Description
Object description
Malayan Eurasian civilian in Singapore, Malaya, 1942-1944; internee in Sime Road Internment Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 1944-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Aspects of period as civilian in Singapore, Malaya, 12/1941-2/1942: first Imperial Japanese Army Air Service raid on Singapore, 8/12/1941; neighbours evacuation from area and reasons why his family remained; sight of Chinese civilians being shot by Imperial Japanese Army; reaction to British forces' surrender, 15/2/1942. Recollections of period as civilian in Singapore, Malaya, 1942-1944: start of food rationing; reasons why younger brother did family shopping; effects of Japanese occupation on transportation; first encounter with Imperial Japanese Army troops; internment of his British neighbours; sight of Europeans internees walking to Changi Internment Camp; living conditions after British surrender.
REEL 2 Continues: introduction of Japanese currency; civil servants recall to work; disruption to water supply; use of Allied prisoners of war to maintain services; forms of torture carried out by Kempeitai at Kempeitai, East District Branch Headquarters; Japanese newspaper propaganda; restrictions of travel; lack of Japanese authorities restrictions on festivals or religious worship; Japanese opinion of different Malayan races; character of Christmas celebrations; Japanese authorities restrictions on use of radio; queuing for rations; character of rations.
REEL 3 Continues: black market system; introduction of ration cards; intensification of food shortage; oil shortage and problems of travel; family registering as 'enemy aliens', 1944; reasons why he did not work; hiding in family home; registration at Chartered Bank in Battery Road; restrictions placed on 'enemy aliens'; registration procedure; question of purpose of registration. Recollections of period as internee in Sime Road Internment Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 1944-1945: internment six months after registration; reaction to internment; description of camp.
REEL 4 Continues: daily diet; camp organisation and administration; division and cooking of rations; character of internees; dissemination of news bulletin; reasons for varying rice ration given; availability of water and electricity; work digging tunnels; rumours about usage of tunnels; internee accommodation; weekly meeting of male and female internees; children's education.
REEL 5 Continues: discipline in camp; layout and size of camp; work done by internees; nature of various work teams; craftsmen in camp; medical facilities; salaries obtained for work; co-ordination of activities; allocation of people to teams; use of salary to buy gula melaka; role in digging tunnels; location of tunnels in camp; working conditions.
REEL 6 Continues: relations amongst internees; lack of Japanese supervisors in camp; work discipline; Japanese captors punishment of internees; type of work done by female internees; concerts and other recreational activities; male and female internees' weekly meeting; freedom of worship; burying dead towards end of Japanese occupation, 1945.
REEL 7 Continues: Recollections of liberation in Sime Road Internment Camp, Singapore, Malaya, 8/1945: hearing news of Japanese surrender, 15/8/1945; arrival of Gurkha troops; reaction to liberation; arrival of food in camp; witnessing Japanese surrender ceremony at Padang; repatriation of non-residents; distribution of letters by Red Cross; arrival of Indonesian forced labourers; condition of Indonesian forced labourers; reaction of Japanese to surrender; how Japanese prisoners of war were made to work; reasons why his family initially stayed in camp; rations given on leaving camp.
REEL 8 Continues: revenge killings; question of how Japanese occupation affected people in Singapore.
