Today is the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore


King Tiger

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May 11, 2004
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In the heart of SengKang
www.worldwar2aces.com
70 years ago, our ancestors, together with the British army, fought against the invading Imperial Japanese Army.

70 years ago today, 15 Feb 1942, is the 1st day of Chinese Lunar New Year, there is no celebration.

70 years ago today, 15 Feb 1942, the British army surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army.

This was immediately followed by the Sook Ching massacre, a pre-planned Japanese operation, where an estimate of 50,000 local population were executed by the Japanese.

Singapore suffered 3 years 8 months of harsh occupation.








P.S. The message is not to bring hatred, but to remember and not to forget
what our forefathers have seen and endure during the darkness age of Singapore history.
 

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Ford Factory, Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore. 15th Feb 1942
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Ford Factory, Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore. Present Day
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May our forefather rest in peace in heaven for the bravery they have done for our country
 

Today we are invaded by Japanese products.
 

70 years ago, locals had to learn to sing the Japanese national anthem.

Last year's national day, I saw Japanese kids in local primary schools singing Singapore National anthem and other national day songs...
 

70 years ago, locals had to learn to sing the Japanese national anthem.

Last year's national day, I saw Japanese kids in local primary schools singing Singapore National anthem and other national day songs...

that is globalization... and might also be inter-racial if you know what i mean
 

My parents generation went through Japanese Occupation.

I heard my mother talked about the atrocious stories about the Japanese soldiers when I was young.

Very few of that generation are still living now to tell us such stories.
 

My parents generation went through Japanese Occupation.

I heard my mother talked about the atrocious stories about the Japanese soldiers when I was young.

Very few of that generation are still living now to tell us such stories.

so did mine.

luckily none of them were executed by the japanese. my late grandfather was imprisoned and tortured by the kempeitai for secretly disseminating radio broadcasts from the allied forces.

one of our family friends to this day hates the japanese for what they did in WWII, esp. the rape of nanking, unit 731 etc. he still continues to boycott all japanese products for his whole life. on the other hand, my late aunt, who lived through the war, maintained very strong friendships with her japanese friends.
 

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There is a very interesting article in today's Straits Times on "Story behind the story on the fall of Singapore” by LeeSiew Hua. Here are some excerpts:
It intrigues historian Kevin Blackburn that each time thefall of Singapore is observed on 15 Feb at the Civilian War Memorial, there islittle poignancy and power.

He suggests this could have been a different story if thePeople’s Action Party had not deviated from the original plan by the ChineseChamber of Commerce to build a memorial to the Chinese victms of the massacre,known as sook ching.

“Singapore’s Chinese, initially sought a monument to theirdead, possibly in traditional Chinese form, with 600 urns holding victims to bevisibly on display, and possibly plaques with the name of each massacre site.”
Neither did Mr Lee wish to impede investments and relationswith Japan, …
What rose in place of the original winning design of visibleurns is today’s abstract “Four Chopsticks” design, telling the tale of equalsuffering of four ethnic groups in war.
But the memorial lost the emotional force associated withthe mainly Chinese experience of massacre…and the physical, terrible immediacythat having urns accessible and sites named would have provided.

When I was young, I often walked passed this memorial wondering how it came about. Now I finally know.
 

P.S. The message is not to bring hatred, but to remember and not to forget
what our forefathers have seen and endure during the darkness age of Singapore history.

history 101 : do you know why Japan wanted the war? everyone hates them but do you really really really really really really really know Japan had no choice but to war? i dont think so..
 

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whatever reasons for going to war, the atrocious committed was another separate issues.
 

history 101 : do you know why Japan wanted the war? everyone hates them but do you really really really really really really really know Japan had no choice but to war? i dont think so..

Do tell...
 

history 101 : do you know why Japan wanted the war? everyone hates them but do you really really really really really really really know Japan had no choice but to war? i dont think so..

everyone on this earth has a reason to do something... osama also has his reasons, obama also has his reasons.. no one does anyting without a reason..

don't tell me they have a reason to justify for a war.... how many people are killed in a war? who like war?
 

There is a very interesting article in today's Straits Times on "Story behind the story on the fall of Singapore” by LeeSiew Hua. Here are some excerpts:
It intrigues historian Kevin Blackburn that each time thefall of Singapore is observed on 15 Feb at the Civilian War Memorial, there islittle poignancy and power.

He suggests this could have been a different story if thePeople’s Action Party had not deviated from the original plan by the ChineseChamber of Commerce to build a memorial to the Chinese victms of the massacre,known as sook ching.

“Singapore’s Chinese, initially sought a monument to theirdead, possibly in traditional Chinese form, with 600 urns holding victims to bevisibly on display, and possibly plaques with the name of each massacre site.”
Neither did Mr Lee wish to impede investments and relationswith Japan, …
What rose in place of the original winning design of visibleurns is today’s abstract “Four Chopsticks” design, telling the tale of equalsuffering of four ethnic groups in war.
But the memorial lost the emotional force associated withthe mainly Chinese experience of massacre…and the physical, terrible immediacythat having urns accessible and sites named would have provided.

When I was young, I often walked passed this memorial wondering how it came about. Now I finally know.

interesting!
 

not to play down the atrocities,

but thats expected from war. doesn't matter what happens, or who plays dirty or what. winner takes all really.

war is never a romantic thing. it is cruel, violent. while we had the sook ching, also remember they had the A-bombs

war, no one is in the right, everyone is wrong.
 

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A distant uncle of mine was with the resistance in Malaya after the fall of Singapore. After the war, he did odd jobs, was a hawker for a while, then worked as a cleaner (his boss jabot without paying their salary... and that made the news at that time). All his life he lived in a one room rental HDB. He has since passed on and is survived by his wife - now in a Old Folks Home. The couple is childless. As a kid, whenever we visited during CNY, he would talk fondly about his Malayan jungle experience.

He did not get any recognition or benefit for risking his life in WWII... and here's the thing that really hit me each time: he NEVER complained about it - did not even mention it.
 

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