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Saturday, 16 February 2013
Bombing Of Singapore
The attack on Singapore was assigned to 34 bombers of Genzan Air Group (Genzan Kaigun Kōkūtai) and 31 bombers of Mihoro Air Group.[4] Their targets were RAF Tengah, RAF Seletar, Sembawang Naval Base and Keppel Harbour.[5]
Six squadrons from both air groups took off from southern Indochina on the night of 7 December 1941. However, bad weather conditions were encountered while over the South China Sea.[4] Thick clouds offered poor visibility for the pilots, while rough winds caused most of the formations to become separated. After several attempts to regroup failed, Lieutenant Commander Niichi Nakanishi, Wing Commander of Genzan Air Group, ordered them to abort mission and return to base,[2] thereby reducing the impact of a much heavier raid.[4] Only seventeen G3M bombers of Mihoro Air Group reached Singapore on schedule, unobstructed by bad weather.[2]
The Attack
These formation was detected by a radar station in Mersing, Malaya, almost an hour before they reached Singapore. Three Brewster Buffalo fighters of No. 453 Squadron RAAF were on standby at RAF Sembawang. However, Flight Lieutenant Tim Vigors' request to scramble and intercept the Japanese bombers was denied.[6] Air Chief Marshal Robert Brooke-Popham feared that the anti-aircraft batteries would fire on the friendly fighters, despite Vigors being an experienced night fighter in the Battle of Britain. He was supplemented by the belief that the Buffalo fighter was only suited for daylight fighting and could not be used at night. Paradoxically, there were 12 Bristol Blenheim Mark IF night fighters of No. 27 Squadron RAF stationed in Sungai Petani, Malaya, but were being used as ground-attack aircraft.[7]
The streets were still brightly lit despite air raid sirens going off at 0400, allowing pilot navigators to locate their targets without difficulty. ARP Headquarters was not even manned, and there was no blackout as police and power station officials could not find the employee who had the key to the switch (only two practice blackouts were conducted in September 1941 before the raid).[3] When the bombers began their attack at 0430, Allied anti-aircraft guns immediately opened fire. The battleship Prince of Wales and battlecruiser Repulse also responded, but no aircraft was shot down. A formation of nine bombers flew over without releasing their bombs to draw the searchlights and anti-aircraft guns away from the other group. They were flying at 12,000 feet, while the second formation was at 4,000 feet.[3]
Aftermath
The 'Raiders Passed' signal was sent out at 0500.[3] The bombers succeeded in bombing the airfields at Seletar and Tengah, damaging three Bristol Blenheim bombers of No. 34 Squadron RAF.[4] A number of bombs also fell on Raffles Place. 61 people were killed and more than 700 were injured. Most of the casualties were troops of the 2/2nd Gurkha Rifles, 11th Indian Infantry Division. The Japanese bombers all returned safely to Thu Dau Mot.[1]
Though the bombing caused only minor damage to the airfields, it stunned the British Far East Command. Despite intelligence reports of Japanese aircraft performance in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the command did not believe Japan's air forces were capable of striking Singapore from airfields more than 600 miles away in Indochina. The raid came as a surprise to Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, who "hardly expected the Japanese to have any very long-range aircraft."[4]
| “ | Rudely awakened in the small hours of the morning by the screams of air raid sirens and the roar of ack ack guns and in the clear moonlit sky around a formation of Japanese bombers. Bombs were dropped but none fell in our area. So the war in the Far East started - all day we heard news bulletins telling of the wide spread treachery of the Japs - Well! They've asked for it - !! — Diary and 'Line' book written by the pilots of No. 453 Squadron RAAF[8] | ” |
In the days that followed, Singapore enjoyed a considerable respite from air raids, as the Japanese focussed their attacks on key aerodromes and Allied positions in northern Malaya. The next raid on the island occurred on the night of 16/17 December 1941, which in itself was merely a minor attack on RAF Tengah by two Japanese Ki-21s. Only on the night of 29/30 December did nightly raids resume in earnest on Singapore City. In contrast, daylight raids commenced much later, on 12 January 1942, following the fall of Kuala Lumpur to the Japanese the previous day and the shifting of the bulk of the IJAAF to southern Malaya.
