Arthur Ernest Percival

Arthur Ernest Percival (born the December 26th 1887, dead the January 31st 1966) was a British lieutenant-general. During the Second world war, it was ordering British army and army of the the Commonwealth at the time of the battles of Malaysia and of Singapore.

During the confrontations with the Japanese, however lower, Percival was forced to capitulate the February 15th 1942 what constituted according to Winston Churchill “the worst disaster and the most important capitulation of the British history”. The event also weakened the British presence in the east of Asia. According to John George Smyth, defense in Malaysia had been defective for several years already with troops inexperienced and badly equipped. Have regard these elements, the command of Percival could not be completely called into question.

Percival was imprisoned by the Japanese in various places: Singapore, Taiwan like in Mandchourie. It joined another high-graded prisoner, the American general Jonathan Wainwright, in a camp located at Shenyang. Released little before the end of the war, it signed in the name of the United Kingdom the act of capitulation of Japan on board USS Missouri the September 2nd 1945.

The Ordre of the Bath was decreed in Percival, as well as the Ordre of the service distinguished. It was also named officer of the Ordre of the British Empire, of the Ordre of Saint John. It accepted a Military Cross for its service and was seen allotting the honorary rank of lieutenant-deputy.

Biography

Schooling

Arthur Ernest Percival was born the day from the Boxing Day in Aspenden Lodge (Aspenden) close to Buntingford in the Hertfordshire. It was the second wire of Alfred Reginald and Edith Percival (born Miller). Percival followed its schooling to Bengeo then in 1901 it was sent to the Rugby School with his/her brother, more gifted for the studies. Raise average and qualified not has good classic by a professor, he learned the old Greek and Latin. The only qualification of Percival at the time of its departure in 1906 was the certificate of the university. More at ease in the sporting disciplines, Percival played of tennis, the cricket and took part in tests of Cross-country. It is as a color sergeant , a rank allotted by the Volunteer Rifle Body school which it touched for the first time at the discipline. Its military career began however well later. Percival was also member of the Youngsbury Rifle Club and worked starting from 1907 as an assistant in a mining company, the Naylor, Benzon & Company Limited based with London.

First World War

Percival engaged as of the first day of the war as a soldier to the '' Officer Training Body '' of the '' Inns off Short ''. After five weeks of preliminary formation, it was named second lieutenant. About a third of his/her comrades of the time was going to die during the conflict. The following year, Percival was sent in France with the 7th battalion of the regiment of Bedfordshire. This one was integrated in the 54e brigade of the 18th division in February 1915. Percival took part in the Bataille of the Sum which began on July 1st 1916. There remained unscathed during the summer but was seriously wounded by Shrapnel with four recoveries during September. Percival was then with the head of a company which carried out operations against the Schwaben Redoubt , a German fortification in the area of Thiepval. It was decorated with the Military Cross for its command at the time of the attack

Percival continued its convalescence at the hospital and continued its service as a captain within the regiment of Essex in October 1916. In 1917, one placed it at the head of a battalion with the temporary row lieutenant-colonel. At the time of the German offensive of the Second battle of the Marne, Percival carried out a counter-attack which avoided with a French unit of artillery being captured. This act of war was worth to him to be decorated with the Military Cross. In May 1918, it briefly ordered the 54e brigade. One decreed the to him Ordre of the service distinguished with a mention making state from his force of command and his tactical knowledge . It finished the war with the reputation of a very effective soldier shining and . One proposed to him to integrate the Staff College of Camberley.

Between two-wars

Russia

The studies of Percival were pushed back when it decided into 1919 to engage like volunteer for the British mission sent in Russia at the time of the Russian Révolution. He was named major and was vice-commander of the 46e regiment of the royal fusiliers. The Gorodok operation which it carried out along the Dvina made it possible to capture 400 Bolsheviks. It was rewarded for its command by a second bar added to its medal for the Distinguished Service Order .

Ireland

In 1920, Percival was built-in a company which it ordered before becoming the officer of information of the 1st battalion, the Essex regiment with Kinsale in Ireland. This unit faced the WILL GO at the time of the Irish civil war which was completed in 1923.

Charges of torture

Percival developed competences in the against-guerilla but it also gained a bad reputation near the Irishmen. Regarded as brutal, the methods deployed by Percival were the object of a polemic. After the murder of a sergeant of the Royal Irish Constabulary (Irish police force) in July 1920, it captured Tom Hales, the commander of the brigade of West Cork and Patrick Harte, the leading seaman of this brigade. Percival was named officer of the Ordre of the British Empire for this action which remains discussed.

