Battle of Pasir Panjang (12-14 February 1942)

Battle of Pasir Panjang (12-14 February 1942)


Adnan led a 42-strong platoon from the Malay Regiment in the defense of Singapore against the invading Japanese. The soldiers fought at the Battle of Pasir Panjang, at Pasir Panjang Ridge in the Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill) area on 12–14 February 1942. Although heavily outnumbered, Adnan refused to surrender and urged his men to fight until the end. They held off the Japanese for two days amid heavy enemy shelling and shortages of food and ammunition. Adnan was shot but carried on fighting until he succumbed to his injury. After the battle was lost, the Japanese soldiers tied his body to a cherry tree and bayoneted it.
Because of his actions Adnan is currently considered by Malaysians and Singaporeans today as a hero. In their textbooks, he is also credited as the soldier who caught the disguised "Indian troops" marching error in four abreast (Japanese marching style) instead of a line of three (British style of marching).


<sup>Website:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adnan_bin_saidi (Date accessed : 14/02/2013)



He was one of my favourite HERO during the Japanese Occupation.This is because he were so brave that he fought gallantly to just protect the country but unfortunately, he was then killed as he was lack of ammos, strength, food, drink and the most sad things are that most of his platoon mates were killed mercilessly.</sup>

Food ration during the Japanese Occupation(1942-1945)

Food ration during the Japanese Occupation(1942-1945)

During the Japanese occupation, the people in Singapore faced severe food shortages.This was because Singapore's entrepot trade was disrupted and all available resources were used to support Japan's war efforts in other parts of Asia. Rationing was introduced to control the sales of essential items like rice, sugar and salt.Each household was issued with a 'Peace Living Certificate' which entitled them to a number of ration cards to purchase essential goods. Once a month, people would line up at the kumiai shop (distribution association) for hours to purchase whatever rations that were available. This picture on the right hand side is an example of the Ration card and that is how it looks like. During that time, it affects my life a lot because we do not have a freedom to like buy them freely rather than using the Malaya Ration Card. It is such a troublesome as you have to get down and line up for queue that will took me a long time to finally get my foods.

Adapted from Singapore: From settlement to nation, pre-1819 to 19719 (Date accessed: 14/02/2013 )

Eat to Live: Wartime Recipes (Episode 1: Food as Power & Control)

Key battles in Singapore and Malaya

^{Key battles in Singapore and Malaya}

As in Egypt, the Indian Army dispatched one infantry brigade to Malaya just before the start of the war. By 1941, all training and equipment was geared to fight in North Africa and the Middle East and the forces in Burma and Malaya had been depleted to supply reinforcements to the forces in the west. So in the spring of 1941, the 9th Indian Infantr^y Division was sent to Malaya,
On 8 December, the Japanese Army attacked the Malayan peninsula, the defenders now included the Indian 9th and the 11th Indian Infantry Divisions, the 12th Indian Infantry Brigade and a number of independent battalions and units of Imperial Service Troops, in the III Indian Corps. The 11th Indian division fought the Battle of Jitra 11–13 December, the Battle of Kampar 30 December–2 January, the Battle of Slim River 6–8 January 1942. The 44th Indian Infantry Brigade and the 45th Indian Infantry Brigade had arrived as reinforcement in January 1942. The 45th Brigade fought the Battle of Muar 14–22 January, of the 4,000 men in the brigade only 800 survived the battle.
The Battle of Singapore 31 January–15 February ended with the capture of 9th and 11th Indian Divisions and the 12th, 44th and 45th brigades and 55,000 Indian servicemen were made prisoners of war.
During the battle for Singapore Indian units fought in the Battle of Bukit Ti^mah and the Battle of Pasir Panjang.

