The Changi Chapel's Days

The Changi Chapel's Days

The Changi Chapel's Days

The Changi Chapel's Days

The Changi Chapel's Days

MayCivilians moved from Changi Prison to Sime road to make way for P.O.W.’s from Selarang. At the

same time Dutch, American and Italian P.O.W.’s along with survivors from the Burma-Thailand Railway were brought to Changi.

In all, about 12,000 were concentrated in the prison area - 5,000 in prison buildings, and the rest in attap (thatched) huts built by P.O.W.’s in the court yards and immediately outside the prison walls.

Japanese Forces occupied Selarang Barracks.

The Changi Chapel's Days

1927-1942

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1927-1942

Changi Peninsula (16 SQ. KM.) developed by the British Army into a key defensive position on Singapore Island.

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1942

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1942

Battle for Singapore: seven day struggle between Allied and invading Japanese forces for control over Singapore. Changi garrison bypassed by main Japanese invasion force during this period

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1942

Allied forces unconditionally surrender to the Japanese.

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1942

Japanese Army transferred 50,000 Prisoners-of-War (P.O.W.) to the abandoned barracks of Changi peninsula.

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1942February onwards

P.O.W.’s housed in four main barracks in Changi – 15,000 Australians in Selarang and the rest, mainly British with some Dutch, Kitchener, Roberts and India barracks. Roberts barracks was converted into a military hospital.

Changi Prison was built in 1936 to house 650 men.

After the surrender of Singapore it was used immediately to accommodate 3,500 white civilians, including women and children.

May onwards

Thousands of P.O.W.’s were sent as labourers from Changi to Borneo Japan, Formosa, Korea, Manchuria to build the Burma-Thailand Railway.

P.O.W.’s grew fresh vegetables and traded illegally with the local population to supplement the inadequate prison diet.

Secret radios brought war new and morale remained high despite the poor conditions of imprisonment.

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1943

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1943

Japanese occupy Roberts, Kitchener and India Barracks. P.O.W.’s, now greatly reduced in numbers, move to Selarang barracks.

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1943

P.O.W.’s commence work on Changi Airfield.

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1944MayCivilians moved from Changi Prison to Sime road to make way for P.O.W.’s from Selarang. At

the same time Dutch, American and Italian P.O.W.’s along with survivors from the Burma-Thailand Railway were brought to Changi.

In all, about 12,000 were concentrated in the prison area - 5,000 in prison buildings, and the rest in attap (thatched) huts built by P.O.W.’s in the court yards and immediately outside the prison walls.

Japanese Forces occupied Selarang Barracks.

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1945

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1945

Unconditional surrender of all armed Japanese forces announced by allies. Confirmed by the Japanese two days later.

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1945

Allied aircraft dropped leaflets ordering all Japanese military personnel to surrender all arms and informing arrangements made for their recovery.

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1945

Over 17,000 (Japanese?) men concentrated at Changi area.

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