Not long after the British Surrender on 15 Feb 1942, the Japanese moved quickly to consolidate their control of Singapore.
One of the first things they did was to re-name Singapore as 'Syonan-to' ( 昭南島 Shōnan-tō), which means "Light of the South".
But they didn't just stop there.
The Tanjong Pagar Railway station was renamed as "Syonan Station".
Japanese Troops posed triumphantly in front of Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. “昭南驛” translates into “Syonan Station”. Pic: SG Film Hunter
The Japanese took over 'The Straits Times' offices and the paper was renamed as "The Shonan Times". The paper would see two more name changes - "The Syonan Times" and then later as "Syonan Sinbun".
The local time in Singapore was moved forward by 1½ hours so as to be in sync with Tokyo time.
Schools were made to teach the Japanese language and textbooks were printed in Japanese. School children had to stand facing the direction of Japan and to sing the national Japanese anthem.
This was the wartime currency that was issued by the Japanese Government for the occupied territories of Malaya and Singapore during the Japanese Occupation.
The British currency was replaced with Japanese currency which was known as “Banana money” due to the picture of a Banana tree on the note. The currency would ultimately became worthless due massive amounts printed.
These changes would be the least of the problems that Singapore would face during the Japanese Occupation
The next three and a half years under the brutal Japanese rule would prove to be the darkest period in Singapore's history.
Voices From Syonan-To
History Of Singapore During The Japanese Occupation
Fall of Singapore during World War Two - Kartar Singh, eyewitness to atrocities
Frontliners is a web series about National Servicemen in the SPF
and SCDF produced to commemorate 50 years of National Service this year. Catch
a glimpse of the extraordinary experiences the National Servicemen faced in
this prologue.
Very often, our Brothers serving in the S'pore Police Force (SPF), S'pore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and other Home Team agencies, are often overlooked when the topic of National Service comes up. The spotlight is always on the SAF - not because of any other reason, except that the armed forces makes up the largest intake of NS servicemen -therefore the most visible.
There may be endless friendly debates or jibs about whose service is more "siong" (hardship) but that doesn't mean that Home Team servicemen serve Singapore in any lesser capacity or importance.
The reality is that Home Team servicemen are often exposed to real-life situations which can be dangerous and horrifying on a daily basis. Here's an extract of what one SDCF serviceman (‘longtailbutterfly’) had to say.
"... At lunch the next day my friend (SAF LTA) tells me how stressful being an instructor at SAFTI has been recently. I remember as my cylinder got trapped on the fallen wire, and how I thought of my family in those few struggling seconds. I nod my head and grunt. " SAF has it tough with JCC and everything huh?" I joke. He agrees enthusiastically.
All in a day’s work for the NSFs in SPF/SCDF. If we fail, someone dies from our direct actions. Welcome to NS. No second chances or semula. Just death. I wish the public knew the risks that some NSFs take each day. We might not be as fit as NDU or as garang as commandos, but we put our lives on the line literally every day.
As an NSF I can say I have contributed to Singapore. No play acting or training for a war that will never happen (though I understand the incredible need for an armed military). I love my job, I love NS and wouldn't trade it for anything else (maybe an EMT vocation).
I am still amazed that many members of public still associate NS with army. I wish more people would know. There's no greater feeling in this world than knowing some uncle I helped rescue on my first duty at 0200 will live to eat his favourite mee pok or talk cock with his kakis because of my direct actions. Take a look at every fire or major rescue / ambulance incident in the news. Chances are 70% of the people that responded to that incident are NSFs. Whenever I get my haircut at QB the auntie always asks me "boy you army ah?" and I've run out of effort to correct her. Pride and care right? ..."
No matter what your NS service branch, vocation or role, we should all recognize that all of us are small but extremely vital cogs in a larger whole called Singapore.
Keep safe and Thank you all for your service to our country.
On 15 Feb at 6.20pm, Singapore's network of Public Warning System (PWS) sirens will sound the "Important Message" signal to mark Total Defence Day.
6.20pm of 15 Feb also marks the time when the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese Imperial Army in 1942.