Website:  www.wikipedia.org (Date accessed : 11/02/2013 )

Operation Clean Up

Operation Clean Up( Sook Ching Operation )

During the early days of the Japanese occupation, an extensive clean-up operation to purge anti-Japanese elements -- including former members of Dalforce,Force 136, and supporters of the China Relief Funds -- known as Sook Ching was undertaken. The massacres were executed under the supervision of the Kempeitai with the Hojo Kempei ("auxiliary military police") being employed to carry out the actual shooting under orders of a Kempeitai officer. Although the exact figures will never be fully known, it was estimated that a total figure between 25,000 and 50,000 victims were massacred according to the post-war trial testimonies in 1947.
^{Masanobu Tsuji} identified by Japanese army commanders as the man responsible for the Sook Ching massacre during the Singapore Chinese Massacre Trial in 1947 ^.Tsuji was appointed as the Chief Planning and Operations Officer of the 25th Army, which was led by Tomoyuki Yamashita during the Malayan Campaign. He had close links with the Imperial Headquarters in Tokyo and enjoyed certain privileges that officers of more senior ranks were not allowed.

Overstepping his authority, he had issued orders during the massacre of thousands of Chinese civilians in Singapore and Malaya with Yamashita's knowledge but without his approval. He was also responsible for the slaughter of thousands of American and Filipino prisoners-of-war in the Philippines. Tsuji was in Myanmar at the time of Japan's unconditional surrender to British forces in August 1946 and made his getaway to Thailand disguised as a wandering Buddhist monk. He later spent a short spell in China during its the Chinese Civil War. He was pursued by the British but they were unable to get him, as he was sheltered by the United States for political reasons when he resurfaced in Japan in 1947. He was cleared of any war crimes in 1950 and later became one of Japan's most prominent post-war parliamentarians. In 1961, Tsuji disappeared mysteriously in Indochina and was officially declared dead in 1968.

^{Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kempeitai_East_District_Branch (Date accessed : 11/02/2013 )}

Invasion of Japanese (7 December 1941)

Invasion of Japanese (7 December 1941)

The Japanese 25th Army invaded Malaya from Indochina, moving into northern Malaya and Thailand by amphibious assault on 8 December 1941. This was virtually simultaneous with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour which was meant to deter the US from intervening in Southeast Asia. Japanese troops in Thailand coerced Thai government to let the Japanese use Thai military bases for the invasion of other nations in Southeast Asia and then proceeded overland across the Thai–Malayan border to attack Malaya. At this time, the Japanese began bombing of strategies sites, and air raids were conducted on Singapore from 29 December onwards, although anti-aircraft fire kept most of the Japanese bombers from totally devastating the island as long as ammunition was available.
The Japanese 25th Army was resisted in northern Malaya by III corps of the Indian Army. Although the 25th Army was outnumbered by Allied forces in Malaya and Singapore, Japanese commanders concentrated their forces. The Japanese were superior in cant support, armour, coordination, tactics and experience. Moreover, the British forces repeatedly allowed themselves to be outflanked, believing—despite repeated flanking attacks by the Japanese—that the Malayan jungle was impassable. The Imperial Japanese Army Force  was more numerous, and better trained than the second-hand assortment of untrained pilots and inferior allied equipment remaining in Malaya, Borneo and Singapore. Their superior fighters—especially the Mitsubishi AM62 Zero—helped the Japanese to gain air supremacy . The Allies had no tanks and few armoured vehicles, which put them at a severe disadvantage.
The battleship HMS Price of Whales, the battlecruiser HMS Repulse and four destroyers  (Force Z) reached Malaya before the Japanese began their air assaults. This force was thought to be a deterrent to the Japanese. Japanese aircraft, however, sank the capital ships, leaving the east coast of the Malayan peninsula exposed and allowing the Japanese to continue their amphibious landings. Japanese forces quickly isolated, surrounded, and forced the surrender of Indian units defending the coast. They advanced down the Malayan peninsula overwhelming the defences, despite numerical inferiority. The Japanese forces also used bicycle infantry and light tanks allowing swift movement through the jungle.
 

BLUFF THAT WORKS

BLUFF THAT WORKS

My attack on Singapore was a bluff - a bluff that worked. I had 30,000 men and was outnumbered more than three to one. I knew that if I had to fight long for Singapore, I would be beaten. That was why the surrender had to be at once. I was frightened the whole time that time British would discover our numerical weakness and lack of supplies, and force me into disastrous street fighting.

             Adapted from Singapore : An Illustrated History 1941-1984
                      
                   I was shocked that the British didn't realised that the weakness of the Japanese army were hidden by the wonderful idea of Yamshita. From what my opinion is, without these bluff, I don't think they will work on British.

