Final defensive lines before the attack on Singapore 1942

This interesting map shows the defensive lines around Singapore in preparation to defend the island from the attacking Japanese forces in 1942. History tells us that the diversionary attack on the small island of Pulau Ubin on the North East succeeded in bluffing defending forces command that it was the start of the main attack. However, the full force of the main invasion occurred on the North West side of the island. The rest is history

69th anniversary of the fall of Singapore 15th Feb 1942

This morning I attended the remembrance services for the thousands of civilians who died as a result of the fall of Singapore 69 years ago today. It was very well attended and it was good to see the number of school children who were in attendance. I have posted a number of photos on my Singapore1942 twitter site which you can access by clicking on http://www.twitter.com/singapore1942

Video footage showing the intensity of artillery fire on Singapore to support the invasion

Images from the battle for Malaya

Some more amazing images captured by Time Life Magazine taken during the battle for Malaya and printed in an article "Some Mementos from Malaya" in the March 1943 edition. The top two pictures highlight graphically the tragedy of war.

Photos from the 1st bombing raid in Singapore

I came across these fascinating images from the 1st bombing raid over Singapore in December 1941 that was originally published in the pictorial magazine "Life" in the January 1942 edition. The first photo on the right hand corner shows the damage from the bombing that occurred in Raffles Place and one of the images shows the injured being evacuated from a classic Singapore shop house. It is the first time I have seen these particular images.

In February 1942 the island of Singapore was besieged and it would only be a matter of time before the invading forces stormed across to the Island of Singapore itself having taken up positions along the coastline of mainland Malaya. The headlines of this newspaper from the time announces the arrival of Japanese troops on the west coast of the island the paper dated February 9. 1942.

These headlines are apparently from the English version of the Japan times in 1942. Interestingly it highlights that more vessels have been bombed and mentions "Malay campaign rapidly nearing finale......"

Fascinating images from fortsiloso.com

This fascinating image is taken from Peter Stubb's website that I have recently come across www.fortsilso.com which is well worth a look. This photo shows the Serapong 6" Battery No 2 Gun which was hit by a Japanese bomb in 1942. It shows a discarded shell on the ground highlighted by the circle from a photo at that time. Another unexploded shell was discovered during an excavation of the site in 1996 and the photo on the left shows the excavation team with their find!

Map of the Invasion of Singapore

This interesting diagram is taken from the Japanese records of the successful invasion of Singapore Island from Tsuji's book 'Singapore - The Japanese Version' shows the dates and movements of the Japanese troops as they moved across Singapore up until the point of surrender.

Book - While History Passed

I was pleased to find this book in the Barwon Heads Bookshop in Victoria last week. The book written by Jessie Simons was first published in 1954 and tells the story of the Australian nurses evacuated on the Vyner Brooke on the 12th of February 1942 three days before the fall of Singapore. 65 nurses were evacuated on the ship that was bombed and sunk with the nurses who found their way to Rahdji Beach then machine gunned and bayoneted after surrendering to the Japanese troops on Muntock island. The famous Vivian Bullwinkle was one of those nurses who survived the massacre. Jessie Simons was one of the nurses on the ship and this is her story. I look forward to reading the book. It is amazing what one can find in second hand book shops.