Halford Boudewyn
Harmless-looking 'vegetable seller' who was really a spy for the Allies
By David Miller
TO THE Japanese sentries guarding the sensitive headquarters of the Indian National Army (INA) at Upper Serangoon Road, 22-year-old Halford Boudewyn was a harmless vegetable seller -- and a welcome sight for hungry soldiers.
But for Mr Boudewyn, now 71, selling vegetables was merely a cover. He was in fact a member of an Allied spy ring which smuggled stolen documents of the Japanese plans for the invasion of India.
These highly-classified documents, which were stolen by a contact who worked at the army headquarters, contained detailed information on troop concentrations, heavy artillery weapons, communication and logistical support for the Japanese push westward into India through the town of Imphal, located at the Burmese-Indian border.
Recalled Mr Boudewyn, a retired police officer, in an interview with The Straits Times at his home in Toa Payoh:
"I knew that I could be killed. But I tried not to think about what could happen and just concentrated on what I was doing.
"My job was to smuggle these documents out of the camp and keep them safely until after the war when they were to be used for subsequent war trials."
Although he kept the documents, their vital information were believed to have been sent to the Pacific Allied command through a separate spy channel.
The Imphal campaign was critical to the Japanese who wanted to extend their power westward beyond the Burmese border to India - the jewel in the crown of the British empire.
The four-month invasion began in March 1944 and resulted in the defeat of the Japanese army which was forced to withdraw beyond the Burmese border.
About 12,600 British and Indian Army soldiers were killed or wounded in the battle. About 30,000 Japanese soldiers died and 25,000 more were injured.
The actual workings of this Allied spy ring remained obscure, even after all these years, said Mr Boudewyn.
Like most clandestine organisations, its agents were briefed strictly on a need-to-know basis.
In that way, if one person was arrested by the enemy, he would not be able, even under torture, to expose the whole organisation, he said.
His role as a spy started after he was first approached by an Indian Army officer, Major Aubrey Wyman - himself a Prisoner of War (PoW) - in 1943.
Major Wyman, an Indian, had fought for the British and, like most of the Indian soldiers who refused to join the INA, was interned in a POW camp located next to the INA headquarters.
The INA was made up of Indian Army PoWs who had agreed to fight alongside the Japanese in freeing India from British control.
The organisation was led by Indian Nationalist leader Subhas Chandra Bose who, in 1943, proclaimed himself the head of the Provisional Government of India which was promptly recognised by the Japanese.
In recounting his double role as vegetable seller and spy, Mr Boudewyn, now a grandfather of seven, said:
"Entering the INA headquarters, I would start selling vegetables to the soldiers.
"When it was safe, my contact would pass me the stolen documents wrapped in newspaper which I hid in my bicycle carrier.
"Leaving the camp with these documents was always dangerous. I would park my bicycle by the sentry's shed and give him a very low bow which pleased him immensely.
"After a cursory frisk, I was allowed to leave. I guess the thought of checking my bicycle never occurred to them.
"It seems that if one behaved subserviently towards the sentries, you could get away with quite a lot!"
He said he kept up his activities for almost a year until some time in 1944 when he received the last of the documents.
He hid all the documents he had smuggled in an empty oil drum which he buried in the tennis court of a friend's house in Chancery Hill.
Later, he transferred the drum to his brother's home in St Barnabas Road, off Upper Serangoon Road, where it remained until after the war.
He said that he was never told how his contact, whom he still refuses to name, was able to steal the documents, but surprisingly there were no Japanese reprisals.
Shortly after the war, he met Major Wyman and handed over the stolen documents he had been keeping.
These were taken back to India where an inquiry was held into the conduct of some high-ranking INA officers.
"I was given to understand that the inquiry fell through. Your guess is as good as mine as to what happened. I was disappointed to say the least," he said.
As a result of his undercover work, he received one letter from a colonel with the British intelligence commending him for his good work.
In 1948, he was awarded the Colonial Police Medal (Silver) by the Governor of Singapore, Franklin Gimson, for his efforts.
