PLAQUE NO. 25 ... CHANGI Plaque text View attachment 2899 Almost one million Australians served their country during World War II. Of these, over 22,900 men and women became prisoners-of-war (POW) of the Imperial Japanese Army in Asia. After the fall of Singapore in February 1942, the Japanese used the Changi Peninsula Barracks and Gaol to imprison over 50,000 allied troops and civilians. Other Allied POWs came to Changi and then went on to labour in Borneo, the Dutch East Indies, Formosa, Indo-China, Japan, Korea, Manchuria, Singapore and on the infamous Burma-Thai railway. The story of Changi has become synonymous with the POW experience of legendary heroism, hardship and suffering. In Asia over 8,000 Australians died in captivity but many more, who survived the horrors of their captivity, owed their lives to the doctors and their medical orderlies. Using hopelessly inadequate medical equipment and few drugs they struggled to counteract the effects of starvation, disease and captor brutality. Annotations 1. Kitchener Barracks Main accommodation for British and a few Dutch POW until May 1943 and then used by Japanese. 2. Roberts Barracks Main camp hospital until May 1943. 3. India Barracks British POW camp until May 1943. 4. Changi Village Small village for local population. 5. Pre-War Railway Designed to service 15 inch (38 cm) gauge. Dismantled by Japanese. 6. Original Changi Airfield Commenced in September 1943 by POW for Japanese Airforce. Today part of Changi International Airport. 7. Changi Cemetery POW buried here until 1945. All later moved to Kranji Commonwealth War Cemetery at northern tip of island. 8. Three 15 inch Guns Part of British artillery defence of Singapore. Dismantled by Japanese. 9. Selarang Barracks Australian accommodation until May 1943. The 2,000 POW not transported as labourers confined here. Occupied by Japanese Airforce in 1944 and all Allied POW moved to Changi Prison. 10. Changi Prison Designed in 1938 to hold 650 men. Detained here were 3,500 white civilian prisoners, including women and children. They were moved in May 1944 and replaced by 12,000 Allied POW including survivors of the Burma-Thai railway, Italians and Americans. 11. Present Changi International Airport.
PLAQUE NO. 79 ... El Alamein http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=3090&thumb=1&d=1161646144 The battles of El Alamein occurred between 1 July and 4 November 1942 and were a major turning point in the Second World War. Prior to this, General Rommel, commanding the German and Italian (axis) forces had advanced from Tobruk and appeared poised to capture Alexandria. A final 60km defensive position was established at El Alamein by a multinational force led by the British high command. During July (Ruweisat Ridge) and august (Alam El Halfa Ridge) Rommel's forces tried to break this position but they were repulsed and lost ground in particular to the Australians around Tel El Eisa. The allies (under Lt-Gen Montgomery) gradually built-up a two to one superiority over Rommel's forces in men, tanks and materials. The armies strengthened their defences with kilometres of trenches and land mines, in anticipation of the final conflict. The main battle commenced on 23 October along a 10 km front (refer map). The allies gradually advanced but fierce fighting persisted for 12 days during which thousands died on both sides. On 3 November British tanks finally broke through near tell El Aqqaqir and the axis forces retreated ending one of history's great battles. For generations to come the sacrifices made by the men who fought here will stand as their eternal memorial. Australia's crucial battle for El Alamein was a decisive factor in the allied victory. From July to November 1942 the Australians pressed the Italian and German forces relentlessly, especially those in the coastal area. The Australians had a pivotal function in both the October offensive and and when the division withstood the full might of the German-Italian counter-attacks prior to the allied breakthrough. In the July offensive the 9th Division suffered 2,552 casualties. In the main battle of El Alamein during October and November the division suffered 620 killed, 1,944 wounded and 130 prisoners, these casualties represented one fifth of the total allied losses of 13,560 killed, wounded and missing. The divisional memorial and allied cemetery are located well behind the 1942 front line, on sites previously occupied by the allied support camps, through which soldiers moved forward to engage the enemy. Today, on the battlefield little remains to remind us of the war. Only the memorials of many nations stand testimony to the magnitude of the conflict and the sacrifices made by so many in 1942. In the silence of the desert - reflect and remember.
