battlefield tour
Now with all the controversy going on with what you can or cannot say on blogs, i find that it's becoming more and more redundant having a blog. Say for example, I want to say that a certain brand's handphone isn't good or is a total piece of crap - like the one i'm using now; does that mean that i can be sued for wrongful placement of a certain product and may be made to pay back lost sales legally? What is legal anymore?
Whatever.
My brother just went back to Aust. Hung out with him 2 full days at obscure places like i mentioned in the previous post. Apparently these place were the last defence points before the fall of Singapore. The 2nd last being Sunset Way (near Clementi) and the final area being this place near Holland Village. These were places where the last of the Australian Troops held their ground before the Surrender. Before these more developed places, we were at places near the coastline north west of Singapore. Where the troops were defending gainst the straits invading Japanese.
The conditions at these coastal areas weren't your sandy beaches or rocks with nice holes to hide in... they were swamps - muddy grounds with lots of pests and potential disease. Truely.. when i was there the 2nd time, it really made me think of how it could have use to look like.
We also visited Kranji Memorial Cemetary. My brother told me that it was a 'spiritual' experience for him. Working on a project with thousands of physical miles away from where it happened..and from decades of years apart from when it happened - and now being where the root of it all....
What struck me were the ages that these Soldiers were at that time. Most of them in their twenties, early thirties, the youngest ones it saw were 18, 19 yrs old. Made me wonder do kids like me these days have what it takes to do what they did? Apart from prancing in the uniform and playing soldier for 2/half years in National Service, ultimately when it comes to that.. Will i run or will i stay and fight? Hmm.. I'm infantry, puts me in a safe spot of collecting bodies after the artillery.. ha.
Can't seem the get the picture uploader to work... will try again latar....
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3 Comments:
Well I have checked and rechecked, the place called Tanglin Barracks was indeed used by the Australian 8th Division as its HQ just before the British surrendered. In fact the CO of the Division mentioned it a few times in his diary that Tanglin Barracks was the HQ. Also he mentioned the HQ of one of the Australian Battalions was at a house in Holland Village...which one? I bet it is gone by now. Finally, at Serimbun, we were actually standing on the site where the Japanese offensive went through. Where we stood at the mangrove line was the position of "C" company 2/20 BN. The retreat route of the 2/20 Australian BN was made along the road that leads to the life firing areas...the one where in the distance we could see a shed. Chances are the shed is modern because the HQ position was a lot further away. The HQ of the 22th Australian BDE was established at the junction of Lim Chu Kang Road and Neo Swee Road. The Battalion HQ was further north. And finally finally, the Japanese landings took place at night at approx 2045 hours which meant that it was low tide when the Japanese attempted to land so I think the story of the Australians trapped in the mud at high tide is not that accruate. Actually the area between Serimbun and Kranji has a lot of significance...which means we have to be going back there again! You, know...there was actually an air strip up there, which is no longer marked on any map now...
....That's why i say that all the brains in the family went to my brother...
btw, Tanglin barracks is the current dempsey road where we have wine now and then. How interesting history can get no?
And all the charms in the family went to my brother. So the next time you bring some girls to Dempsey Road for drinks or for curry, you can impress them with the knowledge of the place... And you can tell them about Holland Village and Maju Camp also. See at least you have the chance to impress others... I have problems asking girls out to begin with, don't talk about even impressing them...hahaha...blah!!
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