By Zaki Salleh
KAMPAR: The Christmas celebration for about 1,500 British soldiers stationed in Kampar, awaiting the advance of the Imperial Japanese Army on this day 83 years ago, was very different.
It seemed as if they knew this would be the worst Christmas celebration, and the fate of the British Empire in Malaya was hanging by a thread.
Describing the situation, Nor Hisham Zulkiflee, the Secretary of the Perak Heritage Association, said that Christmas that year left a lasting impact on the soldiers involved.
“According to historical records, the British still held a brief church service on Christmas Day.
“Then, the quartermaster or supply officer, Captain Gingell, served turkey and unlimited alcoholic drinks for the soldiers’ Christmas dinner.
“It is said that this final Christmas memory was the sweetest for the British soldiers before the fall of Malaya to Japan a month later,” he said.
According to Nor Hisham, the British Battalion stationed in Kampar was made up of two battalions that had previously retreated from Jitra, Kedah.
“Five days earlier, on December 20, 1941, the remaining British soldiers from the 1st Leicestershire and 2nd East Surreys were merged to form the British Battalion in Ipoh.
“More precisely, this merger took place at St. Michael’s Institution in Ipoh (now St. Michael’s Secondary School) while they were taking refuge there.
“St. Michael’s Institution, which still stands proudly today, holds part of the history of World War II in Ipoh,” he explained.
Meanwhile, Nor Hisham mentioned that the site of the Battle of Kampar continues to attract visitors, with a recent visit by a family from Kuala Lumpur.
He said that he was contacted beforehand to welcome the family and show them the historical sites that are still present.
“Mr. Ramesh and his family of 13 came to Kampar for a three-day Christmas holiday. Among the places they visited was the war memorial at Kampar Secondary School.
“Coincidentally, both his parents-in-law were born in 1941, so he brought the rest of the family to revisit the history of that time,” he said.
