25 Pounder Bogged Jungle, Kluang, Malaya – Jan 1942
25 Pounder Bogged in Jungle – Kluang, Malaya – 24 – 27 Jan 1942
‘The 88th Field Regiment, RA, which had just been in action for three consecutive days, in three different places, under three different brigadiers, had been hoping that the end of the action around Yong Peng would mean a brief respite. Whatever rest there was was brief indeed, for within seven hours of halting orders had come through for them to move north west to Kluang where they would support a counter attack by 22nd Infantry Brigade. Matters were somewhat complicated by the fact that 5th Field Regiment was already in the locality; and the commanding officers of the two regiments therefore agreed to leave the communication cables laid by the 5th Field Regiment in place, their cable being made up from an equivalent amount that the 88th signallers had on their drums.’
‘Lieutenant Colonel D’Aubuz clearly felt that no stigma applied to the 88th, and one must agree that at the very least they had proved themselves well above the average in the Malayan campaign. He stated the following:
“The regiment, apart from the East Coast operations, had fought a delaying action over 400 miles of country which has well been described as a ‘Gunner’s Nightmare’, and had taken part in 14 seperate engagements on the mainland, including two which could be dignified by the name of ‘battles’. It was probably unique in being the only regiment to bring all its guns back to the Island.”’
Source: Lancashire Gunners at War – The 88th Field Regiment, 199 – 1945 by Stephen Bull, Pgs 72 & 80