TALES OF WORLD WAR II never fail to captivate the attention of readers. Most interestingly, an 83-year-old record was found in a diary belonging to my late uncle in late January 2010, when his belongings were being sorted at his home in Kampung Guar Perahu, Seberang Perai Utara. The diary, modestly sized at 8.12cm by 11.42cm, holds a vivid account of a Japanese aerial assault on Penang.

My uncle, Tuan Haji Che Mat bin Mat Tahir, was born on 6 October 1915, in Kampung Bagan Jermal, Butterworth, and passed away on 1 January 1998, in Kampung Guar Perahu, Seberang Perai Utara. He began his early education at Sekolah Melayu Bagan Jermal in Butterworth before pursuing carpentry skills at Bagan Serai Vocational School from 1935 to 1936. In 1938, on his 23rd birthday, he became a worker in the Ferry Service division of the Penang Harbour Board, stationed at Mitchell Pier, Bagan Luar, Butterworth.

His handwritten notes, penned in Jawi—the primary script of the Malay language at the time—may consist of only about 600 words, yet they hold profound significance. I have translated and adapted them for easy reading without removing essence and meaning. He begins his account by narrating as follows:

The First Day: 8 December 1941 (Monday)

In Permatang Kuching Butterworth, I witnessed the start of the war on Monday, December 8, 1941, at around 10:45AM, six Japanese planes arrived. Only two of these planes made an attack. As a result, British planes were damaged, with two being destroyed by fire and three others being damaged.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) had established an airfield at Permatang Kuching, Butterworth in 1939, operating on a “care and maintenance” basis. However, in October 1941, RAF Butterworth was officially inaugurated as part of Britain’s World War II strategy to defend the Malayan Peninsula. The British air force primarily relied on aging and outdated Buffalo fighters, which were vastly outmatched by Japan’s advanced Zero fighters. As a result, most of the British aircraft were destroyed in combat, while the few remaining were relocated to the Dutch East Indies or Australia.

The Second Day: 9 December 1941 (Tuesday)

At around 3:30PM on Tuesday, December 9, 1941, Japanese planes launched an attack that resulted in approximately seven British planes being damaged. I personally saw a British plane crash and burn near the Bagan Ajam jetty, then plunge into the sea. When the plane was burning, I saw one of its pilots parachute out and land directly into the sea.

At around 4:30PM on Tuesday, December 9, 1941, Japanese planes returned, and I personally saw 14 Japanese planes attacking the padang [RAF Butterworth airfield], causing the British planes to be severely damaged, with explosions so loud they sounded like thunder. As a result of the attack between 3:30PM and 4:30PM that day, approximately 9 or 10 British planes were damaged.

The Straits Times reported that 14 Japanese planes conducted machine-gun attacks in one area of Penang during the afternoon, while numerous Japanese planes engaged RAF fighters in Butterworth.

The Third Day: December 10, 1941 (Wednesday)

There were no observations on the third day. Instead, he continued his notes on the fourth day, December 11, 1941 (Thursday). It was however reported by The Straits Times that Penang was raided at 11AM by seven Japanese bombers escorted by fighters. The raid resulted in four fatalities and eight injuries.

The Fourth Day: December 11, 1941 (Thursday)

On Thursday, at around 10:30 AM on December 11, 1941, 26 Japanese planes initially arrived. These planes fired bombs, dropping them in Tanjong [George Town]. Penang experienced some fires as a result. After that, nine more Japanese planes arrived and fired shots, but most of the shots scattered over the sea, with only a few hitting land. Then, nine more Japanese planes came and fired, but again, many shots scattered in the sea, with only a few hitting land. After that, 24 more Japanese planes arrived and fired. This time, the majority of the shots hit land, and only a few fell into the sea, causing a massive fire in Penang. The total number of Japanese planes that attacked Penang that day was 68. Not a single Japanese plane was shot down, as I personally witnessed during the attack.

