Gemas
Encyclopedia
Negeri Sembilan
Negeri Sembilan, one of the 13 states that constitutes Malaysia, lies on the western coast of Peninsular Malaysia, just south of Kuala Lumpur and borders Selangor on the north, Pahang in the east, and Malacca and Johor to the south....
, Malaysia, just near the Negeri Sembilan-Johor
Johor
Johor is a Malaysian state, located in the southern portion of Peninsular Malaysia. It is one of the most developed states in Malaysia. The state capital city and royal city of Johor is Johor Bahru, formerly known as Tanjung Puteri...
state border. The town is located approximately 165 km from the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
. 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 Johorean side of Gemas is known as Gemas Baharu
Gemas Baharu
Gemas Baharu is a small town in the district of Segamat, Johor, Malaysia. The town was located near Johor-Negeri Sembilan border, just 1 km near the original town centre of Gemas itself which was located at Negeri Sembilan side, therefore Gemas Baharu was considered as the Johorean part of Gemas...
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.
Gemencheh Bridge during Battle of Malaya
Battle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
in the Second World War, Gemencheh Bridge near Gemas was the site of a fierce battle between the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
and the 2/30th Battalion
2/30th Battalion (Australia)
The 2/30th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served during World War II. Formed on 22 November 1940 at Tamworth, New South Wales, the battalion was part of the 27th Brigade of the 8th Division. It fought in Malayan Campaign, participating in the battles at Gemencheh...
, 8th Division, Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second 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
Tampin
Tampin is both a town and a district in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, however part of the town spills over into the neighbouring state of Malacca, as it is located along the Malacca-Negeri Sembilan border...
. 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
Parit Sulong
Parit Sulong is a small town in Johor, Malaysia on the Simpang Kiri River, 30 km east of Muar. The historical Parit Sulong Bridge constructed during World War II is a main feature in that town....
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
Malaysia Federal Route 1
Federal Route 1 is the first federal road in Malaysia, and among the oldest federal roads in Malaysia, having been constructed by the British government during colonial times...
.