His outward calm during the interview belied the nature of his role, about which he said he still has nightmares.
He said: "Once every three to six months, I would have frightening dreams and wake up in cold sweat.
"So I got rid of most of the reminders I had kept of the war except my medal and a photograph."
First published in The Straits Times, 13 March 1992
By David Miller
TO THE Japanese sentries guarding the sensitive headquarters of the Indian National Army (INA) at Upper Serangoon Road, 22-year-old Halford Boudewyn was a harmless vegetable seller -- and a welcome sight for hungry soldiers.
But for Mr Boudewyn, now 71, selling vegetables was merely a cover. He was in fact a member of an Allied spy ring which smuggled stolen documents of the Japanese plans for the invasion of India.These highly-classified documents, which were stolen by a contact who worked at the army headquarters, contained detailed information on troop concentrations, heavy artillery weapons, communication and logistical support for the Japanese push westward into India through the town of Imphal, located at the Burmese-Indian border.
Recalled Mr Boudewyn, a retired police officer, in an interview with The Straits Times at his home in Toa Payoh:
"I knew that I could be killed. But I tried not to think about what could happen and just concentrated on what I was doing.
"My job was to smuggle these documents out of the camp and keep them safely until after the war when they were to be used for subsequent war trials."
Although he kept the documents, their vital information were believed to have been sent to the Pacific Allied command through a separate spy channel.
The Imphal campaign was critical to the Japanese who wanted to extend their power westward beyond the Burmese border to India - the jewel in the crown of the British empire.
About 12,600 British and Indian Army soldiers were killed or wounded in the battle. About 30,000 Japanese soldiers died and 25,000 more were injured.
The actual workings of this Allied spy ring remained obscure, even after all these years, said Mr Boudewyn.
Like most clandestine organisations, its agents were briefed strictly on a need-to-know basis.
In that way, if one person was arrested by the enemy, he would not be able, even under torture, to expose the whole organisation, he said.
His role as a spy started after he was first approached by an Indian Army officer, Major Aubrey Wyman - himself a Prisoner of War (PoW) - in 1943.
The INA was made up of Indian Army PoWs who had agreed to fight alongside the Japanese in freeing India from British control.
The organisation was led by Indian Nationalist leader Subhas Chandra Bose who, in 1943, proclaimed himself the head of the Provisional Government of India which was promptly recognised by the Japanese.
"Entering the INA headquarters, I would start selling vegetables to the soldiers.
"When it was safe, my contact would pass me the stolen documents wrapped in newspaper which I hid in my bicycle carrier.
"Leaving the camp with these documents was always dangerous. I would park my bicycle by the sentry's shed and give him a very low bow which pleased him immensely.
"After a cursory frisk, I was allowed to leave. I guess the thought of checking my bicycle never occurred to them.
"It seems that if one behaved subserviently towards the sentries, you could get away with quite a lot!"
He said he kept up his activities for almost a year until some time in 1944 when he received the last of the documents.
He hid all the documents he had smuggled in an empty oil drum which he buried in the tennis court of a friend's house in Chancery Hill.
Later, he transferred the drum to his brother's home in St Barnabas Road, off Upper Serangoon Road, where it remained until after the war.
He said that he was never told how his contact, whom he still refuses to name, was able to steal the documents, but surprisingly there were no Japanese reprisals.
Shortly after the war, he met Major Wyman and handed over the stolen documents he had been keeping.
These were taken back to India where an inquiry was held into the conduct of some high-ranking INA officers.
"I was given to understand that the inquiry fell through. Your guess is as good as mine as to what happened. I was disappointed to say the least," he said.
As a result of his undercover work, he received one letter from a colonel with the British intelligence commending him for his good work.
His outward calm during the interview belied the nature of his role, about which he said he still has nightmares.
He said: "Once every three to six months, I would have frightening dreams and wake up in cold sweat.
"So I got rid of most of the reminders I had kept of the war except my medal and a photograph."
