When the Second World War ended suddenly in August 1945, with the dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan, units of the British/Indian 14th Army in Malaya were faced with administering the country and getting life back to normal as soon as possible without trained civilian help. Public utilities were unreliable, schools were closed, and food was scarce. The economy was at a unemployment was rife and new currency had to be introduced. This is the story of how, led by their young commanding officer, soldiers who in civilian life were surveyors, engineers, lawyers, teachers, shopkeepers, accountants, and students succeeded, with the help of local people, in carrying out their unconventional tasks, often using means which were equally unconventional. Told with delightful wit and self-deprecating humour, this book is an intriguing and anecdotal account of the important role the British Military Administration gave its ordinary soldiers during the crucial post-war period before Malaya embarked on her journey toward nationhood.
