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The Fall of Singapore: Australians defend Singapore, January 1942

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Malayan soldiers
The Fall of Singapore: Australians defend Singapore, January 1942

SUBJECTS:  History

YEARS:  9–10


Discover the experiences of Australians who fought a desperate campaign in Malaya at the beginning of 1942, trying to hold back the Japanese army as it advanced toward 'fortress Singapore'.

Watch as this video uses original film footage and interviews with veterans to explore the successes and failures of the Malayan campaign and the real vulnerability of Singapore as the Japanese prepared to invade it.


Things to think about

  1. 1.What happened when Japan entered World War II on the side of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in December 1941? Australia's only experienced troops were far away in the Mediterranean theatre of the war, fighting alongside most of Britain's forces. From late December, Japanese troops advanced down the Malay Peninsula towards Singapore as Australian, British and Indian troops tried to stop them.
  2. 2.What did Australian troops achieve at Gemas, in Malaya, in mid-January 1942? How did the Japanese quickly overcome such setbacks (consider flanking tactics and the reason why the Australians were unable to use artillery as the Japanese rebuilt the bridge). After their fighting withdrawal, why did Colonel Charles Anderson, VC, give the order 'Every man for himself'? When did the last Allied soldiers cross the causeway to Singapore?
  3. 3.How do we assess the Malaya campaign, which delayed the Japanese advance but failed to stop it? In his comments, what does Colonel Anderson suggests the consequences could have been had the Japanese not been delayed? Discuss Colonel Anderson's view and the possible consequences for Australia at the time if he was correct.
  4. 4.This video makes extensive use of commentary by veterans of the Malaya campaign. See if you can spot an incorrect date in one veteran's recollections. Do such minor errors of recalled detail matter significantly and do they reduce the usefulness and general reliability of such recollections?



Date of broadcast: 29 Jun 1982


Copyright

Metadata © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia Ltd 2012 (except where otherwise indicated). Digital content © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). Video © Australian Broadcasting Corporation (except where otherwise indicated). All images copyright their respective owners. Text © Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Education Services Australia is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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