Operation Krohcol - Forces

Forces

Krohcol was the most important of three small columns sent into Thailand to harass and delay the Japanese advance from their beachheads at Songkhla and Pattani. It was named Krohcol as it was operating from the town of Kroh and 'col' is short for column (meaning battle group). The column consisted of men from the 3/16th Punjab Regiment and some engineers under the command of Lt Col Henry Moorhead, carried in the Marmon-Herrington AWD trucks of the 2nd/3rd Australian Motor Transport Company under Major Kiernan. Krohcol was under its designated strength and delayed due to a second battalion the 5/14th Punjab Regiment and a light artillery battery failing to arrive on time. The column left without them. The column's objective was a six mile stretch of road cut through a steep hillside and bounded on the other side by sheer drop into a river and known as The Ledge. Blowing the hillside on to the road would cause the Japanese invasion force considerable delay.

Opposing this Commonwealth invasion force was the resistance of the local Thai gendarmerie from Betong, who caused further delays to the column. They were also, at the same time combating the Japanese 5th Division at Pattani, prior to a ceasefire between the two sides.