Reminiscences of the Japanese Occupation
Title of essay : Biography & History Reminiscences of the Japanese Occupation
Name : G. JAYHINDY
Year of Intake : 2001
Programme : Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Social Studies
Name of Tutor : Dr Kevin Blackburn
Date of Submission : 26 October, 2002
Address : National Institute of Education 1 Nanyang Walkway Singapore 637616
Reminiscences of the Japanese Occupation
For the purpose of doing this oral history project, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to interview an individual who had survived the Japanese Occupation. In his seventies, Mr Rajoo is my uncle. He showed great enthusiasm and related his experience in Tamil during the 3 hours interview. His accounts shed light on the ways how individuals inject meanings to a particular subject.
Background
Mr Rajoo was born in 1930. He was the second son in a family of 10 children. His family lived in a village in Sembawang which was near to one of the Naval Base which was owned by the British. When the Japanese invaded Singapore, Rajoo’s family staying in North of Singapore then they moved as far as Tampinese. His family used a bullock cart to transport some of their properties. They stayed away from their home for a year. Then they returned to their village. So he had a chance to witness the Japanese rule in other parts of Singapore as well as his own hometown.
The Dark Years of Japanese Occupation
The impending presence of the Japanese on Mr Rajoo’s daily life was felt as early as 1941. As a 11 years old boy, his family and he faced severe shortage of food and other necessities like medical. ( Q1 ) When the British surrendered, they did not want Japanese to enjoy the fruit of their labour. All the rice in the warehouse was sprayed with limestone. As limestone is white, the Japanese did not suspect any
Name : G. JAYHINDY
Year of Intake : 2001
Programme : Advanced Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Social Studies
Name of Tutor : Dr Kevin Blackburn
Date of Submission : 26 October, 2002
Address : National Institute of Education 1 Nanyang Walkway Singapore 637616
Reminiscences of the Japanese Occupation
For the purpose of doing this oral history project, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to interview an individual who had survived the Japanese Occupation. In his seventies, Mr Rajoo is my uncle. He showed great enthusiasm and related his experience in Tamil during the 3 hours interview. His accounts shed light on the ways how individuals inject meanings to a particular subject.
Background
Mr Rajoo was born in 1930. He was the second son in a family of 10 children. His family lived in a village in Sembawang which was near to one of the Naval Base which was owned by the British. When the Japanese invaded Singapore, Rajoo’s family staying in North of Singapore then they moved as far as Tampinese. His family used a bullock cart to transport some of their properties. They stayed away from their home for a year. Then they returned to their village. So he had a chance to witness the Japanese rule in other parts of Singapore as well as his own hometown.
The Dark Years of Japanese Occupation
The impending presence of the Japanese on Mr Rajoo’s daily life was felt as early as 1941. As a 11 years old boy, his family and he faced severe shortage of food and other necessities like medical. ( Q1 ) When the British surrendered, they did not want Japanese to enjoy the fruit of their labour. All the rice in the warehouse was sprayed with limestone. As limestone is white, the Japanese did not suspect any
Bibliography: 1. Chou, Cindy. Beyond the Empires. Memories Retold by Cindy Chou National Heritage Board, 1995. 2. Donald A. Ritchie, Doing Oral History , New York: Twayne Publishers, 1995. 5. Paul Ashton, On The Record: A Practical Guide to Oral History , Sydney: North Sydeny Council, 1994 6 Social Studies Textbook 4B : Discovering our world. The Dark Years, 1999.