Percival carried out the interrogations which allowed more on the republican army but of the doubts were emitted as for the reserved treatment by its men with the prisoners. According to the book of Tim Stalemate Coogan devoted to Michael Hakes, the Torture had been used. Haul and Harte were subjected to several torments: stripped then beaten with blows of stick, their nails were torn off with grips. In front of the resistance of the prisoners, the English continued to beat them. A photo Tom watch Haul forced to hold up the Union-Jack. It was left there but Harte had less chance. With serious neurological after-effects, it was sent in a psychiatric hospital where it died.

WILL GO offered a reward of 1 000£ of the time for the head of Percival, describing it as person in charge of the “squadron of torture of the battalion of Essex”. He escaped from accuracy from an attempted murder by modifying his diary for this day from the last minute. One second attempt took place in London in March 1921 but the killers were forced to flee when the police force discovered their intentions. Of return in Ireland, Percival carried out an operation which was going to lead to dead of the one of the members of the commando of London.

Bernard Montgomery was useful in Ireland in the same brigade as Percival. The two men made knowledge and exchanged thereafter letters about this civil war. David Lord George and Winston Churchill rencontèrent Percival in 1921 whereas it was called as pilot expert/within the framework of an investigation concerning the Anglo-Irish war.

Staff officer

Between 1923 and 1924 Percival studied with the Staff College with Camberley. The establishment was ordered by the general Edmund Ironside. One of its professors, J.F.C Fuller, was going 25 years later to belong to some positive critics of the book The War in Malaya . Competences of Percival, as well sporting as intellectual, its instructors impressed who selected it among 8 other pupils for a fast promotion. After a rise in the rank to the rank of major within the Regiment of Cheshire, it spent 4 years in the Régiment of Nigeria of the Royal West African Frontier Force as a chief of staff.

In 1930, Percival continued during one year its studies with the Royal Naval College of Greenwich. Of 1931 with 1932, he was officer of level 2 with the general staff and was instructor with the Staff College . The commander of the College , the general John Dill became the mentor of Percival for the 10 years to come and allowed him to climb the levels of the military hierarchy. Dill regarded Percival as a promising officer and writes that it had a “capacity out of the commun run, of broad military knowledge, a good judgment and that he was a very fast and precise worker”. He added that he did not completely have “a great presence and that one could for this reason not appreciate his exceptional work when one met it for the first time”. With the support of Dill, Percival was named ordering 2nd battalion of the regiment of Cheshire. It carried out this mandate between 1932 and 1936, initially on the island of Malta. In 1935, it was registered with the Imperial Defense College .

Percival was named colonel. Of 1936 with 1938, one then sent it in Malaysia with the title of officer of level 1 staff of the general William Dobbie in load of the peninsula. During this period, it analyzed the situation of Singapore which it did not regard any more as one isolated fortress. It foresaw the possibility of a Japanese invasion of Thailand “to burglarize Malaysia by an hidden door”. He also asked so that an evaluation of the risks of an attack on Singapore since north take place. This request was sent to the office of the War and Percival will say later that this plan was similar to the Japanese attack of 1941. It supported a plan not-carried out of Dobbie which envisaged the installation of a fixed defense in the south of the state of Johor. In March 1938, Percival turned over to Great Britain where it was promoted sergeant of the general staff to the command of Aldershot.

Family

The July 27th 1927, Percival marries Margaret Elizabeth Betty MacGregor (deceased in 1956) with the church Holy Trinity of West Brompton. They had met in Ireland and had two children: Dorinda Margery born with Greenwich, become thereafter Lady Dunleath and Alfred James MacGregor, born with Singapore and soldier. The family was financially at ease and with died of Percival, its heritage was estimated at 102 515£, a very comfortable sum in 1966.

Second world war

Percival was named sergeant with the general staff of the 1 {{er}} Corps of the British Force expeditionary ordered by the Dill general between 1939 and 1940. It accepted then the rank of general major and in February 1940, he became briefly general officer with the command of the 43e division of infantry (Wessex division). It served as chief-assistant as the general imperial staff in 1940 near the office of the War but asked to be transferred for an active command after the evacuation from Dundirk. To the head of the 44e division of infantry, it spent 9 months to organize the defense of the English coast in the event of invasion. One decreed to him the title of companion of the Ordre of the Bath in 1941.

General officer in load of the command of Malaysia

In May 1941, Percival was temporarily promoted with the row of lieutenant-general. The command of Malaysia was given to him. It was about an significant event for him because it had never yet ordered a complete army corps. It left Great Britain on board a seaplane Short Sunderland and began a difficult tour from approximately 2 weeks. It carried out several stages: Gibraltar, Malta, Alexandria where it was delayed by the war anglo-Iraqi, Al Basra, Karachi and Rangoon where it was dealt with by conveyer of the RAF.

On its arrival, Percival decided to deal with the drive of this inexperienced army with in particular of the Indian troops who required a more thorough follow-up. The majority of the experienced officers had been built-in within the new Indian army which was in the course of expansion. While being pressed on commercial aircraft of the Volunteer Air Force to compensate the planes of the RAF which was of insufficient number, Percival set up defense around Jitra. A tactical instruction manual, Tactical Notes one Malaya , was approved by the general and was distributed to all the units.

