15 February, 1942
Introduction
The strongest British bastion east of Suez, falls to the emipre of the Rising Sun, after only 70 days. (The Mail, Feb 16, 1942)
This and many other headlines greeted shocked readers all over the world on 16 February 1942. The "impregnable fortress", with its massive fortifications and fixed batteries, and defended by over 100, 000 men fell to the hands of the conquering Japanese forces in only a week.
During the struggle for Singapore, desperate battles were fought throughout the island, and many of these battle sites remain today. As the Japanese army swept down the peninsula, hasty defences were set up to protect our northern shores. These northern sites still have that sense of urgency which gripped the island just before the invasion about 50 years ago.
For the people who fought so feverishly, the Japanese Occupation brought untold terror and hardships. Sirens, bombs, massacres, epidemics, shortages, concentration camps and POW centres were part of everyday life. This blog will capture the essence of what Singapore was like during those dark years when all one had left was faith, and a will to survive at all costs.
Though what remains today are but empty shells and lingering shadows, it is through understanding what happened here that these sites come alive again, never letting us forget the brutatilities of war, and the faith and inspiration of the people that laid the foundations of modern Singapore.
The following links are elaborations of the Japanese Occupation:
http://ww2meotjsgbl09.blogspot.com/ (Major Events of the Japanese Occupation in Singapore)
http://ww2plofintsgbl09.blogspot.com/ (Places of Interest related to the Japanese Occupation in Singapore)
http://ww2tlsgbl09.blogspot.com/ (Timeline of the Japanese Occupation in Sinagapore)
http://ww2dljoccsgbl09.blogspot.com/ (Daily Life in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation)
http://ww2ipsgbl09.blogspot.com/ (Important People)
