Battle Of Sarimbun Beach

The Battle of Sarimbun Beach was the first stage of the Japanese assault on Singapore in February 1942 during World War II. Sarimbun was in the west of Singapore Island where the Japanese first attacked.

At 8.30pm on 8 February, Australian machine gunners opened fire on vessels carrying a first wave of 4,000 troops from the 5th and 18th Divisions towards Singapore island. However, the Japanese still pressed on towards land.

Dawn of 9 February, we were beginning to get overrun and surrounded. The 2/18 Australian Infantry Battalion had already lost more the half of its personnel. We were being flanked by Japanese and a lot of personnel had already been lost

Shortly after dark on 9 February, three British Fairmile B motor launches were sent on a raid up the western channel of the Straits of Johor, adjoining Sarimbun Beach. Their objective was to attack Japanese landing craft and communications. They came under fire from enemy forces on both shores, but pressed on almost as far as the causeway. A few Japanese landing craft were sunk before the launches returned down the channel, reaching Singapore safely and suffering minimal damage. Some Allied soldiers saw this as an example of effective defensive tactics that were used too little and/or too late by their senior commanders. - (Wikipedia, Battle of Sarimbun Beach)





Website URL : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sarimbun_Beach
Date accessed : 17 February 2013

The Massacre/Sook Ching Operation

"Operation Sook Ching meaning "to purge" or "eliminate" was a massive Japanese exercise to ferret the local Chinese community for anti-Japanese elements, conducted by the 25th Army beginning on 18 February 1942 and resulting in the massacre of thousands of local Chinese." -(infopedia, Operation Sook Ching)

The Japanese had hostility to the Chinese in Singapore. Since the occupation in Singapore by Japanese, Chinese started making anti-Japanese movements. There would be underground anti-Japanese movement in Singapore.

They made Chinese people aged from 18 - 50 to congregate at concentration centres. The island was divided into four sections.

The massacre sites were

Ponggol Beach.
Changi Beach/ Changi Spit Beach: Victims from Bukit Timah/Stevens Road (Sook Ching point).
Changi Road 8 ms 300 acre plantation (Samba Ikat village): 250 victims from Changi 8 ms (Sook Ching point).
Hougang 8 ms: Six lorry loads of people were said to have been massacred here.
Katong 7 ms: 20 trenches were dug.
Beach opposite 27 Amber Road: Two lorry loads of people were said to have been massacred here; the site is now a car park.
Tanah Merah Beach/Tanah Merah Besar Beach: 242 victims taken from Jalan Besar Sook Ching point; currently a runway of Changi airport.
Thomson Road: Sime Road, near golf course and the villages in the vicinity.
Katong, East Coast Road: 732 victims from Telok Kurau School (Sook Ching point).
Siglap area, Bedok South Avenue/Bedok South Road: Previously known as Jalan Puay Poon.
Blakang Mati Beach, off the Sentosa Golf Course: Many bodies of the massacred victims were washed ashore and were buried. - (infopedia)

Website URL : http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_40_2005-01-24.html
 Date accessed : 17 Feb 2013

The Start Of Japanese Occupation

"The Japanese occupation of Singapore in World War II occurred between 1942 and 1945 after the fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942. Military forces of the Empire of Japan occupied Singapore after defeating the combined Australian, British, Indian and Malayan garrison in the Battle of Singapore." -(Wikipedia, Japanese occupation of Singapore)

First of all, it was just like the start of going to hell. It was the start of something that would make thousands of people die and suffer. Japanese started coming down to Singapore and it all went bad.     


 Website URL : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_occupation_of_Singapore
 Date accessed : February 17 2013