Major John Annesley O'Donnell Fuller

Back to Explore more Personnel

Major John Annesley O'Donnell Fuller was born on the 17th April 1918 to parents Ralph Annesley Fuller and Madeline Mary Fuller. He was initially a Company Commander of D Company, 1st Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles. In this capacity he helped defend the coast of Malaya at the battle of Kota Bharu which began on 8th December 1941, just before the bombing of Pearl Harbour. His division fought bitterly but was eventually forced to withdraw, as Singapore was captured in February 1942. Fuller himself managed to evade captured, enabling him to join the 152nd Indian Parachute Battalion and become the OC of C Company. Fuller apparently broke his leg in a training accident and arrived at Sangshak with it still in plaster.

During the battle of Sangshak, Fuller was in charge of a forward position at Point 7378 that was ultimately destined to be overwhelmed by a column of 900 Japanese soldiers. They were first spotted at 0750 hours on the 19th March, and had surrounded Fuller's C Company by 1400. Throughout the 19th March, he was in control of a section of 3 inch mortars and a pair of MMGs in a company which consisted of 170 men including 7 officers. He kept in contact with his CO, Paul Hopkinson, as the situation deteriorated. Even then, as Praval records, "over the wireless he sounded quite cheerful and confident". As the Japanese advanced, Fuller was forced to withdraw one of his observation posts. But then his forward weapon pits were captured and the only way out was through a counterattack, which began on March 20th just before dawn. The attack was successful, but Fuller could see the enemy closing in and desperately needed reinforcement. Shortly after this, Colonel Utata Fukunaga of the 58th Infantry Regiment recorded a desperate and heroic act:

"By mid-morning the enemy’s fire slackened considerably. Suddenly, from the top of the hill, a small group of about twenty men charged down towards us, firing and shouting in a counter-attack. However, between us was a wide ravine which they had been unable to see, and of those who were still alive, some fell into it in their rush onwards while the rest had no choice but to surrender. A few escaped. At the very top of the position an officer appeared in sight, put a pistol to his head and shot himself in full view of everyone below. Our men fell silent, deeply impressed by such a brave act… At Point 7378 the 3rd Battalion suffered 160 casualties in the action, with one company and two platoon commanders killed and another four officers wounded… The enemy had resisted with courage and skill" (I could not find an original source for this quote).

On that day, Fuller and his second-in-command Captain Thomas Roseby were both killed. The 152 Battalion's war diary states:

"0600 - Message from C Coy that Maj FULLER and Capt ROSEBY were both wounded and that enemy had overcome certain portions of the perimeter [...]

0930 - Maj FULLER and Capt ROSEBY reported dead".

A Platoon commander, Lieutenant RH Easton, was forced to step in as Company Commander and radioed Hopkinson at 1015 to announce a retreat from Point 7378. He himself was injured, but reached a hideout of 582 Jungle Mortar Battery with C Company's survivors. Major Fuller was 25 years old at the time of his death. His body originally lay undiscovered with 12 other men who had died in the attack on Point 7378. It was recovered in April 1947 from a roadside and reinterred in a collective grave on 16th May 1947 at Imphal War Cemetery.

Service history:

2nd Lieutenant: 27th January 1938 - 1st April 1939 - unattached list for Indian Army

2nd Lieutenant: 1st April 1939 -27th April 1940 - 1st Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles

Lieutenant: 27th April 1940 - 7th May 1940 - 1st Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles

Acting Captain: 7th May 1940 - 6th November 1940 -1st Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles

Temporary Captain: 7th November 1940 - April 1941 - 1st Battalion, 13th Frontier Force Rifles

July 1942 - Seconded to the 152nd (Indian) Parachute Battalion

Acting Major: 1944

Compiled with information from:

India's Paratroopers, A History of the Parachute Regiment of India (London, 1975), K.C. Praval

Airborne Assault Archive (Boxes 3 H4 20.1.1, 3 H4 20.1.2 and 3 H4 20.1.3)

War Diary of the 152nd Parachute Battalion