In July 1941, the Japanese occupied the south of Indo-China and of the economic sanctions against Japan were applied by the British, the United States and the Netherlands. Japan undergoes an embargo on the distribution of Pétrole, tin and rubber. Taking into account the implication of these countries in China, Japan was thus placed in a more delicate situation, similar to a cold war. The reinforcements of the Commonwealth continued to flow towards Malaysia. The December 2nd 1941, the Armoured HMS '' Prince off Wales '' and the Cruiser HMS '' Repulse '', escorted by four Destroyer S, arrived at Singapore. For the first time of the history, a fleet of war was based in this place of the sphere. The following day, the admiral Spooner organized a dinner to which assisted Percival and the commander-in-chief of the fleet in the Far East, the admiral Thomas '' Tom '' Philips.

Attacks Japanese and British rendering

The December 8th 1941, the Japanese armed 25e ordered by the lieutenant-general Tomoyuki Yamashita unloaded in the Malayan peninsula, one hour only before the attack surprised on Pearl Harbor (the difference in date is caused by the jet lag). The purpose of the first unit which arrived to Malaysia during the night was to make diversion close to Kota Bharu on the east coast. The unloading strictly speaking took place later, with Singora and Pattani in the south-east of the Thailand. The troops were spread quickly in the north of Malaysia.

The December 10th, Percival made this statement:

In this day of test, the general commander invites the commands Malayan of any row to urge an sustained effort and given in order to save the adjacent Malaysia and British territories. The eyes of the Empire are posed on us. The whole of our position in the Far East is concerned. The fight can be long and sinister but we must face what can arrive and prove that we are worthy of the great confidence that one granted to us.

The Japanese advanced quickly and on January 27th, 1942, Percival ordered a general retirement of the strait of Johor in direction of the island of Singapore. It organized a defense along the 100 kilometers of Singaporean coast. The Japanese were not pushed back and on February 8th, the imperial army unloaded close to the north-western point of the island of Singapore. After one week of combat, Percival made its last statement with Fort Canning on February 15th with 9:00 of the morning. Informed of the imminent shortage in ammunition and water on the side of its troops, it decided to go.

The Japanese insisted that it is Percival in person which goes with a white flag to the Old Ford Motor Factory of Bukit Timah, place where rendering should be negotiated. A Japanese officer foot-note that Percival was “pale, mean and tired” After a short dissension concerning the presence of 1000 men armed (ordered by the British) in Singapore in order to ensure a service of a minimum nature, request which Yamashita reached finally, it was concluded with 18:10 that the troops of the the British Commonwealth would deposit their weapons and would cease any resistance starting from 20:30. This agreement went against the instructions of Winston Churchill which had required a prolonged resistance.

Human account

The most widespread assessment indicates that: 138708 allied soldiers went or were killed, and this vis-a-vis a little less: 30000 Japanese. This figure comprises approximately: 50000 men captured or killed during the Battle of Malaysia and perhaps: 15000 people present in the bases. Side of the troops of the the Commonwealth , one counted since December 8th approximately: 7500 died and: 11000 wounded. The Japanese losses rose with: 3500 died and: 6100 wounded

Consequences

Churchill saw in the fall of Singapore “the worst disaster and the most important capitulation of the British history”. It is necessary however to compare the military situation of Singapore and Malaysia with those of the other faces of the world war. The British had indeed given the priority to the the Middle East and the Soviet Union. The air force necessary in Malaysia, about 300 to 500 apparatuses, forever been able to be provided. Moreover, the Japanese attacked with 200 Tank S whereas the British did not have any about it.

In 1918, Percival had been described like thin man a “, with the soft voice, with a reputation proven for courage and the organization” but in 1945, this description caught up with it with its partisans who said of him that it had “quelquechose of a damp squib”. The fall of Singapore transformed the reputation of Percival, too smooth and insufficiently aggressive with the eyes of some, even if its other qualities were not called in question. Its physique was the target of the caricatures: thin, slim with a small moustache and teeth ahead. The general moreover was not regarded as a good speaker and missed charisma necessary to publicly face the extent of the disaster in Malaysia.

The collaborators of Percival also carry their share of responsibility. Robert Brooke-Popham, the commander-in-chief of the British Far East Command prevented Percival from launching the Opération Matador in times. By this reserve, Brooke-Popham wanted to avoid starting the war. But it had also its detractors who did not fail to fustigate it: miss perspicacity, disinterest during the meetings and absence of complaints supported for air reinforcements in Malaysia. The admiral Tom Philips did not think that planes are able to destroy several ships. Without aerial cover, it launched the Force Z made up of two battleships and four destroyers in the interception of the Japanese. But those discovered the fleet thanks to their I-65 submarine and counter-attacked with leus planes by running the two battleships. Philips lost the life during this forwarding of the December 10th 1941.

