Escape from Singapore

 

 

Escape from the island of Singapore was made roughly in two phases. From December 7th 1942 until the end of January 1943 by which times the Japanese had captured most of Malaya and Singapore, the British forces had fallen back on Singapore. Royal Air Force units in Malaya had largely been destroyed but many personnel had managed to reach Singapore to join others still involved in resisting the invasion. When the general surrender was made many chose to evade capture by leaving the island in aircraft, ships and boats for Java, Sumatra and even Australia.

The second phase was also short lived. Escapes were made from the temporary prisons and in particular from the notorious Changi Goal during the period of the Japanese occupation and consolidation of the island which followed the surrender. Generally the initial escape lead to hiding on the island until a means of crossing to Java or Sumatra could be found. Help was given freely by Malays, Dutch, Sumatrans, Chinese and Javanese.

Escapes from Singapore soon stopped after the Japanese took savage reprisals against the unsuccessful, those who had helped and eventually those who had merely been in the camp from which the escape had been made. Anyone showing the slightest persistence with escape activities was executed and before long those remaining in the camps had no alternative but to try to remain alive and await the day of liberation.

 

 

(Reproduced from Escape from Singapore Commemorative Flight Cover)

 

Credit

RAF Escaping Society badge courtesy of
http://www.rafinfo.org.uk/rafescape/