Parit Sulong Bridge Massacre

Warning: This blog contains details of the horrors of war that some may find confronting.

The barbarism of the Imperial Japanese Army had no bounds. When the Japanese invaded Malaya on the 8th December 1941, their overwhelming numbers, mobility with the use of bicycles, light tanks and air superiority, ensured their victory as they made their way south to Singapore. Their speed was such that in some cases, allied soldiers became surrounded or overrun and had no choice but to surrender thinking that they would be protected. But the Japanese policy of taking no prisoners to avoid being slowed down ensured that most would be quickly executed after capture. One such incident occurred at the bridge at Parit Sulong in Southern Malaya.

On the 15th January 1942, the Japanese were approaching Muar on the south-west coast of Malaya, defended by the 45th Indian Malayan Peninsula Brigade. An Indian patrol encountered some Japanese nearby and withdrew but failed to inform their commanders of the Japanese presence. By noon, and without the Muar Garrison realizing, an entire Japanese division was on the outskirts. Fierce fighting erupted resulting in most of the officers being killed leaving the Indian soldiers leaderless. Australian artillery managed to stop a landing by Japanese in the harbour. To add to the problems of the 45th Brigade, a Japanese airstrike of the 45th Brigade’s headquarters killed most of the staff and injured the brigade commander. As a result, command of the 45th Brigade was temporarily handed over to Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Anderson, the commander of the Australian 2/19th Battalion. But the situation was hopeless and by the night of the 16th January, Muar had been captured by the Japanese and the remnants of the 45th Brigade retreated east to Bakri.

On the 17th January, the 45th Brigade with its brigade commander now recovered, plus the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th Battalions serving as reinforcements, were tasked with the recapture of Muar. But before it could be launched, the 45th Brigade encountered a Japanese ambush and the recapture of Muar was cancelled. The Australian Anti-Tank crew in action against a Japanese tank following day, the Japanese launched a three-pronged Page 1 of 4

Parit Sulong Bridge Massacre

attack on Bakri, spearheaded by a Japanese tank attack with supporting infantry. The Australian 2/4th Anti-Tank Regiment destroyed all nine tanks halting the Japanese advance at that point. However, this success was short- lived and by the 19th January, the Japanese had nearly surrounded Bakri.

Meanwhile, the British 6th Norfolk Battalion which was covering a line of retreat for the 45th Brigade, was defending a ridge east of Yong Peng on the Bakri-Yong Peng Road. The Norfolks were attacked by the Japanese and driven off the ridge. At dawn on the 20th January, the Indian 3/16th Punjab Regiment (part of the 45th Brigade) attempted to recapture the ridge but came under friendly fire from the Norfolks resulting in a withdrawal. While reorganizing, the Punjabs were attacked by the Japanese driving the Norfolks and the Punjabs away. The 45th Brigade and the two Australian battalions at Bakri, were now in danger of being cut off. Also that day, the Brigade The bridge at Parit Sulong commander of Indian 45th Brigade was killed in a bayonet charge on a Japanese roadblock and with no senior officers remaining within the brigade, Anderson was given full command of all units around Bakri including the 45th Indian Brigade.

Anderson was ordered to attempt to break through to Yong Peng, the location of the British held line. With a Japanese roadblock just outside Bakri, several attempts to break through failed until a bayonet charge, led by Anderson, finally succeeded. It took nearly two days to fight their way to the bridge at Parit Sulong, only to discover that the Japanese had already taken up position on the bridge, blocking their way.

Early on the 21st, an unsuccessful attempt was made to take the bridge. Later in the day, with many dead and wounded, Anderson sent two ambulances filled with critically wounded men to the bridge under a flag of truce. The Japanese refused to let the ambulances through rather insisting that they should all surrender and then the wounded would be treated. Anderson refused to surrender.

Early the next morning (the 22nd), allied aircraft dropped medical supplies and ammunition and then attacked the Japanese defenses on the bridge. Anderson, once again, unsuccessfully attempted to take the bridge. Later that The building at Parit Sulong, where the wounded soldiers were held morning, with no way around or any chance of rescue, captive (taken 2014, since restored) Anderson gave the order to destroy all guns, vehicles and

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Parit Sulong Bridge Massacre

equipment and for every man to escape (everyone for themselves!!) through the jungle and swamps to the British lines at Yong Peng. The wounded who could not walk were to be left in the care of voluntary attendants.

Initially, after Anderson and his group had left, the Japanese were slow to move in on the men left behind. The Japanese then herded the wounded and attendants together with kicks, curses, blows from their rifle butts and jabs from their bayonets. Many Japanese took delight in kicking where a wound lay open. They were forced to strip and their clothes were searched. Then they were Parit Sulong Massacre Memorial Park with the new bridge in the moved inside a nearby building. background

Appeals for water and medical attention were ignored. One of the dead was placed in an upright position on a table beside the road, becoming a source of amusement and ridicule by Japanese soldiers who were passing by. An Indian who had been lying unconscious, came too. He was subject to numerous kicks and blows from rifle butts. Then he was bayonetted several times before his body was thrown into a drain nearby. Throughout the afternoon, the wounded soldiers and their attendants, were subject to continual assault.

At sunset, they were wired or roped together and led away behind the building where they had been held and out of sight on the nearby locals. Here they were machined-gunned and then petrol poured over the bodies and with some still alive, were set alight. It is estimated that 110 Australians and 40 Indians were killed in this atrocity.

Out of the original 4,000 Australian and Indian soldiers, only 271 from the Australian 2/19th and 130 from the 2/29th and 400 from the 45th Indian Brigade survived to make it to the British held lines. In only a few days, the 45th Indian Brigade had ceased to exist as a fighting unit and the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th Battalions had been substantially weakened by significant losses. For his efforts, Anderson was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Two badly wounded men managed to survive the massacre at the Parit Sulong Bridge, by pretending to be dead. One, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Anderson Lieutenant Ben Hackney Lieutenant Ben Hackney, gave evidence Page 3 of 4

Parit Sulong Bridge Massacre

at the war crime trial of Lieutenant-General Takuma Nishimura who was accused of ordering the massacre at the Parit Sulong Bridge, despite Lieutenant Fujita Seizaburo admitting to carrying it out. Nishimura was found guilty and hanged in 1951.

Please note: This information has been provided to give the reader a general overview of the situation in Malaya, leading up to the massacre at the Parit Sulong Bridge. It is in no way meant to be a detailed version of events.

Source: https://ww2today.com/22nd-january-1942-australian-wounded-massacred-at-parit-sulong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Groves_Wright_Anderson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Muar

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