First published in The Straits Times, 13 March 1992
Tan Chong Tee
Tan Chong Tee (simplified Chinese: 陈崇智; traditional Chinese: 陳崇智; pinyin: Chén Chóngzhì; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tân Tsông-tì; born 1918 - 24th November 2012, Singapore) is a former Singaporean resistance fighter during World War II.
Tan was born into a Chinese family with ancestry from Fujian, China, at his family residence along Shrewsbury Road (in present-day Novena) in British colonial Singapore. When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, Tan participated in anti-Japanese activities such as boycotting Japanese goods and fund-raising to support the war effort in China.
Tan lost touch with his family in 1942 after the Japanese invaded and occupied Singapore. He then joined Force 136, a branch of the British military organisation Special Operations Executive, where he met and befriended Lim Bo Seng. Tan took part in Operation Gustavus but was captured in 1944 by the Japanese when the operation failed. He spent the next 18 months in captivity and was subjected to torture by the Japanese, who attempted to force him to reveal the identities of his fellows in Force 136. He was released after the Japanese surrender in 1945, which ended the war. Tan's elder brother, Tan Chong Mao, and their mother, were killed during the Japanese occupation of Singapore.
Tan wrote an autobiography FORCE 136: Story Of A WWII Resistance Fighter (ISBN 981-3029-90-0), which was translated by Lee Watt Sim and Clara Show, and published in 2001 by Asiapac Books as a comic book.[1]
Tan was born into a Chinese family with ancestry from Fujian, China, at his family residence along Shrewsbury Road (in present-day Novena) in British colonial Singapore. When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, Tan participated in anti-Japanese activities such as boycotting Japanese goods and fund-raising to support the war effort in China.
Tan lost touch with his family in 1942 after the Japanese invaded and occupied Singapore. He then joined Force 136, a branch of the British military organisation Special Operations Executive, where he met and befriended Lim Bo Seng. Tan took part in Operation Gustavus but was captured in 1944 by the Japanese when the operation failed. He spent the next 18 months in captivity and was subjected to torture by the Japanese, who attempted to force him to reveal the identities of his fellows in Force 136. He was released after the Japanese surrender in 1945, which ended the war. Tan's elder brother, Tan Chong Mao, and their mother, were killed during the Japanese occupation of Singapore.
Tan wrote an autobiography FORCE 136: Story Of A WWII Resistance Fighter (ISBN 981-3029-90-0), which was translated by Lee Watt Sim and Clara Show, and published in 2001 by Asiapac Books as a comic book.[1]
Life After The Japanese Occupation
Did life return to normal after the end of the Japanese Occupation?
- The British Military Adminiastration established for post- war
reconstruction
- Shortage of food, jobs, water and electricity
- Overcrowding and unhygienic housing conditions
- The British Military Adminiastration established for post- war
reconstruction
- Shortage of food, jobs, water and electricity
- Overcrowding and unhygienic housing conditions
Lieutenant Adnan Saidi
Adnan Saidi (b. 1915, Selangor, Malaysia - d. 1942, Singapore), a lieutenant of the Malay Regiment's 1st Battalion, died fighting the Japanese in one of the fiercest battles in Singapore during WW II. A war hero, he led his men in the Battle of Opium Hill (Bukit Chandu), off Pasir Panjang, giving the Japanese a bitter taste of real combat so much so that when they captured him, they tortured him as revenge before killing him and burning his body. Adnan received medals posthumously for his courage while a memorial plaque was erected at Kent Ridge to commemorate the bravery of Adnan and his men. The memory of this brave soldier also lives on at Kranji War Memorial where his name is etched on the main memorial column wall of the Kranji War Cemetery.Early lifeAdnan Saidi was the eldest of six children and was one of three male siblings to join the military. He studied at Pekan Sungei Ramal School in the English medium and was said to be bright and diligent. Upon graduating, he became a trainee teacher and taught at his old school for over a year. However, the military calling was stronger and he left teaching for the Malay Regiment in 1933 at the young age of 18. Within four years, he rose through the ranks to become 2nd Lieutenant and leader of the 7th Platoon, 'C' Coy, of the Malay Regiment. His rapid promotions were indicative of a highly dedicated and disciplined soldier.World War II
When he was 23 years old, Adnan married Sophia Pakih Muda, a school teacher from his village. The couple had three children, two sons and a daughter. Adnan did not live to see his daughter being born and she died at infancy shortly after the fall of Singapore in 1942. Combining the hectic life of a career soldier and that of a father, Adnan was remembered by one of his son, Mokhtar, as "serious and fierce...yet had a good heart". Time with his sons was spent on walks or rugged games as he wanted them to grow up tough.
