ABSTRACT
That the fall of Singapore in February 1942 was a catastrophic defeat for Britain is beyond dispute. That it was a departure point towards the future independence of Malaysia and Singapore seems equally clear, however winding the subsequent road to independence. But the scale of the event, and the sheer number of parties involvedAustralian, British, Chinese, Indian, Malay and Japanese-has made it difficult to agree on the main causes of the calamity.
