Introduction

This book contains the unit history of the 4th Anti Tank Regiment of the Royal Australian Artillery. It is a history which is long overdue and it amazes the author as well as members of the Unit Association that it has not been completed earlier. The history had been contemplated on numerous occasions by veterans of the 4th Anti Tank Regiment and some preliminary work had been undertaken, but not progressed. Perhaps, with the dry hurnour of the anti tanker, potential writers from the Regiment had simply said 'Tid - Apa', as so many had bravely uttered during the frustrations of the Japanese assault on Singapore or during the trials of imprisonment. The Malay phrase for 'It'll be OK' seems to have provided some solace during times of stress or under extremes of adversity from the early days of the Regiment's existence.
    In any event the history is now recorded. It was rather easy to compile because of the support of the anti tankers and their Association. Indeed as the written history was developed completion became almost an obsession as the infectious camaraderie and strength of the anti tankers permeated all thought. The influence of the anti tankers is present in many ways: Diaries on scraps of soiled paper with minute and beautifully written entries scribed under the most repugnant of circumstances, or frank good humoured accounts from men who had suffered terribly but who had the courage and pride to overcome. Such influences provided more than enough motivation to complete the history.
      Not so easy to record was the more formal military existence of the 4th Anti Tank Regiment. Official files are also scant on the development and demise of the anti tank and later tank attack organisations of the 1940s. Without debating the wisdom of including such units on the Order of Battle the fact remains that precious little is recorded for consideration by the military youth of today. The purist military historians and analysts have a case to answer in this regard.
      Understandably the weeks leading up to the Fall of Singapore have been documented extensively from the more strategic perspectives. Even at unit level there is a good deal of information available. The 4th Anti Tank Regiment however is a little different because it was invariably dispersed in support of other units and formations. The matter is further complicated by the fact that many commanders of the day simply did not understand the role of anti tank units. The anti tankers therefore had to struggle to gain appropriate recognition everywhere they went in the military infrastructure. These factors mean that official records dealing with the 4th Anti Tank Regiment are often fragmented or incomplete.  
      As an aside, perhaps this independence, this need for ingenuity and perseverance is no small contributing factor to the fine team spirit of the individual anti tankers. No doubt this better enabled them to appreciate the value of unity at troop, battery and regimental level. To continue, the records of the Regiment in combat leave the historian with some frustrations, especially as they were not tackled until after capitulation. It follows that elements of the unit's history in combat are sometimes a little disjointed or favour one battery over another. To overcome this problem a chapter outlining the Malayan Campaign from start to finish has been included in an effort to put the actions of batteries and even troops into perspective.
      Part of this history deals with life as Prisoners of War. Again records are scant on this aspect although a great many books have been written on the Australian experience of Prisoners of War under the Japanese. Many of these books detail the sickening saga of abhorrent treatment extended to our men and women by the Japanese. Whilst the repulsive and unforgettable actions of the Japanese are acknowledged in 'Tid - Apa', similar detail and analysis is avoided. Rather, simple straight forward accounts of life as captives of the Japanese are related with emphasis on the strength of character of the anti tankers.
      Many of the anti tankers were not incarcerated by the Japanese for one reason or another. Some were sent home before capitulation or stayed with the 14th Battery in Darwin and elsewhere during the darkest days of Australia's history. These men were quick to step towards a war which in the event barely touched them. As a result they carried a unique burden, approaching in some cases a feeling of guilt, after their mates in the other batteries were lost in Singapore. So the anti tankers left in Australia ensured that the skills of their battery were honed to the finest of points. To add to their frustrations they were never given the opportunity to test their skills in combat. Sadly, even the final demise of the 14th Battery is unclear - records just seem to taper off and there is no finale to the existence of the Battery. Let there be no doubt though, the regimental loyalty and proficiency of the 14th Battery were second to no other.
      There are a host of stories to be told about men of the 14th Battery after they were forced to leave the Regiment. Some soldiered on, some were decorated and some made the supreme sacrifice elsewhere. All retained the spirit of the 4th Anti Tank Regiment, indeed some went to great lengths to finish the war so that their mates might be saved and brought home. After the war many 14th Battery men returned to support the Association although they may have developed an affinity for other units in the later part of their service. It is these men more than most which epitomize the almost intangible bonds of friendship which pervade the history of the Regiment.
      Technically the history of the 4th Anti Tank Regiment is complete although the Association continues to thrive. Even when the last anti tanker has passed away the bonds of friendship will linger with loved ones and associate members of the Association. Thus it is very much a living history and as such the focus of this book is on those who served. Accordingly as many members of the Regiment as possible are mentioned herein.
      This approach is an attempt to do justice to the makers of the Regiment's history and to portray the fact that it is a history of real and very humane people. I am honoured to be connected with the 4th Anti Tank Regiment and its Association

LES CARLYON  
August 1998