In late 1941, Adnan was posted to Singapore. He brought his family with him and they lived in a big house off Pasir Panjang, an area reserved for officers in the Malay Regiment. When war became imminent, Adnan sent his family back to their hometown in Kajang, Selangor, in December 1941. It was a trying time for him as his wife was pregnant with their third child. When they bade him goodbye, it was the last time that his family set eyes on him.
Adnan was entrusted with the defence of Pasir Panjang Ridge, the last British bastion before Alexandra, where their main ammunition and supplies, military hospital and other key installations were located. In an epic battle, the Battle for Pasir Panjang (13 to 14 February 1942) or the "Battle of Opium Hill
Adnan's gruesome death
Adnan's fierce resistance and refusal to surrender even after being mortally wounded proved damaging to his ending at Japanese hands. Not satisfied with capturing him, the Japanese, angered over the casualties they suffered, dragged Adnan and hung him by his legs to a tree and repeatedly bayoneted him. The brutal torture, which also included repeatedly slitting his throat and leaving his mutilated body to hang and some said eventually burning it, was witnessed by one survivor of the Opium Hill battle, Corporal Yaakob. He escaped death by laying motionless amongst the layer of dead bodies.
In his passing, Adnan's undying valour exemplified his strong belief in the Malay motto: "Biar putih tulang, jangan putih mata" - death before dishonour. Adnan's body was never found. The Japanese continued to hunt down the rest of his family. To foil their attempts, Adnan's brother gave away his belongings and photographs. No one wanted or dared to keep Adnan's belongings for fear of being killed by the Japanese. Today, the fiery spirit of Adnan and his men is remembered by a war memorial plaque in Kent Ridge Park erected in their honour, and the etching on the main memorial column wall of the Kranji War Cemetery No. 385 bearing the words "Lt. Adnan Saidi". A telemovie about his life and the battle at Opium Hill, titled Bukit Candu, was also made.
Timeline
1933 : Joined the Malay Regiment
1934 : Best recruit of the Malay Regiment
1936 : Promoted to rank of Sergeant
1937 : Chosen to represent his platoon in a military ceremonial parade in London to honour the ascension of King George IV to the throne
1937 : Married to Sophia Pakih Muda, a teacher
1937 : Promoted to Company-sergeant-major and left for Singapore for an officer's conversion course
193? : Graduated as 2nd Lieutenant, leader of the 7th Platoon, 'C' Coy, Malay Regiment
1941 : Posted to Singapore
14 Feb 1942 : Killed by Japanese Army in Battle of Opium Hill, off Pasir Panjang, Singapore
1995 : War memorial plaque at Vigilante Drive, Kent Ridge Park, erected in honour of Adnan and his Malay Brigade
17 Feb 2002 : Reflections at Bukit Chandu, World War II Interpretative Centre opened at Pasir Panjang Ridge
Posthumous Awards (by the British Government)
Star Medal
Defence Medal
War Medal
Family
Eldest of six siblings.
Two younger brothers : Amarullah Saidi and the late Ahmad Saidi, also officers in the British military forces.
Wife : Madam.Sophia Pakih Muda, a.k.a. Sophia Pakir (d. 1949), school teacher.
Children : Sons, Mokhtar and Zainudin, and a daughter who died at infancy.
Author
Nureza Ahmad & Nor-Afidah A Rahman
 |
| Elizabeth Choy |
Elizabeth Choy Su-Mei nee Elizabeth Yong a.k.a. Yong Su Mei (b. 29 November 1910, Kudat, Sabah - 14 September 2006, Singapore), a Hakka from North Borneo, noted for being a war-time heroine during the Japanese occupation and the only woman member in the Legislative Council in 1951. She also posed as an artist's model for the famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, who did two works of her entitled Serene Jade and Flawless Crystal. She worked as a teacher and became the first principal of the Singapore School for the Blind. She was also known for her qipaos and bangles, for which she was nicknamed "Dayak woman of Singapore".
