Description
Object description
Chinese civilian air raid warden with Air Raid Precautions in Serangoon, Singapore, Malaya, 1941-1942; civilian in Serangoon, Singapore, Malaya, 1942-1945
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Singapore, Malaya, 1911-1940: family; education; employment as bookeeper. Recollections of period as air raid warden with Air Raid Precautions in Serangoon, Singapore, 1941-1942: sponsorship to join civil defence forces; initial training received with Air Raid Precautions; posting to Serangoon English School air raid post; duties; reasons why his group destroyed all records; screening procedures for Air Raid Precautions; question of living conditions under Japanese occupation; organisation of Air Raid Precautions; pattern of training; nature of blackout; responsibilities at Serangoon English School; composition of his warden post.
REEL 2 Continues: training of new recruits; attitude of members to training; organisation of civil defence forces; building and description of air raid shelters; initial Imperial Japanese Army Air Service bombing raid on Singapore, 8/12/1941; character of blackout; lack of damage to Serangoon area until, 1/1941; relations between Air Raid Precautions and Medical Auxiliary Service; orders to disband unit and decision to destroy unit records; disbandment of company; atmosphere in Singapore, 1/1942-2/1942; relatives who stayed with family; hearing of British forces surrender, 15/2/1942; reaction to surrender of British surrender, 2/1942. Recollections of period as civilian living in Serangoon, Singapore. 1942- 1945: arrival of Imperial Japanese Army troops in Serangoon.
REEL 3 Continues: Imperial Japanese Army house searches; order to civilians to display Japanese flag; impressions of Imperial Japanese Army troops; initial confusion with currency use; instructions to attend mass screening; situation in Singapore town; attending mass screening at Simon Road and Simon Lane area; atmosphere during mass screening; fate of detainees.
REEL 4 Continues: question of not expecting Japanese to persecute Chinese populace; Japanese use of census taking list; effect on personal morale of Japanese detention; Japanese system of control through appointments of locals to oversee certain areas; duties of Japanese appointees; how volunteers operated under Japanese occupation and his role in instructing them; Japanese taking of census.
REEL 5 Continues: obtaining personal food supplies; issue of ration cards and rationing system; black market activities; Japanese use of black market; daily diet; importation of food from Dutch East Indies and neighbouring islands; rearing chickens and growing vegetables; method of producing coconut oil; supplies of rice; health problems during occupation; contracting pleurisy; lack of medical care.
REEL 6 Continues: scarcity of medicines; modes of transportation; restrictions on petrol supplies; recreational activities; gambling in amusement parks; nature of religious celebrations; methods he used to support family; restaurant venture and reasons for its failure; patrons of his restaurant; working as driver for biscuit factory and reasons why he left job; where biscuit factory obtained its ingredients from.
REEL 7 Continues: wages and working conditions as driver; character of workers in factory; rations obtained from employer; reaction to news of Japanese surrender, 15/8/1945; reaction of local people to Japanese surrender; Japanese announcement of surrender; conditions during transition to British Military Administration; currency situation when British returned; obtaining employment on return of British forces; question of how Japanese occupation affected his life.