Following the bombing, the planes returned and machine-gunned people in the streets, causing many to flee for cover. Numerous casualties were reported. For nearly two hours, the attack continued, leaving many buildings in the Chinese quarter in flames. One of the greatest losses was the destruction of the central fire station. Motorcars in the streets were destroyed, and drivers who hadn’t taken cover were killed beside their vehicles. Thousands fled to the hills, while shops closed, leaving evacuees unable to purchase food.

It was reported that about 50 planes were seen “circling the island”, attacking ships in the harbour; none were apparently badly damaged, and repeated attacks were carried out on the central built-up area of the city.

The Fifth Day: 12 December 1941 (Friday)

At around 9:30AM on Friday, December 12, 1941, three Japanese planes attacked Penang. At that time, a ferry called Bagan was seen leaving its wharf in Bagan Luar, and Japanese planes dropped three bombs beside the ferry. As the ferry moved south, another ferry named Kulim left the wharf in Tanjong [Church Street Pier], and one Japanese plane dropped two bombs beside it, followed by another bomb being dropped in Tanjong [George Town], causing it to catch fire severely. Five bombs were also dropped near a ship called the S.S. Kampar.

At around 3:30PM, two Japanese planes came and attacked the S.S. Kampar, dropping four bombs near the ship. On this day, Friday, December 12, 1941, not a single Japanese plane was shot down.

In 1941, three ferries were being operated by the Penang Harbour Board (PHB): Bagan, Kulim and Tanjong. These ran regularly between the Church Street Pier in George Town and the Mitchell Pier in Bagan Luar, Butterworth. The Bagan ferry, which began operations in 1938, was built by the Singapore Harbour Board. At the onset of the Japanese occupation, this ferry was repurposed to evacuate war victims from Penang to Singapore, and then to Sumatra. Eventually, it fell into Japanese hands and was used by them throughout the war. After the war ended, the Bagan ferry was reclaimed by the PHB and continued its service until 1959, when the PHB launched five new ferries: Pulau Pinang, Pulau Aman, Pulau Pangkor, Pulau Langkawi and Pulau Tioman.

The Kulim and Tanjong ferries, which began operations in 1929, served only until 1941. During the Japanese air raids, the Kulim was reportedly scuttled, while the Tanjong, immobilised due to engine failure, was sunk by gunfire in the harbour to prevent both vessels from falling into enemy hands.

The S.S. Kampar was a transport vessel owned by the Straits Steamship Company Limited, based in Singapore. Launched in 1915, this ship operated as a crucial transport link between Singapore, Port Klang and Teluk Intan. On August 28, 1939, the British military repurposed the Kampar as an anti-submarine vessel. During the early days of World War II, the Kampar became a target for Japanese aerial assault. On December 12 and 13, 1941, the ship was struck by Japanese aircraft on two separate occasions. The first inflicted severe damage upon the vessel, while the second ultimately led to its near-total destruction; it was taken over by the Japanese in May 1942. Following repairs, it was renamed Kasumi Maru in 1943. Officially registered with the Imperial Japanese Navy in October 1943 as an auxiliary transport vessel, it struck a mine and sank in the Malacca Strait in May 1944.

The Sixth Day: 13 December 1941 (Saturday)

At around 3:30PM on Saturday, December 13, 1941, 30 Japanese planes came from the west, and immediately, two British planes attacked the Japanese planes. As a result, one British plane was shot down and crashed on a hill, while another British plane fled east and crashed into a coconut farm, hitting a Malay house, causing it to catch fire. Another British plane crashed in Permatang Tok Jaya.

At around 9:00AM on Saturday, December 13, 1941, four Japanese planes dropped bombs on the S.S. Kampar, causing the ship to catch fire. Another bomb was dropped on Penang, also causing a fire, and another bomb was dropped on the new jetty beach at Bagan Luar. Then, two British planes came to engage the four Japanese planes. As a result, one Japanese plane was shot down and burned in the sea in front of Bagan Tuan Kechil. Another Japanese plane was shot down and burned in the sea near the jermal [a bamboo fence for trapping fish] near the jetty lights towards Bagan Ajam.