Early lifeElizabeth was born in Kudat in British North Borneo (today Sabah). Her great-grandparents had been assisting German missionaries in Hongkong and their work had brought them to North Borneo. There, the Yong family set up a coconut plantation. Her father had been the eldest in a family of 11 children and after completing his early education in China with some English education in North Borneo, he gained employment as a civil servant. Marrying the daughter of a priest from a well-respected family in North Borneo, he was transferred to Jesselton and later promoted to District Officer and moved on to Borneo's interiors in Kalimantan. Elizabeth was looked after by a Kadazan nanny and acquired Kadazan as her first language.
Education
Later, Elizabeth's father was posted to Tenom where there were no educational facilities, so Elizabeth and her siblings were sent back to Kudat where her paternal grandfather ran the village school, teaching in Chinese. Her higher education was taken at St Monica's School between 1921 to 1929, an Anglican missionary boarding school in Sandakan. Because the teachers could not pronounce Chinese names, she adopted the English name Elizabeth. In 1925, she and her aunt Jessie became the first girls to sign up in North Borneo's inaugural Girl Guides Company. By 1927, she was teaching the lower standards even whilst she was studying.
In December 1929, she came to Singapore to further her studies at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus at Victoria Street. She shone academically, obtaining the Prize of Honor in her first year of school in December 1930. She resided with her fourth uncle at Selegie where he ran a music shop, the original T. M. A. at High Street. The untimely death of her mother in 1931 and the onset of the Great Depression placed upon her the burden of raising her six younger siblings. Thus she forwent a college education, even a possible scholarship, to start work so she could finance the education of her younger siblings.
Japanese Occupation
During the Japanese Occupation, she worked as a canteen operator with her husband at the Mental Hospital which was renamed Miyako Hospital (the predecessor of Woodbridge Hospital) where patients from General Hospital had been moved to. They secretly brought food, medicine, money, messages and even radios to British internees. Unfortunately, they were caught by the Japanese and Elizabeth was arrested on 15 November 1943, following her husband's arrest on 29 October a few weeks earlier. Believing their activities were related to the Double Tenth incident, she was interrogated by the Kempeitai but she never admitted to being a British sympathiser. She was released only after 200 days of starvation diet and repeated torture. Her husband was released much later.
England years
After the war, Elizabeth was invited to England as a celebrated war heroine noted as the only female local to have been incarcerated for such an extended period. She went there as part of the privileged few who were invited to Britain to recuperate from the war but her stay extended three more years, totalling four years there. In her first year, she was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth. In her second year, she took up Domestic Science at Northern Polytechnic and in her third year, she taught at a London Council School. Intent on studying art but without the finances for this venture, Elizabeth resorted to posing for art instead. The famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, made two sculptures of her - Serene Jade" and Flawless Crystal. Elizabeth gave her copy of Serene Jade to her daughters who, in turn, donated it to the Singapore Art Museum. Her copy of Flawless Crystal sits in an art gallery in Leicester, Britain.
Politics
She returned to Singapore in December 1949 and was persuaded to stand for elections in December 1950 for the West Ward or Cairnhill constituency under the banner of the Labour Party, founded in 1948 by V. J. Mendis. However, she lost in the 1951 City Council Elections, to the Progressive Party representative, Soh Ghee Soon. However, she was nominated into the Legislative Council in 1951, becoming the only woman member there. She served for a full five-year term. As a member of the Legislative Council, she represented Singapore at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. She later stood for elections in Queenstown but bowed out from politics thereafter, believing she could do more for the country as a teacher.
In the 1950s, she joined the women's auxiliary of the Singapore Volunteers Corps, and was instrumental in expanding the organisation when she recruited many of her friends and colleagues.
