This is not how the war story was meant to end. The whole time I listened to the war story in Singapore I was waiting for the hero to sweep in and save the day. “And then the soldiers fought back and repressed the Japanese….” “….then they had back up come in to fight….” But no. This story ends quite differently from any war story I have known growing up in Australia. Going on a war history tour of this small country it is amazing to hear the stories of survival and what actually happened that fateful week in Feb 1942 when Japan invaded Singapore and kept it under rule until 1946. Singapore has done well in presenting the facts and draws learning from it in a positive light. Growing up learning war history in Australia we are the victors. Japan tried to invade but we held them off, even in Gallipoli we emerged ‘Victors’ forged by our dogged determination and mateship. But here the story was different as the Japanese took hold on the ‘impregnable fort’ of Singapore, leading to the largest surrender of British-led forces in history.

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