Description
Object description
Indian volunteer private served with Signal Section, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Straits Settlements Volunteer Force, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force Bde, Fortress Singapore Div, Malaya Command in Singapore, Malaya, 12/1941-2/1942; civilian clerk with Malacca District Court, Malacca and Singapore Civil District Court in Singapore, Malaya, 7/1942-8/1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Malacca, Singapore and Penang, Malaya, 1919-1940: family circumstances; education; employment as Government servant. Recollections of period as volunteer private with Signal Section, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Straits Settlements Volunteer Force in Malacca, Malaya, 7/1940-12/1941: reasons for joining Straits Settlements Volunteer Force, 7/1940; degree of knowledge of role of battalion prior to joining; organisation of battalion; character of volunteers; training courses in Jasin and Singapore; uniform issued; attitude of volunteers to training.
REEL 2 Continues: duties as private; relations between volunteers; lack of anticipation of war. Recollections of operations as private with Signal Section, Headquarters Coy, 4th Bn Straits Settlements Volunteer Force in Singapore, Malaya, 12/1941-2/1942: hearing news of declaration of emergency, 5/12/1941; journey from Malacca to St Patrick's School in Singapore; sight of HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales; sight of internment of Japanese occupants of fishing village; daily routine in battalion, 5/12/1941-15/12/1941; move to Kampong Batak Camp, 15/12/1941; reaction to Imperial Japanese Army Air Service raids and sinking of HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales.
REEL 3 Continues: preparations for air raids; description of Kampong Batek Camp; incident when Imperial Japanese Army Air Service bomb hit coconut tree; frequency of Imperial Japanese Army Air Service raids; problems of volunteer with Japanese wife; morale of volunteers; move into front line at Adam Road, 10/2/1942; line-laying duties; character of Imperial Japanese Army's advance; meeting British Army and British Indian Army stragglers; personal morale; British surrender, 15/2/1942; instructions to destroy equipment.
REEL 4 Continues: reaction to hearing of British forces' surrender, 15/2/1942; attempts of British officers to escape. Aspects of period as prisoner of war and escape from captivity in Singapore, Malaya, 2/1942: capture and move to Dunearn Road area, 16/2/1942; initial impressions of Imperial Japanese Army captors; description of Imperial Japanese Army troops; events of first day in captivity, 16/2/1942; march to Farrer Park, 17/2/1942; attitude of Imperial Japanese Army troops towards prisoners of war; imprisonment in Farrer Park; escape from Japanese captivity, 17/2/1942.
REEL 5 Continues: route take after escape from Farrer Park to family home, 17/2/1942; disposal of military identification tags; conditions on streets; nature of Singapore Police Force barracks; role of Singapore Police Force after Japanese takeover; reunion of family. Aspects of return from Singapore to Malacca, Malaya, 3/1942: decision to return to Malacca; train journey from Singapore and Malacca, 3/1942; reception in Malacca. Aspects of period of arrest and confinement in Malacca, Malaya, 3/1942-4/1942: arrest by detectives and removal to Straits Settlements Police station.
REEL 6 Continues: character of Straits Settlements Police interrogation; conditions during confinement in Straits Settlements Police barracks; working parties; treatment received; reasons for release on parole. Recollections of period as clerk with Malacca District Court, Malacca and Singapore Civil District Court in Singapore, Malaya, 7/1942-8/1945: return to work at Malacca District Court, 4/7/1942; description of court premises, staff and organisation; how cases were heard and dealt with under Japanese occupation.
REEL 7 Continues: working conditions under Japanese administration; hearing of nature of indoctrination training at Japanese Daitoa Kunrenshio Training College; nature of his work; membership of Air Raid Precautions; reasons for leaving Malacca, 1/1944; obtaining employment as clerk with Singapore Civil District Court in Singapore; obtaining identification papers as precaution for journey; impressions of Singapore, 1/1944; applying for work at Singapore Civil District Court; court staff; types of cases heard in court; hearing screams of Kempeitai victims; assembling on every year to hear Japanese declaration of war, 8/12/1941; rations given to supplement rations.
REEL 8 Continues: requirement of court staff to plant tapioca; how his family planted vegetables to supplement food; nature of father's police quarters; daily routine; relations between court staff; comparison between court systems in Singapore and Malacca; impressions of Japanese personnel; learning of Japanese forces' losses from Azad Hind newspaper published by Indian National Army; character of Indian National Army and it's leaders.
REEL 9 Continues: formation of Indian National Army and recruitment of members; reaction of Indians to hearing Subhas Chandras Bose speeches; degree of knowledge of Indian National Army efforts in Burma; reasons for joining Indian Independence League; difference between Indian National Army and Indian Independence League; leaders of Indian Independence League; opinion of Azad Hind newspaper; how official announcement of Japanese surrender was worded, 15/8/1945; fate of Indian Independence League, Indian National Army and Subhas Chandra Bose; instructions to continue working in Singapore; fate of Japanese court personnel.
REEL 10 Continues: Aspects of period as civilian in Singapore, Malaya, 1945-1946: atmosphere in Singapore before British forces landed including rumours of Chinese forces had landed; racial conflict; reaction to arrival of British forces; improvement in food situation and living conditions; reporting to Headquarters, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force; degree of knowledge of War Crimes Trials held in Singapore, 1946; question of impact of Japanese occupation on him and Singapore.
REEL 11 Continues: behaviour of Imperial Japanese Army troops during occupation of Singapore; method Dr Charles Paglar used to prepare iron tonic; opinion of New Settlements Scheme Bahau and Endau Settlements.