HEROIC REARGUARD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1941, Page 6

HEROIC REARGUARD

IN KOTA BARU BATTLE

LAST STAND BY TINY PARTY

OF INDIANS.

LED BY YOUNG SUBALTERN

(Received This Day, 10.30 a.m.) SINGAPORE, December 14. The story of an heroic rearguard action at Kota Baru, which enabled the main body of the defending troops to escape from superior enemy forces, has just-been pieced together, from details supplied by Indian troops, who were among the last to leave the aerodrome area. Early ou the morning of December 8 the Kota Baru aerodrome received information that the enemy had reached the beaches, and several hours later there were air raids on the aerodrome. Bombs landed directly on buildings there. Then was a lull until the afternoon, when planes attacked the anti-aircraft batteries, machinegunned troops and, swooping low, threw hand grenades at them. It was then decided to destroy such buildings as might be useful to the . enemy and to begin a withdrawal. A rearguard was formed under the command of Lieutenant Close, a young Indian Army subaltern. He took only twelve Indian troops. An Indian mountain battery gave Lieutenant Close’s tiny party support until the aerodrome’s petrol dump was blown up and the petrol set on fire, swamp water behind Lieutenant Close’s position cutting off the way of retreat. The last troops leaving the aerodrome got through to Kota Baru where they joined the main British force. All spoke in the highest terms of Lieutenant Close’s handling of the situation and extraordinary determination of the small party enacting the final episode in the defence of the aerodrome. It is possible that Lieutenant Close and some of his party escaped, but not much hope is held out.