Bukit Chandu (13 February-14 February)

Bukit Chandu, Opium Hill in Malay, is a historical site where the brave battle between the Japanese and British took place in Singapore during World War II. The Malay Regiment, which fought together with the British, was led by Lt Adnan Bin Saidi, a man known amongst Singaporeans for his valour during the war.

The battle at Bukit Chandu was fierce and unfortunate, for the defenders had lesser soldiers and weapons to start out with. The Japanese successfully launched several heavy attacks which managed to shatter the defence line. By this point, many lives were already lost, and the Malay Regiment leader was badly injured.

Nonetheless, the fighting spirit in Lt Adnan spurred him and his men to keep fighting. Instead of surrendering to the Japanese, who were getting frustrated by their defiance, Lt Adnan continued to battle hard, and encouraged his men to do the same. The prospect of surrendering was shameful – they would not be able to live with the guilt, knowing that they did not fight to the last man, nor would they be able to face their families, who were patiently waiting for them at home with much faith.

Due to the far contrast in strength of soldiers and weapons, the Japanese eventually won the battle. Many defending soldiers were taken as Prisoners of War, while Lt Adnan was captured and tortured ruthlessly under a rubber tree, before bayoneted to death. His body was never found and it is believed that the tree can found at Pepys Road, Carpark B. Many have sought to look for this infamous tree during their trip to the War World II-themed museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu nearby.

http://yesterday.sg/urban-legends-folklore/battle-at-bukit-chandu/ Date accessed:16/2/2013

A short video about the history of Bukit Chandu ( Pasir Panjang). (language in malay. with sub)

Our war hero, Lieutenant Adnan bin Saidi

The Kranji War Memorial

Kranji War Memorial honors the men from Britain, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, India, Malaya, the Netherlands and New Zealand who gave their lives defending Singapore in World War II. 

There are more than 4,000 graves of servicemen who died during the Japanese Occupation stand in neat rows on manicured lawns. Also, more than 20,000 names of soldiers and air force men who died but whose bodies were never recovered are inscribed on 12 columns. 

The War Memorial represents the three branches of the military - the Air Force, Army and Navy. 

The columns represent the Army, which marches in columns, the cover over the columns is shaped after of the wings of a plane, representing the Air Force, and the shape at the top resembles the periscope of a submarine, representing the Navy. 

This is my own personal knowledge. Some of the graves at the Kranji War Memorial are not correctly identified. It is because during the war, there were too many people dead and some were dead unidentified. There are not only soldiers buried there but also ordinary people of different races buried there.

People are also allowed to pay a respect on these soldiers. 
http://www2.hci.edu.sg/y09hci0003/content.html Date accessed: 16/2/2013

Sook Ching

The Sook Ching Massacre was the extreme act of exterminating the enemy used by the Japanese during World War II. This was carried out in Singapore on the Chinese after the surrender of the British to the Japanese on 15 February, 1942. The term, Sook Ching comes from a Chinese word meaning a purge through cleansing. This ruthless and massacre lasted from 18 February, 1942 to 4 March, 1942. It was carried out at various places including Punggol Beach and Changi Beach. The reason behind this massacre was because the Japanese were concerned about the local Chinese as many of them were either very loyal to Britain or China, both enemies of Japan. 

The most brutal massacre that occurred in the history of Singapore happened on 20 February 1942. 66 Chinese men were lined up along the Changi Beach and were then shot by the military police. The Punggol Beach massacre had cost a total 300 to 400 innocent men. Despite all this, it is unclear as to how many people have died from this extermination as there is a lack of records. However, official Japanese figures show that there are around 5 000 while the Singapore Chinese Community figures shows a shocking total of 100 000. Through postwar trial testimonies however, the suggested total is 25 000 to 50 000. 

In 1947, the British Colonial authorities in Singapore held a trial involving war crimes during the Japanese occupation. Through this, seven officers, Lieutenant General Takuma Nishimura, Lieutenant General Saburo Kawamura, Lieutenant Colonel Masayuki Oishi, Lieutenant Colonel Yoshitaka Yokata, Major Tomotatsu Jo, Major Satoru Onishi and Captain Haruji Hisamatsu were found guilty and were charged with carrying out the massacre. Kawamura and Oishi received the death penalty while the others received life sentences. However, during a subsequent trial Nishimura was convicted for his part in the Parit Sulong massacre by an Australian Military Court and hanged.

http://www2.hci.edu.sg/y09hci0003/content.html Date accessed: 16/2/2013