Excerpt from the Kings Own Academicals Regimental History.
Early in September 1944, the 1st Battalion was thrown deep into the Kabaw Valley as the pursuit of the Japanese stalled temporarily at a tho defensive line of bunkers, thinly manned by some sickly, but fanatical rear guard troops.
On the 8th of September a general attack was launched by the 1st battalion of the Academics on 6 of these bunkers. A company was ordered to attack two bunkers nick named Annie and Angus, B company was ordered to capture Bernie and Brutus while C company was given the targets nicknamed Clarabel and Chummy. While a success over all the battle was became famous in the 14th army and Acdemical folklore for the events surrounding the battle around Angus Bunker.
The force sent forward to attack was Lt Price's platoon of three sections supported by a tank and armored car provided by the Carabiniers and the Recce Squadron, battalion HQ had also pushed forward a vickers machine gun, while Cpt Bloodnock of the Royal Artillery was attached to provide forward observation for his supporting battery.
The exact enemy force was expected to be slight, with barely a company to defend the whole sector, all that was known to 1st platoon was that the bunker contained an MG.
The infantry moved forward as planned. The vickers and Cpl Considine, the platoons sniper set themselves up in commanding positions over looking the bunker ready to make life difficult for any reinforcements, while Cpt Bloodnock and his team moved to get a better view of the bunker. 1 section advanced cautiously on the left, ready to flank around the rear of the bunker.. with the rest of his platoon in reserve.
The platoon advanced, Cpl Dickinson and Pvt Gers had gotten ahead of the main body, and setting up their Boys rifle were surprised to see a Japanese tankette putter into view. Their shot hit the Japanese scout but didn't damage it enough to do anything other than cause panic to its crew. It also alerted a lurking Japanese squad of their presence and the resulting volley of fire wounded both men, Gers severely. Dickinson acted with great courage in dragging his partner back to safety under fire but having to abandon his weapon.
Lt Price was able to open fire on these troops with his pistol and Sgt Harpers smg causing the Japanese to dive back into cover. This was the first of several tragedy to blight Price's mission. As the British tank rubbled into view, his first shot sending the Japanese tankette scurrying into cover were it spent most of the engagement. The tank was accompanied by 3 section advancing carefully behind it while 2 section appeared on the left to support 1 section. This was all, the loss of the anti tank team accepted part of Price's plan. with the Tank, Daimler and 3 section intended to take down the bunker.
The Daimler, had been delayed by the poor condition of the road and only arrived AFTER the Grant while it should have been before. Things would go from bad to worse. Captain Bloodnok had relayed coordinates to his battery to lay down a barrage onto of the bunker, but it failed to materialize. 1 section had taken up its position and opened fire on some Japanese infantry but ineffectually. a cry of "Banzai" the frenzied zealots charged out of their bushes and straight into 3 section. 5 men were killed and 4 men wounded.. and they would almost certainly have been killed if some timely shooting from 2 section hadn't cut down the 4 surviving Japanese troops before they could butcher them.
As the Grant and 3 section moved towards their objective the much need artillery barrage was still lacking. while several units were able to pick off a couple of soldiers that occasionally stuck their heads out of cover, little progress was made. The bunker received several direct hits but non of them did any damage.
Disaster struck the platoon again as Captain Bloodnok, lead his team over the river to take pot shots at the skulking infantry. What followed is clouded in mystery, rumor, allegations of cowardice and lies. Academicals described the rattle of smb fire and responding rifle fire from the Japanese riflemen, and Bloodnok, his radio man and his grim faced Cpl disappeared, presumed killed. However, all three would turn up back at base camp the following morning with not a scratch or wound upon them… leading to accusations that they fled in panic or "played dead" and crawled away. All three would claim that they dived into cover and were still fighting alone after the rest of the platoon had pulled back. ……
More bad luck followed as Lt Price and his assistants moving forward were cut down. Price was wounded in the thigh, Sgt Harper in the arm and the radio man killed instantly after being struck numerous times. Price owed his life to Sgt Harpers carrying him over his shoulder to the battalion casualty station.
Leaderless, with no officers and time running out the Grant pushed its way closer to the bunker, 3 section close behind it. Recce Squadrons armored car was also moving up in support. The platoon mortar was struck by rifle fire killing the assistant and sending the surviving crewman deep into cover.
It was at this point, several minutes late that the Royal artillery layer down its barrage. One shelf exploded right next to three section, while it caused no casualties it scattered them into cover and it took them several minutes of shouting and cursing to be able to move again. while several rounds fell amongst the enemy, they neither caused much damage or hurt the bunker… one round however came down right on top of the Grant, putting it out of action and killing all but two of its crew. As these men ran back down the the route they came, the were fired upon by the bunkers MG crew but with lady luck finally paying attention to the beleaguered British, both were unhurt.
With casualties mounting, and no means of breaking into the bunker the serving troops began to pull back, covered by the armored car and 3 section (both of whom were able to inflict casualties on the Japanese, including its commander.
total losses for this operation amounted to 12 KIA, (8 Kings Own Academicals, 4 Tankers) and 9 wounded with 3 MIA (Royal Artillery), all of whom would return to base by the next day. Japanese losses were unknown but estimated at 12-18 casualties, of which 8 were believed killed.
In all, from the whole days action, more casualties were incurred from the Angus fiasco than suffered by the Academicals at all the the other bunkers combined. The incident led to a life long rivalry for the Caraniners and the Kings Own Academicals against the Royal Artillery, which would boil over in to the infamous "Rangoon Rumble" of 1945 in which a dozen artillerymen were beaten with cudgels by rampaging drunken gangs of Academics and Carabiniers…..