"The PWS sounding serves to give due significance and remembrance to this historical moment. It also underscores the importance of emergency preparedness and for Singaporeans to defend our homeland."
SCDF
Upon hearing the signal, the public can tune in immediately to any local
radio station for a brief message on the PWS, or visit the SCDF website to learn more about PWS signals.
"... The PWS also has a long genesis. It was commissioned more than two decades ago in 1991 and builds on plans laid in the mid-1980s that recommended several measures to harden Singapore against air raids.
To keep the network running 24/7, engineers are rostered to service around seven PWS sirens every day. Crisis planners have also built in several fail-safes to ensure that the sirens will blare when they have to. Each siren is powered by electricity from the national grid and has a back-up battery. The system to sound the siren comprises landlines and radio back-up.
This long-term approach to national emergency preparedness planning could be better appreciated by the average Singaporean as we live in a country better prepared than most for crisis situations.
It is a wake-up call one hopes Singaporeans will not be forced to heed.
When that wake-up call arrives, NEST will be ready. What about you? ..."
Lieutenant-General Percival and his party carry the Union flag on their way to surrender Singapore to the Japanese. Pic: Imperial War Museums
75 years ago, on 15 Feb 1942, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival met with General Tomoyuki Yamashita at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah, where the British formally surrendered Singapore to the Japanese.
Singapore had fallen to the Japanese in just over 7 days after the Japanese Army’s initial landing on 8 Feb.
Japanese Troops Marching through Fullerton Square. Pic: Wikipedia
The surrender was a huge shock to the British as Singapore had long been considered to be an “impregnable fortress” – the “Gibraltar of the Far East”. The forces in Singapore, comprising of British, Indian, Malaya and Australian troops, fought bravely and as best as they could to defend the island but to no avail.
Generals At War - Battle of Singapore
Singapore was renamed by the Japanese as ‘Syonan-To’ (meaning ‘Light of the South’), thus marked the beginning the Japanese Occupation.
The Japanese Occupation, lasting almost 4 years, would be one of the darkest chapters in Singapore’s history. The populace as well as the captured Allied Forces were brutalized and suffered many atrocities during the Japanese Occupation. The Japanese was estimated to have executed 50,000 civilians as part of their efforts to eliminate any resistance to the Japanese Occupation.
The Singapore Story (Japanese Occupation of Singapore 1942 - 1945)
Total Defence Day 2017 Message from Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen
"... On 15 February, 75 years ago, Singapore fell, as British forces
surrendered to Japanese invaders.
In this video, I stand in the very
room in the former Ford Factory along
Upper Bukit Timah Road in which the surrender took place.
Three and a
half years of suffering and deprivation followed for those living in
Singapore under Japanese Occupation.
This is why we commemorate Total Defence Day on 15 February every year –
a reminder that only when everyone plays a part through Military,
Civil, Economic, Social and Psychological Defence, can we ensure a
Singapore that is safe, secure and sovereign. ..."
2nd Lt Adnan Saidi (1915 – 14 February 1942), was a Malayan soldier of the 1st Infantry Brigade which fought the Japanese in the Battle of Singapore. He is regarded by Singaporeans and Malaysians today as a hero for his actions on Bukit Chandu's Battle for Pasir Panjang.
On 14 Feb 1942, one of the fiercest and bloodiest battle of
Singapore took place at Bukit Chandu, Pasir Panjang which was part of the British’s
final defense parameter against the invading Japanese army.
Bukit Chandu
The Battle of Opium Hill (Bukit Chandu)
The Battle of Opium Hill on 14 February 1942 at Pasir Panjang was one of the fiercest battles that took place in Singapore in World War II. It pitted the invading Japanese Imperial Army against the brave but heavily out-numbered troops of the Malay Regiment.
The battle is also remembered for the heroism of Lieutenant Adnan Saidi, a platoon commander of the 1st Battalion who, together with his men, fought the Japanese to their grisly deaths. Today, an interpretive centre, Reflections at Bukit Chandu, stands on the hill, commemorating the battle and the contributions of these men.
Opium Hill, or Bukit Chandu in Malay, constituted the British final defence parameter against the invading Japanese army. The Japanese campaign to invade Singapore had begun on 8 February 1942, with one strategic defensive position after another rapidly falling into Japanese hands.
