The Japanese Occupation (Part One)

Official Source: 1942 Battlefield Singapore

The Invasion of Singapore

From February 3, the Japanese were beginning to deploy its imperial guards and infantrymen in the north of Singapore. From there, they steadily overran the little resistance staged by the British and their allies. On February 15, 1942, Singapore surrendered.

The Surrender

British’s Far East military supremo, Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, went into the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah to negotiate the surrender on February 15, 1942.

They were met by Japanese military leader, General Yamashita Tomoyuki, commander of the 25^th army.

Sir Shenton Thomas, the governor of Singapore at that time, announced the surrender of Singapore.

New life in 'Syonan-to'

The newspaper, The Strait Times was changed to ‘The Shonan Times’.

For the duration of the Japanese Occupation, Prisoners of War (POWs) were locked up in prisons and road camps.

One such POW is W.R.M. Haxworth.

He joined the police force in 1929 as an inspector, and in 1941, he was redesignated Chief Investigator of the War Risks Insurance Department of the Singapore Treasury.

During his time in captivity, he produced more than 300 sketches which depicted the harsh conditions of the internment camps.

Above: A self-portrait of W.R.M. Haxworth, during his time in Changi Prison.

After the war, he rose to the position of Chief Superintendent of Traffic. Haxworth retired in 1954 and passed away in 1985 at a ripe old age of 79. His sketches were donated by his wife to the National Archives of Singapore.

To be continued...