The Fall of Singapore 1942

introduction

What Happened?

• 1942, British Forces retreat onto Singapore by rapidly advancing Japanese.
• The British forces quickly realise their retaliations were useless.
• Brit. Commander calls for surrender, 130,000 troops became POW.
• Fall of Singapore a humiliation to British gov., ending of British Empire.
• Australia turns away from Britain & strengthens military ties with US.

in greater detail

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• Jan 31 1942, British Forces withdraw from Malay Peninsula to Singapore.


•8 Feb, Japanese land and soon are on outskirts of Singapore City.

• Troops call reinforcements but the Japanese give no chances to recover.


• Heavy fighting continues but on Feb 15, Gen. Percival, Brit commander, surrenders.


• 130 000 troops lay down their arms to be POW. “Perhaps darkest chapter of Australia’s wartime history.”

Untitled Slide

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• Singapore burned and war came to Australia’s porch.


• Inadequate defence verified to Australia that British don’t have the defence we need.


• Leads to Australia turning to America for assistance in defence, lasts to this day.


• Malaysia and Singapore begin on the road to independence, while the British Empire starts to fade.

This is a picture taken during the British surrender to the Japanese at the Fall of Singapore. General Percival, led by a Japanese officer, walks under a flag of truce to negotiate the surrender of the Allied Forces in Singapore. It was the largest surrender of British-led forces in history. The photo shows the first step towards the end of the British Forces from this humiliating defeat.

so, to conclude

THE fall of singapore on history

• Fall of Singapore was disastrous, 15000 Australians became POW
• This was Britain biggest and most humiliating defeat in history
• Australia realised we can't continue relying the on British 
• After the war, South-East Asia farewelled colonial rule, now in own control

bIbLiography

• http://www.singaporeaninlondon.com/2011/10/imperial-war-museum-war-and-peac... (website)
• http://www.ww2australia.gov.au/japadvance/singapore.html(Website)
• http://www.dva.gov.au/commems_oawg/commemorations/education/Documents/1POW_... (pdf)
• http://www.smh.com.au/national/the-day-the-empire-died-in-shame-20120214-1t... (online article)
• Corfield, J. and Corfield, R., 2012. The fall of Singapore. 1st ed. Melbourne: Hardie Grant.