Changi Jail

[Richard Quartermaine]

#6: I've been away from S'pore for 28 years so I cannot reliably comment on the developments since then. For 12 years over a period of 20 years we, our family, lived in safety not equalled anywhere else in Asia under a regime that protected it's population and punished it's demeanors. In this country township it is not safe to stroll at night let alone do so in more populous areas. Vandalism is rife at considerable cost to repair by the vandalised and so on. Of the various regimes under which I've dwelt if I had my druthers I'd druther one like the Singapore I experienced. From the terror and deprivation of 7 decades ago they understood the peril of lackadaisical incompetence.
Richard

[Roger French]

I'm with you there Richard. We left 22 years ago, and when we were there weren't worried that our teenage daughter was out at night with friends, and walked home (we lived in Tanglin), though she did get soaking wet some times when it came on to rain!

[cappy]

When we was put into the jail in October 1944 --- a couple of times

- - - Updated - - -

that should be October1944

######now thats a proper bad feeder lou regards cappy

[Richard Quartermaine]

Great days Roger. We lived a bit further on up towards Holland Village and then luckily got one of the government's old colonial houses off Serangoon Road. it was left open most of the time. My daughter and son went to Tanglin Prep and then went on to high school on our second stint. It was a good safe environment and not just because we were expatriates. My local colleagues had excellent working and living conditions and the CPF, a superannuation we only dream about.
Richard

[j.sabourn]

As regards safety in Singapore... My last experience up there was about 16 years ago and was baby sitting a ship for Malaysian Owners, with an Indonesian crew, myself and Chief were paid in US Dollars and the Indonesians in Singapore dollars which was extremely good money for them. As we spent a lot of time at the Eastern Anchorage, I used to get a bum boat ashore at the end of the month to receive all monies due for all on board. Just used to meet the agent on the bustling quay where all the ferry boats used to converse and money was handed over in an envelope. There was always in excess of 10, 000 dollars in this envelope but had no feelings of of being scared of being robbed. As already stated Singapore to me is one of the safest places in the world, at least it was then. I agree with their laws, and anyone caught contravening them has themselves to blame as there is sufficient notices of penalties displayed, and they do carry them out if found guilty. John S.

[Lou Barron]

The POWs was not the only people who was badly treated by the Japs some of the locals suffered a lot especially the Chinese they got special treatment it was nothing to see Chinese heads stuck on poles around some of the places when we was on working parties .
One of the places that a lot of the executions took place was on a beach not far from Changi Jail

[happy daze john in oz]

Australia has just signed a Free Trade deal with Japan. The Japanese PM said he wanted to put the past behind us and go forward as friends???????????????????????????

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI John.
I watched that Jap dipstick's speech in parliament,all the sycophants were clapping, I have never heard the Jap Government ever apologize for what their soldiers did during the war. and yet Tony Abbot was crawling all over the smarmy dipstick. It's been 70 years since the war ended he said so what when their Govt apologizes for all those atrocities that's when he can grin and shake hands.
Cheers Des

redc.gif

[robpage]

In the small not well publicised museum there are several personal testimonies from local people that are heart wrenching , and we have to move on , I had a discussion one day with a theologian , I had a problem where a cousin had done some manipulation of an elderly aunt's last will and testament , and the aunt had been badly treated . I was told as a good Christian we should forgive and move on , but we don't have to forget !

I think that the problem that my late father had with Japan , having seen but not felt the Emperor's atrocious ways was a total lack of remorse exhibited . Yes we must move on , yes we must try and forgive , but we need to remember what happened , why it happened , and how the victors revelled in their superiority prior to a couple of hydrogen atoms hitting each other and vapourising a city or two .

So let us move on , but let us never forget !

[Ivan Cloherty]

Strange how the Japanese can get away with not apologising for something that happened in living memory, but the UK is expected (and does, regretfully) to apologise for somethings that happened 200/300 years ago.

funni old world innit!