Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore - DALFORCE (Dalley's Desperadoes) - A Tribute

Discussion in 'War Grave Photographs' started by bucklt, Oct 7, 2019.

  1. bucklt

    bucklt Bucklt

    Even though in existence for only 51 days (25-12-41 to 13-02-42), this irregular forces/guerilla unit reached a membership of around 4000 men and women, all of whom were ethnic Chinese people of Singapore. With very little training and even fewer arms, they were to earn the nickname Dalley's Desperadoes, due to their fighting spirit when confronting the Japanese invasion force.

    Many of it's members were captured, tortured and executed and over 130 of these estimated 300 casualties are now commemorated on 3 different memorials located in Kranji War Cemetery: The Singapore Memorial, The Chinese Memorial-Plot 44 and The Unmaintainable Graves Memorial.
    Attached 4 images show all these names as they appear on above 3 memorials.

    Their C.O., Lt. Col. John D. Dalley, who survived the war, wrote a report in 1945-46 concerning this particular unit.

    Some interesting links here:

    Dalforce - Wikipedia

    Dalforce | Infopedia

    Dalforce: Dalley's Desperadoes

    http://www.hsse.nie.edu.sg/staff/blackburn/JCOBlackburnChew (233-259).pdf (link to 27 page document)

    What I find of particular interest is that many of those who initially joined-up (service numbers beginning with 'DAL----') are the ones commemorated at Kranji. Perhaps, given the atrocities carried out by the Japanese in Manchuria, their desire for revenge led them to make the ultimate sacrifice!
    Results

    LEST WE FORGET


    Tony Buckley :poppy: www.asiawargraves.com
    01. DALFORCE (image 1of4), Singapore Memorial, Columns 397, 398, 399, 400 © asiawargraves.com.JPG 02. DALFORCE (image 2of4), Singapore Memorial, Columns 397, 398, 399, 400 © asiawargraves.com.JPG 03. DALFORCE (image 3of4), Chinese Memorial - Plot 44, Kranji War Cemetery © asiawargraves.com.JPG 04. DALFORCE (image 4of4), Unmaintainable Graves  Memorial  © asiawargraves.com.jpg
     
  2. TTH

    TTH Senior Member

    The fighting spirit shown by these people in Singapore's final days was remarkable. Imagine what they could have done and how well Singapore and Malaya could have been defended if the authorities had reached out to them earlier and given them proper arms, training, and organization.
     

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