Percival encountered difficulties with its subordinates, of which Sir Lewis Heath known as Piggy , the commander of the 3rd Indian body, and Henry Gordon Bennett, the commander of the 8th Australian division. Heath had been a superior of Percival before this one does not become commander in Malaysia, and this inversion of being able was difficult to manage. Bennett was of independent nature. Sure of him, it also entirely trusted its Australian troops. Its return in Australia after the rapid departure of Singapore at the time of the capitulation, was however perceived in a mitigated way.

Percival had the last word as for the men who were useful under his orders and had emitted the desire to replace his frameworks if their capacities were not optimal. It débouta the sergeant Ivan Simson, chief engineer, who on several occasions recommended the construction of a fixed defense to Johor or on the northern coast of Singapore. In spite of the large potential formed by the 6000 engineers under its orders, Percival will answer: “defenses are bad for the moral one, at the same time for the troop and the civilians”. These constructions nevertheless could have proven to be useful to counter, or at least to limit, the engagement of the 200 Japanese tanks.

Percival also insisted to defend in priority the north-eastern coast of Singapore, whereas the general Archibald Percival Wavell, commander supreme of the forces allied in the South-East Asia, recommended another solution. Percival was perhaps focused on the basis of naval Singapore which was under its responsibility. It deployed its forces in a scattered way around the island and preserved a few units in reserve. When the Japanese launched the attack to the west, the 22e Australian brigade started the combat. Percival refused to send reinforcements, by thinking that the true attack was going to occur in the North-East.

Captivity

Percival was briefly held with the prison of Changi, where the “overcome commander sat down the head between the hands, apart from the districts which it now divided with 7 sergeants, a colonel, his assistance-of-camp and a sergeant cook. He discussed his feelings with some, spent the hours to go around the complex, in ruminant on what had occurred and what could have occurred”. While hoping to improve the discipline, it reconstituted a command of complete Malaysia, with the suitable ranks and functions. It also occupied his companions with courses on the Bataille of France.

With other high-graded British prisoners, it was moved of Singapore in August 1942 and internee with Taiwan then sent in Mandchourie. In Hsian, approximately 150 kilometers in the North-East of Mukden, it côtoya ten of other important prisoners, of which the American general Jonathan Wainwright. Towards the end of the war, a team of the OS recovered the prisoners. Wainwright and Percival were brought little time to afterwards sign the act of capitulation of Japan on board USS Missouri, the September 2nd 1945. At the time of the ceremony, MacArthur gave to Percival one pens which it had used to sign the document.

Percival and Wainwright turned over together to the Filipino to attend the rendering of the Japanese army based in the archipelago and ordered by the general Yamashita, that one even which had forced Percival to capitulate. The “tiger of Malaysia” was temporarily surprised to see its former prisoner. The white flag which had been carried out by the group of Percival three years earlier was also the witness of this inversion of situation. It was hoisted when the Japanese returned officially Singapore to Lord Louis Mountbatten

Reprocess

Percival turned over to Great Britain in September 1945 to write his report/ratio at the office of the War but this one was published only in 1948. It took its retirement in 1946 with the honorary rank of lieutenant-general but with a revenue of major-general. It had several other functions in connection with the county of Hertfordshire where it lived with Widford. It was named honorary colonel of the 479e regiment of the Territorial Army between 1949 and 1954 and was lieutenant-deputy of Hertfordshire in 1951. It maintained the bonds with the regiment of Cheshire for which it obtained the rank of colonel between 1950 and 1955. His/her son, the sergeant James Percival, was colonel of this regiment between 1992 and 1999.

If the Wainwright general were acclaimed at the time of his return to the United States, it was not the same for Percival which was criticized for its decisions in Malaysia. Its memories, The War In Malaya , were published in 1949 but did not succeed in making conceal its detractors. Contrary to the practices usually applied for a lieutenant-general, Percival was not declared knight. It was named life president of the Far East Prisoners off War Association (FEPOW) which required financial equalizations for the prisoners of war and obtained 5 million books starting from cold Japanese assets. This sum was distributed by the FEPOW Welfare Trust whose Percival was the president.

In 1957, it disputed the version of the history reported in film “the Bridge of the river Kwaï”, obtaining the addition of a message indicating that it was about a work of fiction. It worked like chair the Red Cross of Hertfordshire and was named officer of the Ordre of Saint-John in 1964.

Arthur Percival died the January 31st 1966 at the 78 years age at the hospital King Edward VII for the officers, to Westminster and was buried in Hertfordshire. The former bishop of Singapore, Leonard Wilson, directed the ceremony which took place with St Martin-in-tea-Fields.

References

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