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Gemas is a small town in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, just near the
Negeri Sembilan-Johor state border. The town is located approximately 165
km from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur. It is the meeting place of
Malaysian west and east coast rail lines operated by Malayan Railways. For
this reason, Gemas is comparatively busy for a town of its size. Gemas
railways station was erected in 1922 and is still in operation today.
In addition to the original town center of Gemas, the
Johor side of
Gemas is known as Gemas Baharu which is located about 1 km from Gemas town
center. To the southwest stands the famed Gunung Ledang - or its other
name, Mount Ophir - with the height of 1276 m.
During the Battle of Malaya in the Second World War, Gemencheh Bridge near
Gemas was the site of a fierce battle between the Imperial Japanese Army
and the 2/30th Battalion, 8th Division, Australian Imperial Force (AIF).
Commanding Officer of the Battalion was Lieutenant Colonel Frederick
"Black Jack" Galleghan. Gemencheh Bridge was a bridge over the Kelamah
River (Sungai Kelamah in Malay) that connected Gemas with the larger
neighboring town of Tampin. The Japanese had passed through
Tampin and
needed to cross the bridge to reach Gemas.
On 14 January 1942, "B" Company of the 2/30th Battalion, launched an
ambush against the Japanese in the hope of preventing them from advancing
further south. As the advancing Japanese soldiers passed by the ambush
site, the bridge was blown. The battle following the ambush, and a further
battle closer to Gemas, lasted two days. It ended with the Australian
withdrawal through Gemas to Fort Rose Estate.
Four days later, another encounter between Japanese and Allied soldiers
took place near Parit Sulong during the Battle of Malaya. Allied troops,
including the Australian 2/19th and 2/29th Battalions, were surrounded and
routed there.
A memorial remembering fallen Australians now stands by the site of the
destroyed Gemencheh Bridge in Federal route 1.
Sources: Wikipedia
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