By 13 February, the Japanese Imperial Army (JIA) had shifted its attention to Pasir Panjang Ridge. The ridge was important because it offered a passage to the Alexandra area where the British Military Hospital and the main British ammunition and ordinance depots were located.
The task of defending the ridge was assigned to the Malay Regiment. It distinguished itself by fighting on despite heavy and continuous shelling by the Japanese army. Despite the regiment’s valiant resistance, the defence lines fell and the 18th Division of the JIA gained control of the western side of the ridge. Only the “C” Company of the 1st Malay Battalion was able to maintain its position at Pasir Panjang Village.
Having suffered great losses, the Malay Regiment withdrew in the evening to establish a new defence position in the Buona Vista area. “C” Company, which included Adnan and his men in No. 7 Platoon, was sent to Point 226 (or Bukit Chandu) on the eastern end of the ridge. The hill was named after an opium-processing factory located on the hill.
The Japanese continued their offensive on 14 February. In the early afternoon, Japanese troops were spotted advancing uphill on Bukit Chandu, disguised as Punjabi soldiers of the British Indian Army. Adnan’s suspicion was stirred when he noticed that the troops were moving in groups of four instead of the usual three, as was the norm for the British army.
Realising that these were in fact enemy troops disguised as British Indian soldiers, Adnan ordered his men to open fire. 20 enemy men were mortally wounded, causing the Japanese to retreat. This victory for the Malay Regiment was however short-lived as two hours later, the Japanese launched an all-out attack with more soldiers, artillery, and air and mortar bombardment.
Fierce fighting ensued on Opium Hill, and when ammunition ran short, Adnan and his men resorted to hand-to-hand combat using their bayonets. Heavily out-numbered, the men of “C” Company were completely overrun and fell to the Japanese.
According to official and eye-witness accounts, Adnan was hung from a tree and repeatedly bayoneted until he died. By the afternoon of 14 February, the defence line at Pasir Panjang Ridge had been breached. The Japanese captured Alexandra Military Hospital and subsequently massacred its occupants, leaving only a few to escape.
After the war, a book titled The Malay Regiment 1933–1947 was published by the Department of Public Relations of the Malay Peninsula in 1947, to chronicle the heroic deeds of the Malay Regiment. In 1956 and 1957, the British war department and the local government agreed to preserve the site of the battle at the Pasir Panjang Ridge as an open field.
On 8 Feb 1942, after intensively bombing the northwestern coast of Singapore, the Imperial Japanese Army crossed over the Johore Straits from Malaya and landed in Singapore. The Australian Troops that were tasked to defending the area were quickly overran by the Japanese forces.
Australian positions in Singapore 8-15 February
1942
"... The Japanese had prepared for the invasion of Singapore
with a heavy bombardment. They began their amphibious landings on the
north-west of the island, where the Strait of Johore is narrowest. This
area was held by the Australian 22nd Infantry Brigade but late on the
night of 8 February the Japanese made their way through undefended sections.
Twenty-four hours later a second Japanese landing force struck between
the Causeway and the mouth of the Kranji River, an area held by the Australian
27th Infantry Brigade. By the morning of 10 February there were Japanese
troops on most of north-west Singapore. ..."
"... The 22nd Australian Brigade had to cover the northwestern coastline but were overwhelmed by the Japanese forces within two hours of the attack due to the latter's numerical superiority. The gaps in their defences were to prove fatal during the invasion.
On the night of 8 February 1942 at around 10:30pm, the Japanese launched their invasion from concealed positions up the Skudai and Melayu Rivers of Johore. Under the cover of darkness and using assault boats and barges, the 5th Division crossed the Straits of Johore. They landed on the coastline between Lim Chu Kang Road and Sarimbun Beach.
As the Australian artillery and searchlight units failed to react, only the first wave of the invasion was repelled. However the numerical superiority of the Japanese forces were either wiped out on the beaches or retreating to new defence lines. ..."
This invasion would mark the beginning of the fall of Singapore to the Imperial Japanese Army, and the subsequent horrific Occupation of Singapore by the Japanese.
