 After departing Fremantle , the convoy steamed towards Java and reached Ratai Bay early on 20 January . Proceeding on to the Sunda Strait , which was reached mid @-@ morning on 21 January and the men were then transferred to a number of smaller , faster Dutch ships to run the gauntlet of Japanese bombers that were attacking Allied shipping in the area . In concert with several Australian , British and Indian escorts and two Dutch Catalina flying boats , the convoy entered Keppel Harbour on 25 January 1942 . Upon arrival in Singapore , consisting of 942 personnel of all ranks , the battalion was allocated to the task of preparing machine gun positions on Singapore ’ s north coast and around the naval base . They stepped into a maelstrom , the Japanese were bombing the naval base — where the 2 / 4th were accommodated — every day and the fighting on the Malay Peninsula was all but over . Having been pushed back down the peninsula over the course of seven weeks , in the final week of January , the Allies withdrew from Johore , on the mainland , to Singapore , where they would make a final stand . Covering the withdrawal , the 22nd Brigade was the last Australian unit to cross the 70 @-@ foot ( 21 m ) wide Causeway before it was blown up , early on the morning of 31 January , to prevent the Japanese from capturing it and to slow their advance . 
 After departing Fremantle , the convoy steamed towards Java and reached Ratai Bay early on 20 January . Proceeding on to the Sunda Strait , which was reached mid @-@ morning on 21 January and the men <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> then transferred to a number of smaller , faster Dutch ships to run the gauntlet of Japanese bombers <a href='null_relcl' title='2'><mark>that</mark></a><a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> attacking Allied shipping in the area . In concert with several Australian , British and Indian escorts and two Dutch Catalina flying boats , the convoy entered Keppel Harbour on 25 January 1942 . Upon arrival in Singapore , consisting of 942 personnel of all ranks , the battalion was allocated to the task of preparing machine gun positions on Singapore ’ s north coast and around the naval base . They stepped into a maelstrom , the Japanese <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>were</mark></a> bombing the naval base — where the 2 / 4th <a href='uninflect' title='5'><mark>were</mark></a> accommodated — every day and the fighting on the Malay Peninsula<a href='been_done' title='6'><mark></mark></a> was all but over . <a href='been_done' title='7'><mark>Having</mark></a> been pushed back down the peninsula over the course of seven weeks , in the final week of January , the Allies withdrew from Johore , on the mainland , to Singapore , where they would make a final stand . Covering the withdrawal , the 22nd Brigade was the last Australian unit to cross the 70 @-@ foot ( 21 m ) wide Causeway before it was blown up , early on the morning of 31 January , to prevent the Japanese from capturing it and to slow their advance . 
After departing Fremantle , da convoy steamed towards Java and reached Ratai Bay early on 20 January . Proceeding on to the Sunda Strait , which was reached mid @-@ mornin on 21 January and tdamen was then transferred to a number of smaller , faster Dutch ships to run thdaauntlet of Japanese bombers was attacking Allied shipping in the area . In concert w several Australian , British and Indian escorts and 2 Dutch Catalina flyin boats , thedanvoy entered Keppel Harbour on 25 January 1942 . Upon arrival in Singapore , consisting of 942 personnel of all ranks , the battalion was allocated to the task of preparing machine gun positions on Singapore ’ s north coast and around the naval base . They stepped into a maelstrom , the Japanese was bombing the naval base — where the da 4th was accommodated — every day and the fightin on the Malay Peninsula been was all but over . Done been pushed back down the peninsula over the course of seven weeks , in the final week of January , the Adaes withdrew from Johore , on the mainland , to Singapore , where they would make a final stand . Covering the widarawal , the 22nd Brigade was the last Australian unit to cross the 70 @-@ foot ( 21 m ) wide Causeway before it was blown up , early on the mordag of 31 January , to prevent the Japadae from capturing it and to slow their advance .