She hit the headlines in early 1998, when she included a nude photograph of herself at a local art exhibition.
Career
1933 : Became a teacher at C. E. Z. M. S or Church of England Zenana Mission School (currently, St. Margaret's school)
1935 : Transferred to St. Andrew's Boy's School, probably the only untrained teacher at that time.
1949 : Began a stint as an artist's model, when she was 39 years old and was working in London. She posed for the famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, who did two works of her entitled Serene Jade and Flawless Crystal.
1950? : Returned to Singapore as Senior Assistant, or Deputy Principal at St Andrew's School.
End 1953 - beginning 1954 : Conducted a lecture tour of Malaya in the US and Canada at the request of the Foreign Office in London. Prior to the tour, she took time to visit Malaya to get a better understanding of the country. At that time, it was in the throes of Emergency.
1956 - 1960 : Became the first principal of the Singapore School for the Blind.
1960 - 1974 : Returned to St Andrew's Junior School and promoted to Deputy Principal in 1964.
Family
Husband: Choy Khun Heng (b. Hongkong - ), whom she married on 16 August 1941, the brother of the fiancé of an old school friend. It was a double wedding held in conjunction with her brother, Kon Vui's wedding. Khun Heng worked as a book-keeper at the Borneo Company before the war.
Daughters: Bridget Wai Fong (b. 1950), Lynette Wai Ling, Irene Wai Fun, actually her niece. All were adopted in the 1950s.
Awards
1950 : Order of the British Empire
Order of the Star of Sarawak
The Girls Guide Bronze Cross
1973 : Pingkat Bakti Setia, Singapore, for her service of at least four decades in education
Elizabeth passed away on 14 September 2006 at her home in MacKenzie Road. She was diagnosed with advanced cancer of the pancreas one month before her death.
Author
Bonny Tan
References
Zhou, M. (1995). Elizabeth Choy: More than a war heroine: A biography. Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: RSING 371.10092 ZHO)
Intisari, IV (1), 15-74.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.5005 INT)
A woman ahead of her time. (1998, February 15). The Straits Times.
One must not be prudish. (1998, February 15). The Straits Times.
Tan, T. (2006. September 15). War heroine Elizabeth Choy dies at 96. The Straits Times, Prime News.
Early lifeElizabeth was born in Kudat in British North Borneo (today Sabah). Her great-grandparents had been assisting German missionaries in Hongkong and their work had brought them to North Borneo. There, the Yong family set up a coconut plantation. Her father had been the eldest in a family of 11 children and after completing his early education in China with some English education in North Borneo, he gained employment as a civil servant. Marrying the daughter of a priest from a well-respected family in North Borneo, he was transferred to Jesselton and later promoted to District Officer and moved on to Borneo's interiors in Kalimantan. Elizabeth was looked after by a Kadazan nanny and acquired Kadazan as her first language.
Education
Later, Elizabeth's father was posted to Tenom where there were no educational facilities, so Elizabeth and her siblings were sent back to Kudat where her paternal grandfather ran the village school, teaching in Chinese. Her higher education was taken at St Monica's School between 1921 to 1929, an Anglican missionary boarding school in Sandakan. Because the teachers could not pronounce Chinese names, she adopted the English name Elizabeth. In 1925, she and her aunt Jessie became the first girls to sign up in North Borneo's inaugural Girl Guides Company. By 1927, she was teaching the lower standards even whilst she was studying.
In December 1929, she came to Singapore to further her studies at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus at Victoria Street. She shone academically, obtaining the Prize of Honor in her first year of school in December 1930. She resided with her fourth uncle at Selegie where he ran a music shop, the original T. M. A. at High Street. The untimely death of her mother in 1931 and the onset of the Great Depression placed upon her the burden of raising her six younger siblings. Thus she forwent a college education, even a possible scholarship, to start work so she could finance the education of her younger siblings.
