Correspondent OF The Star.

SINGAPORE, Jan. 81. The
"Johnnies" are in Johore. They are
ready to defend Singapore as they
have defended all Malaga from the
northerpmost battlefront to where
the Japanese, reinforced by sea and
land, are now attempting to force
a line of invasion southwark.
Who are the Johnnies? The john
MES are Gurkhas, partly Mongol by
origin and the least known heroes
of this heartbreaking battle for the
richest province in British posses
sion. The Johnnies come from the
high jungles of Nepal. north of
India. When the Australians went
into action some II days ago, they
went into the headlines, too.
But nobody has heard much about
the Gurkhas for the simple reason
that nobody could get to where they
were.
Beyond impossible rivers and sag
ging, exploded bridges after the last
motor trucks have retreated south
ward; beyond the airdromes with
their craterlike holes to occupy Jap
engineers; far beyond the point
where correspondents can go. were
the Gurkhas-holding. delaying
sniping, ambushing, saving the lives
of retreating comrades.
Bombed necessarily.
The Gurkhas have been continu-
ously rearguarding down the entire
$50 miles OF that bloody north-south
highway through the Malayan Pen
insula. They have been subjected to
literally incessant bombing and ma
ne-gunning for more than six
weeks.
What we have been through
surpasses Norway. Dunkirk and
Greece" said one British officer to
your correspondent. 1--WE began
north of Alorstar, December 8, and
this is the first rest we've had.
Please remember, our boys are little
more than II and l8 years old and
they've been facing seasoned troops.
Six months ago many Of them had
never seen lorry, a machine gun or
an artillery piece, to say nothing OF
Jap tank"
Against the young Gurkhas the
Japs turned loose their tanks from
the beginning. A heavy Jap tank
was met at Ultra, north OF Alorstar-
proof conclusive that Thailland was
cooperating as a military base with
the Japs long before the hostilities
began. The technique employed
here by the Japs was to send
heavy tank in advance, with three
lighter tanks following. The large
bulk and heavier armor Of the first
tank was intended to protect the
others. Here a sergeant major met
the onslaught with an anti-tank
gun which put the leader out. The
Japs later developed a variant OF
this attack, using heavy tank
equipped with a cannon but also
mortar. Lobbing shells 300 yards in
advance, the mortar was intended
to dispose of the anti-tank guns.
Most Terrible Encounter.
The most terrible encounter by
the Gurkhas with tanks occurred
at the Slim River. The Gurkhas'
British officers, many of whom were
newly arrived from England and un-
able to speak Gurkhali, had estab-
ished headquarters at point slight
ly south from the river, where the
embattled north-south highway
makes a hairpin loop. Camp was
pitched in a rubber grove, midway IN
the loop.
But Jap observation planes, often
living little above tree-top level,
were constantly studying their
movements. When the second day
passed with nothing more than the
usual intermittent machine cunning
from overhead, the colonel In charge
remarked: This can't last long,
They'll be coming soon." He meant
that renewed bombing was afoot, but
at that moment somebody heard
rattling sound coming down the
road. III
Must be Bren gun carriers" said
one officer, for the sound was IKE
that of pouring metal which the
Brens make on the road. The noise
came nearer, louder and heavier. 1t
was eight Japanese tanks approach
ing. Their aircraft had told them
the location of the British head
quarters.
Deploying themselves along the
road in such manner as to prevent
any escape, the Japs brought their
guns around to aim through the
scattered rubber trees. Their move
ments were leisurely. They even
called out 'banzai!" (hurrah) to the
trapped Gurkha leaders and took
time to hand out the Rising Sun
flag.
Rubber Grove No Cover.
Then they opened fire. 1t was at
pointblank artillery range, about 100
wards. and their shells were 3.5's.