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Valour at the Ridge

MEMORIES of the Battle of Kampar are so vividly entrenched in the mind of retired school teacher Chye Kooi Loong that his graphic description of the combat between the British and Japanese soldiers would virtually transport his listeners to the battlefield. 

Chye was about 12 years old when war broke out in his hometown. His family had to hide in a kongsi house of the Societe des Etains de Kinta or SEK, the French tin-mining company where his father was employed as an accountant, in the hills. 

Retired teacher Chye Kooi Loong with the first and second editions of his book The History of the British Battalion - Malayan Campaign - 1941-42.

“For four nights we could not sleep because of the thundering sound of the British and Japanese artillery shells passing overhead,” he said.  

“During the artillery duel, the ground shook and my father (gave us) cotton wool to plug our ears. The explosion of the shells lit up the sky like a fireworks display. 

“During the day, Japanese aircraft flew at tree-top level while their machine-gunners fired at the British and Indian units at the ridges in front of the Kampar hills. Leaflets were dropped by Japanese aircraft telling us to keep calm as the Japanese Imperial Army was coming to drive out our British masters and that we would be living in a new Great East-Asia Co-prosperity Sphere.” 

In 1977, Chye started his research primarily in Britain, Japan and Malaysia on the British Battalion who fought in Kampar. 

Seven years later, his book, The History of the British Battalion – Malayan Campaign – 1941-42, was published in Leicester, England, during the 300th anniversary of the Royal Leicester Regiment. 

The first book was bought by Lady Mountbatten, daughter of Lord Louis Mountbatten who was the Supreme Commander of the South-East Asian Forces, who attended the anniversary dinner.  

Later, Chye received a letter of appreciation from the then British Prime Minister Lady Margaret Thatcher. 

He and his wife were among the few Malaysians granted an audience with the Queen of England and the Duke of Edinburgh during their visit to Malaysia in 1998. 

Chye said the first edition of 1,000 copies published in Leicester for sale only in Britain had been sold out. 

“The book was published in Leicester as no local publisher was interested in the book then and I was told that there was no sales value for war history books in Malaysia,” he said in an interview. 

Since then, his book has become a recognised military history textbook in military colleges throughout the world as it is the most detailed military history of the Malayan Campaign. 

Chye and his wife visited England several times between 1984 and 1999, at the invitation of the various British regimental associations to attend memorial services, parades and dinners. He has been guest speaker at many military clubs, British legion and military study seminars in Canterbury, Sandwich, Camberley, Birmingham, Sheffield, Leicester, Nottingham, Walton Cross, Orpington, Windermere, Dumfries, Stirling and Edinburgh. He has also been invited to speak in secondary schools and colleges. 

On his trips to England, Chye discovered that the heroism of the men of the British Battalion had not been forgotten and, indeed, each year toasts are drunk and messages exchanged by the modern counterparts of the Royal Leicesters and Queen’s Royal Surrey. 

Chye’s wish to have his book published locally came true when the Department of Museums and Antiquities Malaysia agreed to publish the revised second edition of his book. The book was launched by Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Mohd Shafie Apdal on Oct 18 in Kuala Lumpur. 

Chye said the revised edition contains over 100 photographs, including some rare pictures, 80 maps of the British and Japanese armies, and an index for easy reference. 

“The formation of the British Battalion between the 1st Leicesters and the 2nd East Surreys was unique as it was the only occasion that the two regiments of the British army have ever amalgamated on the battlefield,” said Chye. 

“The two British regiments were serving in the 11th Indian division in northern Malaya when the Japanese 25th Army opened their attack on Dec 8, 1941. 

Chye is one of the forward defence trenches at the Green Ridge constructed by men of the British Battalion.

“As a result of very heavy casualties in the severe fighting in Jitra and Gurun in the early part of the campaign, the two British battalions amalgamated at the St Michael Institution in Ipoh on Dec 20, 1941. 

“On Dec 23, together with the Indian units, the battalion moved to Kampar to prepare for a stand to hold the advancing Japanese 25th army. The epic battle between the British forces of 3,000 and the Japanese units of over 6,000 personnel lasted from Dec 30, 1941, to Jan 2, 1942. 

“For the first time in the campaign, the British artillery units were superior to the Japanese. The Battle of Kampar will always be remembered with pride by the British Army and the former British Indian Army for the amazing gallantry in frustrating the efforts of the powerful 5th (Matsu) Division from Hiroshima to capture Kampar as the New Year’s gift to their Tenno Heika (Sun of Heaven),” said Chye. 

In the foreword of the new edition, Mohd Shafie wrote that he hoped Chye’s book would bring out the spirit of patriotism in all Malaysians and help them to understand the nation’s history. 

Department of Museums and Antiquities director-general Datuk Adi Taha said the department takes pride in publishing the book and making it available to Malaysians and others to enrich their knowledge of the region’s military history. 

Today, at the age of 73, Chye and his wife Yoon Lai Fun still live in Kampar. They have two sons, one a chartered accountant who works in Kuala Lumpur and the other, a dental surgeon in Dublin, Ireland. 

Chye continues to campaign for the Government to preserve as a national heritage the Green Ridge as it is the only war site with the original defence positions all intact despite being left in the jungle all these years. Trenches, machine gun and mortar positions, artillery observation posts, a bunker and communication trenches can still be found on the Green Ridge. 

The nearby Thompson Ridge has been levelled and become Taman Kampar Jaya while tombstones remain at the Cemetery Ridges which overlook the main road from Ipoh. 

In recent years, Japanese war veterans or their relatives touring Malaysia would stop and alight from their coaches to bow towards the Green Ridge as a mark of respect for the dead. Other visitors, such as British war veterans, who passed through the town would also spend nostalgic moments walking along the ridges. 

Chye still gives talks on the battle and the harsh time the people faced during the Japanese Occupation, to veterans from the British and Japanese armies, military officers, soldiers, students and social club members. His other interests include helping to revive old Chinese temples and associations, and doing research on pioneer Chinese tin miners in the Kinta Valley.