Japanese Occupation
During the Japanese Occupation, she worked as a canteen operator with her husband at the Mental Hospital which was renamed Miyako Hospital (the predecessor of Woodbridge Hospital) where patients from General Hospital had been moved to. They secretly brought food, medicine, money, messages and even radios to British internees. Unfortunately, they were caught by the Japanese and Elizabeth was arrested on 15 November 1943, following her husband's arrest on 29 October a few weeks earlier. Believing their activities were related to the Double Tenth incident, she was interrogated by the Kempeitai but she never admitted to being a British sympathiser. She was released only after 200 days of starvation diet and repeated torture. Her husband was released much later.
England years
After the war, Elizabeth was invited to England as a celebrated war heroine noted as the only female local to have been incarcerated for such an extended period. She went there as part of the privileged few who were invited to Britain to recuperate from the war but her stay extended three more years, totalling four years there. In her first year, she was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth. In her second year, she took up Domestic Science at Northern Polytechnic and in her third year, she taught at a London Council School. Intent on studying art but without the finances for this venture, Elizabeth resorted to posing for art instead. The famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, made two sculptures of her - Serene Jade" and Flawless Crystal. Elizabeth gave her copy of Serene Jade to her daughters who, in turn, donated it to the Singapore Art Museum. Her copy of Flawless Crystal sits in an art gallery in Leicester, Britain.
Politics
She returned to Singapore in December 1949 and was persuaded to stand for elections in December 1950 for the West Ward or Cairnhill constituency under the banner of the Labour Party, founded in 1948 by V. J. Mendis. However, she lost in the 1951 City Council Elections, to the Progressive Party representative, Soh Ghee Soon. However, she was nominated into the Legislative Council in 1951, becoming the only woman member there. She served for a full five-year term. As a member of the Legislative Council, she represented Singapore at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. She later stood for elections in Queenstown but bowed out from politics thereafter, believing she could do more for the country as a teacher.
In the 1950s, she joined the women's auxiliary of the Singapore Volunteers Corps, and was instrumental in expanding the organisation when she recruited many of her friends and colleagues.
She hit the headlines in early 1998, when she included a nude photograph of herself at a local art exhibition.
Career
1933 : Became a teacher at C. E. Z. M. S or Church of England Zenana Mission School (currently, St. Margaret's school)
1935 : Transferred to St. Andrew's Boy's School, probably the only untrained teacher at that time.
1949 : Began a stint as an artist's model, when she was 39 years old and was working in London. She posed for the famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, who did two works of her entitled Serene Jade and Flawless Crystal.
1950? : Returned to Singapore as Senior Assistant, or Deputy Principal at St Andrew's School.
End 1953 - beginning 1954 : Conducted a lecture tour of Malaya in the US and Canada at the request of the Foreign Office in London. Prior to the tour, she took time to visit Malaya to get a better understanding of the country. At that time, it was in the throes of Emergency.
1956 - 1960 : Became the first principal of the Singapore School for the Blind.
1960 - 1974 : Returned to St Andrew's Junior School and promoted to Deputy Principal in 1964.
Family
Husband: Choy Khun Heng (b. Hongkong - ), whom she married on 16 August 1941, the brother of the fiancé of an old school friend. It was a double wedding held in conjunction with her brother, Kon Vui's wedding. Khun Heng worked as a book-keeper at the Borneo Company before the war.
Daughters: Bridget Wai Fong (b. 1950), Lynette Wai Ling, Irene Wai Fun, actually her niece. All were adopted in the 1950s.
Awards
1950 : Order of the British Empire
Order of the Star of Sarawak
The Girls Guide Bronze Cross
1973 : Pingkat Bakti Setia, Singapore, for her service of at least four decades in education
Elizabeth passed away on 14 September 2006 at her home in MacKenzie Road. She was diagnosed with advanced cancer of the pancreas one month before her death.
Author
Bonny Tan
References
Zhou, M. (1995). Elizabeth Choy: More than a war heroine: A biography. Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: RSING 371.10092 ZHO)
Intisari, IV (1), 15-74.
(Call no.: RCLOS 959.5005 INT)
A woman ahead of her time. (1998, February 15). The Straits Times.
One must not be prudish. (1998, February 15). The Straits Times.
Tan, T. (2006. September 15). War heroine Elizabeth Choy dies at 96. The Straits Times, Prime News.
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