 

Surrendering of Japanese

Surrendering of Japanese

In mid August 1945, the United States dropped two nuclear weapons on Japan. These atomic bombs were the first, and so far only, used against another nation. These two bombs killed approximately 100,000 to 200,000 people in a matter of minutes, and many more people died as a result of nuclear radiation  in the following weeks, months, and years. The bombs killed as many as 140,000 people in Hiroshima and 80,000 in Nagasaki by the end of 1945.Soon after the bombings, the Japanese decided to surrender as it has created a massive massacre towards the citizens in Japan.

After I have heard about the surrender of Japanese, I quickly ran down to the Padang.I were very excited that Japan had already signed which says they have agree to surrender.At the Padang, I cheered happily for the return of the British.It was totally a FREEDOM after Japan had signed the surrender documents.

How Japanese treats us(me)

HOW JAPANESE TREATS US ? 

Before the war, my family lived in MacKenzie Road near the present day Istana( formerly known as Government House). Life was peaceful and happy then. My notion of war was very vague. Just before the outbreak of the Pacific War, though we heard news that the situation was turning critical, we were not unduly worried about the safety of our country. We felt that as long as Great Britain's bombers,cannons and warships were here to protect us, Singapore would be safe. Anyway, part of Japanese troops were still far away in Annam( present-day Vietnam ) and there was no way they could reach Singapore so soon.

                      Adapted from The Prince of Peace, compiled and edited by Foong Choon Han

I almost forgot. During the occupation, many victims were tortured badly. I was one of the most luckiest survivor who does not got picked up to be the victim. I was told to learn, speak and bow upon them whenever I meet them. It was a torture years that I experienced. They would not give any MERCY upon the people and they will just follow the circumstances of war. The prisoners of war were forced to do labour and were not given enough food to eat, which resulted in starvation, illness for the prisoners and they ended up to death. The rules that was given by the Japanese were also very strict and they have have harsh punishments if somebody disobeyed them. Most of the tortures that I've seen were the worse punishments. Most of the people were punish to death as the picture shown above.

British Surrendered (15 February 1942 )

THE DAY BRITISH SURRENDERED

On 15 February 1942, which was the Chinese New Year, the British had a final conference about the endlessly war at the Fort Canning Bunker.Lieutenant-General Percival wanted to discuss ways to counter-attack but his commanders were against his previous ideas.They felt that there were too many problems and the soldiers were exhausted, lack of food and water.More men would be killed if they were to engage the Japanese in street fighting.Furthermore,their supplies of food and water were running out.To prevent the bloodshed,the British opted for surrender and soon on 15 February 1942, Japanese Lieutenant-Colonel Sugita led Percival and his delegation to Ford Motor Factory to negotiate the surrender terms.By 15 Feb, the situation for the over one million civilians in the City of Singapore became critical. Food, ammunition, petrol and water were almost exhausted.
 General A.E. Percival, the British Commander in Singapore held a meeting with his officers at the British Underground Command Centre at Fort Canning. They felt they could not win and decided to surrender to the Japanese.General Percival and his chief staff officer were received by General Yamashita, Commander of the Japanese 25th Army, at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah. Percival’s request for more time to consider was flatly refused. Yamashita demanded the unconditional surrender of the British garrison.Percival signed the terms of surrender. Fighting ceased. Although it was Chinese New Year’s Day, an eerie calm settled over Singapore after the horrors of that week’s fighting. Singapore was renamed Syonan-to – Light of the South.Captain Leach were among the 840 men who lost their lives that day.

Invasion of Malaya ( 08 December 1941 )

THE INVASION OF JAPANESE

On the 8 December 1941 in Singapore,around after 4 pm,

I was rudely awakened by the sounds of explosions.My 

neighbours were too awakened by the loud sounds.On

that day, modern Japanese warplanes had flown

over Singapore and bombed the city.I was totally in fear when I heard bombing everywhere.Looking at my surroundings, some of the buildings were bomb down by the Japanese warplanes.But meanwhile,Japanese soldiers also landed in the northern Malaya as the start of the invasion.In less than 70 days,Singapore fell to the Japanese.