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Synopsis

Godfather Mr Ngiam was a good friend of father’s. Godfather brought him to cinema where he worked. Cinemas showed Japanese and Chinese films during Japanese Occupation; Hong Kong films less frequent. Film on Opium War was popular, starring Shirley Yamaguchi (Li Xianglan); other popular films were on (Japanese) pilots, samurai, martial arts. No Hollywood films. News reels on Malaya.

Events leading up to fall of Singapore. Evacuation exercises in school. Attacks in Singapore started during school holidays. British and locals held different positions in police force. British police went round educating shopkeepers on what to do in an air raid. Building air raid shelters behind back of shops. Later interviewee moved under aunt’s house on stilts. Japanese took uncle’s watch. Cousin buried bicycle to prevent Japanese from taking. Aunt’s house at Lowland Road. Interviewee’s house bombed.  Description of damages. Bungalow house on Flower Road abandoned by family who fled Singapore, looted. Living conditions at Aunt’s house. Experience of air raids. Finding bomb shrapnel in trunks of coconut trees. Story of a boy who found an unexploded shell and later died. Interviewee looking for revolvers for fun around abandoned bunks in the Serangoon area. Searchlights at City Hall.

Japanese arriving and herding 70–80 villagers on to Serangoon and Kovan Road area. Caught in crossfire between Japanese and retreating British, used as a “shield". Jumped into monsoon drain to hide. Schoolmate’s brother disobeyed Japanese soldiers and was hit. Common to be slapped by Japanese. How the Japanese took over buildings and posted sentries outside. Need to bow 90 degrees when passing sentries or risk being assaulted. How Japanese air-dropped supplies for troops. Arrival of Japanese trucks rounding up young men. Interviewee later heard they were massacred at Tanah Merah and Changi.  Attending Japanese school was like attending military training, getting crew cuts, planting tapioca and digging shelters because Japanese feared the British would strike back. Interviewee recalling the different national anthems he sang in his life: China, Britain, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore. Telling his students to sing Majulah Singapura with feeling. How interviewee felt at each stage of his life while singing the different anthems. Advantages of learning English. Views on links between language and patriotism. Upon Singapore’s independence, civil servants were asked to repair roads to instill a sense of public service in them. Interviewee’s deep sense of pride at singing Majulah Singapura.

Japanese summoning village penghulus to form night patrols. Security personnel wore arm bands, carried sticks. Interviewee’s brother took part as their family representative. Former Malay school converted to a Japanese school, with former teachers undergoing training to continue teaching. School was at Charlton Road. Interviewee keen on attending Japanese school even though money was scarce. Spoke to principal N I Low about paying a reduced school fee.