The Japanese 29th Army was initially raised on January 6, 1944, at Taiping, Perak in Japanese-occupied Malaya as a garrison force, and in anticipation of any Allied attempt to invade and retake the Malay Peninsula. The army's headquarters was at what is now the Peking Hotel, 2 Jalan Idris, also the site of the Kempeitai Headquarters.[1][2]
Initially under command of the Southern Expeditionary Army Group, the IJA 29th Army was transferred to the Japanese Seventh Area Army on March 27, 1944. The Commanding Officer was Lieutenant General Teizo Ishiguro. His Chief of Staff was Major General Masukura Fujimura. When Fujimura was transferred to the 13th Area Army on its formation on 1 February 1945, Major General Naokazu Kawahara became Chief of Staff. Kawahara had been Commander of the 26th Mixed Brigade in Java.
36th Independent Mixed Brigade formed in Tokyo on 10 February 1944 and based on the Nicobar Islands under Major General Toshio Itsuki. Itsuki was executed as a war criminal on 3 May 1946.
258th Independent infantry battalion
259th Independent infantry battalion
260th Independent infantry battalion
261st Independent infantry battalion
Brigade artillery group
Brigade engineer unit
Brigade communication unit
37th Independent Mixed Brigade formed in Osaka on 10 February 1944 under Major General Noboru Sato
262nd Independent infantry battalion
263rd Independent infantry battalion
264th Independent infantry battalion
265th Independent infantry battalion
Brigade artillery group
Brigade engineer unit
Brigade communication unit
70th Independent Mixed Brigade formed in Saigon in December 1944 under Major General Oda Masato
Independent tank 29 Battalion: Miyaji Tatsumi Major
Independent field artillery 1st Battalion: Sakagami Shigeo Lieutenant Colonel
29th Army Military Police Corps (Taiping): in January 1944 3rd Field Kempeitai under Major-General Kojima Masanori (児島正範) replaced Lieutenant Colonel Oishi Masayuki 2nd Field Kempeitai
Third communication Corps headquarters (Taiping)
Logistics troops
16th Field transport headquarters: Honma Kotaro Colonel
Special car 16th Battalion
South eighth Army Hospital (Kuala Lumpur): Imamura SakuTakeshi surgeon Colonel
Ishiguro (石黒貞蔵) was the former Commander of the 6th Army which had been based in Manchuria. In May 1944 the Army participated in Operation Ichi-Go On 1 July 1944 Ishiguro was appointed Commander of the newly formed 29th Army and based in Malaya in anticipation of an Allied attack.