Malaya Command facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Malaya Command |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1924–1942 1945–1957 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Singapore |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival (16 May 1941 – 15 February 1942) |
The Malaya Command was a special group of the British Army. It was created in the 1920s to protect British Malaya. This area included the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, and the Unfederated Malay States. At first, it was a small group with soldiers stationed in places like Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Taiping, Seremban, and Singapore.
When World War II started in 1939, the Malaya Command grew stronger. This was because they expected an attack. Most British soldiers were fighting in Europe and North Africa. So, many new soldiers for Malaya came from India.
On November 18, 1940, the Malaya Command became part of the British Far East Command. Later, on January 7, 1942, it joined the ABDACOM group. This group was formed to control the "Malay Barrier," which was a line through the Malayan Peninsula, Singapore, and the southern islands of the Dutch East Indies. The Malaya Command was officially closed down on February 15, 1942. This happened when all British and Commonwealth forces surrendered at the end of the Battle of Singapore.
After Japan surrendered, the Malaya Command was started again on November 1, 1945. Its main office was in Singapore. In August 1947, it was split into smaller groups called the Malaya District and Singapore District. But it became a full command again in August 1950. This was because of the Malayan Emergency, a period of fighting against communist rebels.
When Malaya became independent on August 31, 1957, the Malaya Command was finally closed for good. It was replaced by the Overseas Commonwealth Land Forces (Malaya).
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Protecting Malaya: How the Command Was Set Up
In November 1940, the Malaya Command had 17 groups of soldiers, called battalions. The soldiers from the Indian Army were mostly part of the Indian III Corps. Their main office was in Kuala Lumpur.
When Japanese forces attacked Malaya on December 8, 1941, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival was in charge of the Malaya Command. He had about 88,600 soldiers. They faced the 70,000 strong Twenty Fifth Army of the Imperial Japanese Army, led by General Tomoyuki Yamashita.
Allied Forces in Malaya (December 1941)
On December 8, 1941, the Allied forces in Malaya included several important groups:
Indian III Corps
This corps was led by Lieutenant General Lewis Heath. It included two main divisions:
- The Indian 9th Infantry Division
- The Indian 11th Infantry Division
These divisions had many different brigades and battalions, including Indian, British, and local volunteer forces. They were spread across various locations in Malaya.
Australian 8th Division
This division was led by Major General Gordon Bennett. It was based in Kluang. It included:
- The Australian 22nd Brigade
- The Australian 27th Brigade
These Australian units played a key role in the defense of Malaya.
Fortress Singapore
Major General Frank Keith Simmons was in charge of the forces defending Singapore. This included:
- The Fortress Singapore Division
- The 1st Malaya Brigade and 2nd Malaya Brigade, which included British and Malay soldiers.
- The Straits Settlements Volunteer Force Brigade, made up of local volunteers.
- Various artillery and support units to defend the island.
Malaya Command Reserve
A reserve group was kept ready, led by Brigadier A.C.M. Paris. This group included the 12th Indian Infantry Brigade.
Sarawak Force (SARFOR)
This group was based in Kuching and led by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Malet Lane. It included local forces and some Indian Army units.
Christmas Island Defense
A small force with a gun was stationed on Christmas Island, led by Captain Leonard Walter Thomas Williams.
New Soldiers Arrive (January-February 1942)
Between January 3 and February 5, 1942, many more soldiers arrived in Singapore to help. These reinforcements included:
- The 44th Indian Infantry Brigade and 45th Indian Infantry Brigade.
- The 18th Infantry Division from the United Kingdom. This large division included three brigades: the 53rd, 54th, and 55th Infantry Brigades.
- Other support units like tank squadrons, medical teams, and engineers also arrived.
Allied Air Power in Malaya (December 1941)
On December 8, 1941, there were 161 frontline aircraft in Malaya and on Singapore Island. These planes were part of the Far East Air Force (Royal Air Force). Air Vice Marshal C.W.H.Pulford was in charge until February 1942.
Air Bases on Singapore Island
- RAF Seletar: Home to Vickers Vildebeest and PBY Catalina planes.
- RAF Tengah: Had Bristol Blenheim IV bombers.
- RAF Sembawang: Home to Brewster Buffalo fighter planes.
- RAF Kallang: Also had Brewster Buffalo fighters.
Air Bases in Northern Malaya
- Sungei Patani: Had Brewster Buffalo and Bristol Blenheim I planes.
- RAF Kota Bharu: Home to Lockheed Hudson planes and some Brewster Buffalo fighters.
- Gong Kedak: Had Vickers Videbeest planes.
- RAF Kuantan: Home to Lockheed Hudson and Bristol Blenheim planes.
- Alor Star: Had Bristol Blenheim planes.
Leaders of the Malaya Command
Many different officers led the Malaya Command over the years. Here are some of the key commanders:
- GOC Troops in the Straits Settlements (before the Malaya Command was officially formed):
* Major-General Arthur Dorward (1903–1905) * Major-General Sir Dudley Ridout (1915–1921)
- GOC Malaya Command (after 1924):
* Major-General Sir Theodore Fraser (1924–1927) * Major-General Sir William Dobbie (1935–1939) * Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival (1941–1942), who was in charge during the Japanese invasion. * After the war, Lieutenant-General Sir Miles Dempsey (Nov–Dec 1945) and Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Messervy (1945–1946) were among the leaders.
- GOC Malaya District (when it was a smaller group):
* Major-General Ashton Wade (1947–1948)
- GOC Malaya (when it became a full command again):
* Major-General Roy Urquhart (1950–1952) * Lieutenant-General Sir Geoffrey Bourne (1954–1956)
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See also
- Japanese Order of Battle, Malayan Campaign
