Introduction

British forces in Singapore surrendered on 15 February 1942. This was just seventy days after 8 December 1941, when Japanese troops first disembarked on the gentle tropical beaches of Singora and Patani in southern Thailand, and Kota Bharu in northeastern Malaya. Making full use of their aerial and armoured superiority-not to mention their infantry’s toughness and mobility-it had taken the Japanese just ten weeks to drive the British out of north Malaya, down its west coast (with minor thrusts in the east too), and across the causeway to their last stand in Singapore.