Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Kuenda kuSingapore musi wa2 Kukadzi 1941 kubva kuDarling Harbour pane ngarava inofamba nomugungwa "Queen Mary", battalion ichisvika padoko rehondo muSingapore. Pakusvika, 2/20th yakaendeswa nechitima kuBagan Pinang uye kubva ipapo yakaenda kuPort Dickson, kumaodzanyemba kwakadziva kumadokero kweMalaya uko yakaenderera mberi nekudzidziswa. Mukutanga kwaAugust, Lieutenant Colonel Charles Assheton akatora chinzvimbo semukuru mukuru, uye battalion yakadzoserwa kuMersing, ichivaka dziviriro ikoko. Pashure pokumhara musi waDecember 8, 1941
Muna 1917, battalion yakazopinda muhondo yekurwisa maJapan sechikamu cheMalayan Campaign. Kurwisa kwokutanga kworwisa kweJapan kwakawira pamauto eBritish neIndia kuchamhembe kwenyika, uye pakutanga mauto eAustralia, ayo akanga akavakirwa zvikurukuru kumaodzanyemba kwakakomberedza Johore, haana kuona kurwa kukuru. Musi wa 7 Ndira 1942, C Company yakasunungurwa kuti iite chikamu chechikwata chakakosha kunonoka kufambira mberi kweJapan kuEndau pamhenderekedzo yekuchamhembe, ichirwisana nemaJapan pazviitiko zvinoverengeka vasati vadzokera kunzvimbo huru yekudzivirira yebattalion paMersing musi wa 26 Ndira. Zvichakadaro, vakasara vebattalion paMersing vakarwisanawo nemaJapan pazviitiko zvakawanda, uye vakaputirwa zvakanyanya. Mushure mokunge vasanganiswa neC Company, 2/20th Battalion yakadzokera kuSingapore Island musi wa31 Ndira, uko yakatora nzvimbo kuchamhembe kwechikamu chebhiriji. Mukati mevhiki rakatevera kubviswa kweMalaya, battalion yakagamuchira kuwanda kwevanosvika makumi masere, avo vaive vasina kudzidziswa zvakanyanya vakatakurwa nekukurumidza kubva kuAustralia vasina hanya nekugadzirira kwavo, kuti vawane kurasikirwa kwekutanga.