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John Munt Allison (1) - Murdered By Communist Terrorists
The following originally appeared in the July 1948 edition of 'The Planter', the magazine of the Incorporated Society of Planters, under the heading 'Obituaries', but with no photographs.
Mr. John Munt Allison came out East in 1923, being employed in planting in Sumatra. In 1939 he became General Manager of the Laras Group of Estates on the East Coast of Sumatra.
During World War II he was interned in Sumatra, and after recuperative leave came to Malaya in June 1946 as General Manager of Sungei Siput Rubber Plantations Ltd, which post he held at the time of his death; Mr. Allison was a planter of outstanding ability enjoying the full confidence and friendship of his Directors and Agents, and though his remarks were at all times extremely frank, they were invariably tempered with a delightful touch of humour. He had a fine record in the 1914/18 War, wherein he was body wounded, and lost the use of one eye. He was a past President of the Royal Society of St George, of the Ex-Service Association in the East Coast of Sumatra, and was a great lover of the Malay races.
He leaves a widow and two children, a girl of 16 and a boy of 8, all of whom were interned in Sumatra in the last war, but have remained at home since then.
The murder of John Allison by Communist insurgents was one of three that took place on 16 June 1948. The other two being the Manager and Assistant Manager, Wally Walker and Ian Christian respectively, of Elphil Estate, Sungei Siput. It was the murder of these three planters that caused the government to declare a state of emergency that lasted from 1948 to 1960. It was called the Malayan Emergency.
An annual memorial service takes place in "God's Little Acre" cemetery in Batu Gajah in memory of all those who died in this Emergency.
The picture shown is of John Munt Alison at his estate in Sungei Siput. We are very grateful for this photograph sent to Sally Everist, granddaughter of John Allison, who also contributed those that are featured in the following parts.
To see photographs of the first God's Little Acre Ceremony in 1980, click here.
To read more about Wally Walker, click here.
To read more about Ian Christian, click here.