PLAQUE NO. 28 ... KRANJI Part one of the text on the Kranji Plaque at Kranji Cemetery Singapore. 1941 <o></o> 8 DEC. JAPAN MADE A SURPRISE AIR ATTACK ON SINGAPORE - CONCENTRATED IN THE SOUTH AROUND KEPPEL HARBOUR AND RAFFLES PLACE, THE HEART OF THE ISLANDS BUSINESS DISTRICT. <o></o> FEWNEXT SPORADIC JAPANESE AERIAL ATTACKS, FAVOURITE TARGETS WERE THE MILITARY AIRFIELDS, THE BRITISH<o> </o>NAVAL BASE AT SEMBAWANG IN THE NORTH AND<o> </o>THE KEPPEL AND TANJONG PAGAR DOCK AREAS IN THE SOUTH.<o></o> 1942<o>:</o> JAN.LT. GEN. PERCIVAL, LEADER OF THE ALLIED FORCES, COMPLETES DEFENCE PLAN DIVIDING SINGAPORE INTO THREE BROAD FIGHTING SECTIONS - SOUTHERN, NORTHERN AND WESTERN - WITH CENTRAL RESERVE AREA CONTROLLING SUPPLIES OF FOOD, FUEL AND AMMUNITION. <o></o> 30 JAN. BRITISH RETREATED ACROSS THE CAUSEWAY INTO SINGAPORE; CAUSEWAY DESTROYED THE FOLLOWING DAY. <o></o> 31 JAN. THE BATTLE OF SINGAPORE BEGAN. <o> </o>7 FEB. JAPANESE CAPTURED PALAU UVIN AN ISLAND OFF CHANGI. THIS FIRST INVASION WAS DESIGNED TO DIVERT ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE NORTHWEST COAST WHERE THE MAIN INVASION TOOK PLACE. <o></o> 8 FEB. FIRST JAPANESE TROOPS WERE LANDED BY SMALL BOATS AT SARIMBUN ALONG THE NORTHWEST SHORELINE. AFTER BITTER FIGHTING AGAINST AUSTRALIAN TROOPS THEY ADVANCED INLAND TOWARDS TENGAH AIRFIELD NEAR BULIM. <o></o> 9 FEB. JAPANESE CAPTURED AMA KENG VILLAGE AND THE TENGAH AIRFIELD NORTH OF BULIM. ALLIED AIR FORCE EVACUATED TO SUMATRA. JAPANESE NOW DOMINATE THE SKIES. IN THE EVENING NEW JAPANESE LANDINGS AGAINST AUSTRALIAN POSITIONS AROUND KRANJI.<o></o> 10 Feb.. Japanese occupied Kranji area and the woodlands high ground which overlooked the causeway and was the key to the northern defences. Kranji-Jurong line, a narrow ridge serving as last natural defence line guarding northwestern approaches to Singapore city, taken over by Japanese. 11 Feb.. Bukit Timah village captured. Indian and Australian troops being pushed back. British abandoned headquarters at Sime road and retreat to underground bunker at fort canning. British naval base abandoned. 12 Feb.. British selected final defence perimeter encompassing areas in the central and southern sectors. Japanese pressed towards Singapore city on four fronts but suffered heavy losses. 13 Feb.. Japanese commander Lt. Gen. Yamashita moved headquarters to Ford factory near Bukit Timah. Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill) near Pasir Panjang village defended by Malays in an epic 48-hour stand while other defence positions collapsed. 14 Feb.. British troops heavily attacked on northern perimeter while in the south Japanese took Alexandra hospital, many hospital staff and patients massacred. 15 Feb.. British surrendered to the Japanese at ford factory resulting in 130,000 allied prisoners of war. Aftermath Japan's military occupation of Singapore lasted three and a half years. Following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered unconditionally on 15 august, 1945. The British forces returned to Singapore on 5 September 1945. A week later, Lord Mount batten accepted the surrender of all Japanese forces in southeast Asia at the municipal (city) hall.
