Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An extremely rare Second World War Malaya operations M.M. group of five awarded to Sergeant D. J. MacLean, 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, who was decorated for his gallantry at the battle of Kampar on 2 January 1942 -  one of a series of ferocious ‘British Battalion’ rearguard actions fought by him prior to his admission to hospital with wounds 24 hours later: subsequently taken P.O.W. at the fall of Singapore in the following month, his M.M. - one of just five such awards granted to members of the ‘British Battalion’ - was gazetted just after the War

Military Medal, G.VI.R. (6139963 Sjt. D. J. MacLean. E. Surr. R.), with its named card box of issue; 1939-45 Star; Pacific Star; Defence and War Medals 1939-45, minor official correction to unit on the first, nearly extremely fine (5) £2400-2800

M.M. London Gazette 1 August 1946. The original recommendation states:

‘Sergeant MacLean displayed high powers of leadership and set a fine example to his men by his personal courage throughout the campaign, in particular at Kampar on 2 January 1942, when a strong enemy patrol of approximately 30 Japanese penetrated between his company forward defended localities. His platoon was sent out as a fighting patrol and contacted a party of the enemy and destroyed it. This fighting patrol then split up in order to flank the enemy, during which operations another enemy patrol was engaged. By this time the company was due to withdraw in accordance with a previously ordered timetable. This second nest was destroyed through the leadership of Sergeant MacLean who then, despite fire from other enemy machine guns, showed great devotion to duty and a total disregard for his own personal safety in carrying out his wounded platoon Commander and at the same time rallying his men to the company rendezvous.’

Donald James Maclean was born in Dingwall, Rosss-shire in October 1911 and enlisted in the East Surrey Regiment in May 1933. Posted to the 2nd Battalion, he was embarked for China in September 1938, where he and his comrades served on protection duties in Shanghai until ordered to Singapore in August 1940. Six months later, they were sent north to Tanjon Pau, near Jitra, in the extreme north of Malaya, where they continued training under the auspices of Major-General Murray-Lyon’s 11th Indian Division; the only other British Battalion in the Division was the 1st Battalion, Leicestershire Regiment.

The ‘British Battalion’

On 7 December 1941, the Japanese made two landings in Malaya and quickly swept down the main road to Jitra, where MacLean - a recently promoted Sergeant - and his comrades prepared to face the coming onslaught. It arrived in spectacular fashion on the 11th, when swathes of hysterical, screaming Japanese troops compelled 11th Indian Division to fall back to Gurun. Two days later the Japanese launched another attack and the East Surreys - split up in the confusion - suffered heavily: after just four days of fighting, the 2nd Battalion had been reduced to 10 officers and 260 other ranks.

The 1st Leicesters had likewise taken heavy casualties and as a consequence the two battalions were amalgamated in to what became known as the ‘British Battalion’, namely a compliment of 760 ranks all told, under Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. Morrison, M.C. It was ordered to join 6/15th Indian Brigade at Kampar where, between 30 December 1941 and 2 January 1942, a desperate battle was fought in the face of overwhelming odds. It was here - on the 2nd - that Maclean won his M.M., an incident which receives due recognition in The History of the British Battalion in the Malayan Campaign 1941-42, by Chye Kooi Loong:

‘Meanwhile Sergeant D. J. MacLean of ‘C’ Company, who was in charge of the fighting platoon, discovered that his ‘C’ Company H.Q. was almost surrounded and under heavy machine-gun fire. After charging and destroying one enemy machine-gun nest he routed another at the point of the bayonet. The Japanese now turned their attention to his patrol, which however reached the lines owing to his skilful leadership. While passing a particularly hot corner under fire at very close range, he found 2/Lt. Randolph lying wounded near a Japanese section. Disregarding his personal safety, he crawled forward and rescued the officer whom he carried back to his company’s rendezvous.’

Official records state that MacLean was admitted to hospital with wounds on 3 January 1942, so likely a Field Ambulance before he could be evacuated to Singapore. Nothing further is known of his experiences other than the fact he became a P.O.W. on 15 February, the day that Singapore surrendered. Given the costly atrocities enacted by the Japanese at a number of hospitals, he may have recovered sufficiently from his wounds to rejoin the ‘British Battalion’. If so, its strength had been reduced to just 265 ranks by the time of the surrender and the sequel was three and a half years of captivity, a story of fortitude and faith under terrible conditions of barbarism and cruelty.

MacLean, who was repatriated in October 1945, was placed on the Army Reserve in April 1946. He died in Macclesfield, Cheshire in March 1992; sold with copied research and service records.