The report issued by The Times was as follows: no bombs were dropped on December 13. Fresh waves of Japanese aeroplanes were seen, but for the first time, resistance was encountered from British fighters and anti-aircraft fire from the mainland at Butterworth. The enemy was forced to flee in the face of this opposition. The evacuation of women and children was initiated on the evening of December 13. Seamen who were strangers in the locality manned the ferryboats and piloted them to the mainland with the aid of blue torches.

References

[1] Hugh Crowther (2014), “RAF Station Butterworth Malaya (1939-1957),” Air Force Association NSW, pg. 1

[2] Singapore: A Journey Through Time 1299- 1970s, Secondary One, 2021, Star Publishing Pte Ltd, pg. 188

[3] The Dock and Harbour Authority, No. 471, Vol. 40, January 1960, pg. 277

[4] Kari Stenman and Andrew Thomas (2010), “Brewster F2A Buffalo Aces of World War 2,” Osprey Publishing, pg. 48

[5] Donald A. Bertke, Gordon Smith and Don Kindell (2013), “World War II Sea War, Vol 5: Air Raid Pearl Harbor. This Is Not a Drill,” Bertke Publications, pg. 71

[6] Andrew Barber (2010), “Penang At War: A History of Penang During and Between the First and Second World Wars 1914-1945,” AB&A, pg. 63, 64 & 66

[7] “Air Battles At Penang,” The Straits Times, December 10, 1941, pg. 9

[8] “Four Killed in Penang Raid,” The Straits Times, December 11, 1941, pg. 9

[9] “New Raids On Penang,” The Straits Times, December 13, 1941, pg. 12

[10]“Visitor Describes Heavy Raids On Penang Island,” The Straits Times, December 14, 1941, pg. 5

[11]“The Agony Of Penang,” The Times, December 22, 1941, pg. 4

[12]“The Rebirth of Penang Port,” The Straits Times, September 22, 1946, pg. 4

[13]“The Penang Ferries,” The Straits Times, February 5, 1948, pg. 6

[14] E.C. Aspden, “Penang’s Mainland Link: Past And Present,” The Straits Times, January 25, 1950, pg. 6 & 8

[15]“The Service 66 Yrs. Old,” The Straits Times, September 24, 1959, pg. 10

[16] David Baratham, “I see death rain from the sky,” The Straits Times, February 18, 1962, pg. 4 & 21

[17] Charles Robert Samuel, “My experiences since the beginning of the invasion of Malaya,” Far Eastern Heroes, Accessed: https://www. far-eastern-heroes.org.uk/ CharlesRobertSamuel/html/invasionofmalaya.htm

[18] Gilbert Casse and Peter Cundall (2015), “IJN KASUMI MARU: Tabular Record of Movement,” Imperial Japanese Navy Page, Accessed: http://www. combinedfleet.com/Kasumi_t.htm

[19]“Royal Navy Vessels Lost At Sea, 1939- 45,” Naval-History. Net, Accessed: http://www.naval-history.net/WWitishLosses2Auxiliary.htm

[20] Joshua Chia, “Straits Steamship Company,” Singapore Infopedia, Accessed: https://www. nlb.gov.sg/main/articledail?cmsuuid=75443efb744d-486a-b460- 479e031cb322

[21] Alan Teh Leam Seng, “History Behind Penang’s Popular Ferry Service Unveiled,” The Straits Times, September 23, 2018, Accessed: https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/sunday-vibes/2018/09/414239/history-behind-penangs-popular-ferry-service-unveiled

[22] Jeremy Tan, “Nostalgia of voyages past for Penang’s iconic ferries,” The Star, November 29, 2023, Accessed: https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2023/11/29/nostalgia-of-voyages-past