Tuhia he whakamāramatanga mō tēnei wāhanga - I tapahia e Matthews he ihu, ā, i tapaina ia ko "The Duke" nā tōna āhua ōrite ki a Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. I tukuna ia hei rangatira tohu mo te 27th Brigade, i tae mai ki Malaya i Akuhata. Ko nga Ahitereiria tetahi waahanga o te hoia tiaki i whakatuhia na te kaha o te awangawanga mo te pakanga pea me Japan. I raro i te whakahau a Brigadier Duncan Maxwell, ka neke te piritiata ki Jemaluang, hei waahanga o te 8th Division i raro i te rangatira o te rangatira o Gordon Bennett. E rua noa iho nga pirihimana, i whakawhiwhia te wehenga ki te tiaki i te taha rawhiti o Johore. I akiaki a Bennett i te 22nd Brigade ki mua huri noa i Mersing me te pupuri i te 27th Brigade hei rahui. I te marama o Tihema 1941 ka whakaekehia a Malaya e nga Hapanihi
, a ko te 27th Brigade i whakawhiwhia ki te aukati a Allied i te pakanga o Malayan, ahakoa ko nga waahanga tuatahi o te whawhai i te raki, i tawhiti atu i te rohe kawenga a nga Ahitereiria.