Yak yak Churchill to blame for fall of Singapore?

Fight to death
Churchill told British army in S'pore

LONDON - Britain's wartime Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill told officers in Singapore to die with their troops and fight to the bitter end against invading Japanese, previously unseen documents revealed on Wednesday.

His comments formed part of a secret telegram sent to troops during World War II and which are included in a new exhibition - Churchill: The War Years - which opened at the Cabinet War Rooms in London.

It covers Sir Winston's career from the '30s through to the war.

Many of the documents, including the February 1942 telegram, have never been on public display before.

In it, Sir Winston says: " ...There must at this stage be no thought of saving the troops or sparing the population. The battle must be fought to the bitter end at all costs.

"The 18th Division has a chance to make its name in history. Commanders and senior officers should die with their troops."

The telegram continues: "The honour of the British Empire and of the British Army is at stake ... "

Japanese troops attacked Singapore on Dec 8, 1941, and the then British colony capitulated on Feb 15 the following year. Nine thousand Japanese and 9,000 British were killed or wounded.

The exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the museum and Churchill College, Cambridge, to bring the former prime minister's papers into public view.

Sir Winston, his Cabinet and most senior staff lived and worked in the Cabinet War Rooms during the wartime bombing raids.

The rooms were preserved, after being abandoned in 1945, and opened as a museum nearly 14 years ago.

Source: AFP
First published in The Straits Times, Jan 30, 1998

No

Moses' start page

Asia1 home
Copyright © 1998 Singapore Press Holdings. All Rights Reserved.