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Synopsis

*Training at Telok Paku Camp and Changi for the Singapore Volunteer Corps (SVC). Arms drills. Training was not tough. Feelings as Japanese swept down Malaya. How D Company was in charge of Tanjong Rhu spithead to Katong. Placing of barb wire fencing on the shore from Tanjong Rhu spithead to Singapore Swimming Club with bare hands. Responsibilities included manning beach posts and patrolling day and night. How Japanese artillery shells aimed at Kallang Airport landed in Tanjong Rhu. Reaction to sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse. How Japanese advanced down Malaya into Singapore in rubber shoes. How his girlfriend visited him once in camp before being evacuated to India. Where his family was during the Occupation. Future brother-in-law John Cockburn also stationed at Tanjong Rhu. How Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival surrendered to prevent further unnecessary deaths. Conditions at Tanjong Rhu. Stayed at the Vosper Thorneycroft workshops. Received orders to be stationed opposite Goodwood Park Hotel. After surrender, volunteers walked from Goodwood to Changi Prison. Some volunteers escaped during the walk. How Eurasian volunteers did not take defeat as bad as English officers. Civilians stood by and watched as soldiers passed. At least three-quarters of volunteers came from Siglap/Katong. Shooting Flaming Onions at enemy planes. Incident where artillery shell landed near him while on sentry duty near Goodwood Park. Cleaning up of bodies after bombing near Cathay Building.

Life as a Prison-of-War (POW) at Changi Prison. His section in charge of retrieving food for others. Cleaning of utensils with sea water. POWs mostly left alone. Brother-in-law George Westerhout got him out of prison by sending a car with notices from the Municipality to return to work. Slept in barracks. Rations cooked by certain cooks. Description of rations. Feelings as a POW. Girlfriend evacuated to a mountain station in India. Letters received were censored by Japanese. Return to Registry of Vehicles (ROV). Former St Joseph’s Institution (SJI) schoolmate Chia Keng Hock still working at ROV. Work at ROV carried on the same during the Occupation as before. No changes working under the Japanese administration. Japanese used upstairs of ROV office to store requisitioned tyres.

Playing sports during the Occupation. Brother and friends started Harlequins hockey team. Most members from Upper Serangoon, including the Pennyfathers and E W Barker. During this time, Singapore Football Association also started organising football games. Playing against all-India hockey team at Anson Road. How Indian team inspired locals to play. Girlfriend’s house at St Francis Road left empty during the Occupation and looted. Engaged to girlfriend before her evacuation by ship to India. Some ships were bombed and some evacuees taken as POWs. Later rented out girlfriend’s house at St Francis Road for $30 a month. Mention of a Japanese sports administrator. Incident where Harlequins won two bags of rice instead of a trophy. Made ketupats with the rice and served with curry during victory celebrations at interviewee’s house at Race Course Road. Impressions of E W Barker, who was his junior.