Your Excellencies, Members of the Armed Forces of many nations, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, on behalf of the British High Commission and the Singapore Armed Forces Veterans’ League, it is my honour to welcome you to our annual Remembrance Sunday commemoration. I’m delighted that friends from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission are also with us today.
We gather today on this hallowed ground, as we and people before us have done for decades. We gather to remember. To remember those who served, those who were wounded, and those who were killed, in the two world wars, in conflicts since, and in conflicts still being fought today.
This year is a particularly important one for historic anniversaries. Earlier this year, we commemorated the 80th anniversary of VE Day and the end of the war in Europe. Importantly for this region, in August and September, we also commemorated VJ Day and the end of the war in Japan, Singapore, and the Far East.
I’m sure, like me, many of you were moved by the images of His Majesty The King meeting veterans of the war in the Far East during the VJ Day commemoration at the National Memorial Arboretum. That those veterans, many of whom served in or near Singapore, are still with us, is testament to the fact that the Second World War is still very much a part of living memory.
As was apparent during the VJ Day commemorations, many of the veterans are from Commonwealth nations. Under the overall command of Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, in Spring 1945, the number of Allied service personnel in Southeast Asian Command totalled an incredible 1.3 million. Of this number just under 1 million, almost three quarters, were from Commonwealth nations. Part of this force was Viscount Slim’s famous Fourteenth Army, one of the largest and most diverse armies in history and often called the ‘Forgotten Army’. The fourteenth army’s defeat of Japanese forces at the Battles of Imphal and Kohima marked a turning point in the war in Southeast Asia.
Viscount Slim’s fourteenth army was called the ‘Forgotten Army’ because during the war and after, the media and society’s attention was focused on the war in Europe. The war in Asia, and those who fought in it, were very much overlooked. We ensure by our presence here today that all those who fought in Southeast Asia and the war in the Far East are not and will never be forgotten.
Kranji is the final resting place of many of those who fought in Southeast Asia. The cemetery and the burials within it reflect the diversity in the Commonwealth forces who served in this region. Some of the graves are marked with crosses, others with the star of David. Some are marked with Hindi, Arabic, or Gurmukhi inscriptions. Many of the graves behind me are angled to face Mecca.
And on the stunning memorial behind me are the names of 24,000 personnel who served in the British and Commonwealth Armed Forces, who were killed in the Second World War, but who have no known grave.
It is particularly poignant to me, as a British Asian, that over half of the names on this memorial are of young Indian men who served in Commonwealth forces.
On a personal note, I remember with pride the Gujarati soldiers who served in the British Indian Army, in regiments such as the Bombay Grenadiers. They came from small villages across Gujarat, just as my family did. They left home in 1941 to serve a cause greater than themselves. Many were captured and held in Changi. They bore hardship with quiet strength — sharing food, faith, and hope with their comrades. Though many never returned, their sacrifice lives on in the peace we cherish today, and in the enduring bond between Britain, India, and Singapore.
We are particularly conscious in this part of the world, that while much of the focus of VE and VJ Day was on the wars fought in Europe and Japan, Singapore and its people suffered greatly during the Battle of Singapore, the Japanese occupation, and indeed the immediate aftermath.
We recall the bravery of ordinary Singaporeans during the occupation. One such hero was Elizabeth Choy. Choy served as a second lieutenant in the women’s auxiliary arm of the Singapore Volunteer Corps. During the Japanese occupation, she operated an ambulance service for civilian internees. During this time, with great courage, she and her husband, Khun Heng, smuggled parcels containing fresh clothing, medicine and letters to prisoners at Changi Prison. In the autumn of 1943, both were arrested by the Japanese, imprisoned, and subjected to the most brutal torture for their heroic actions. Following the war, Elizabeth was made an OBE, and continued teaching at St Andrews School well into the 1970s. She remained with us until 2006 when she sadly passed away.
I was fascinated to learn that Elizabeth Choy’s story, along with that of Singapore’s Tan Kay Hai, who I spoke about in my speech last year, were familiar to my young daughter. She read about their stories, along with many others, in a children’s book by the British author Onjali Q. Rauf, called ‘The Lion Above The Door’. It was heartening to see that our next generation is learning about the acts of these heroes.
Out of the horrors of the Second World War came a new international order and this year, we also commemorate the 80th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Charter. As a result of that new order, our former adversaries are now our close partners and friends. The presence of my fellow head of mission from Japan is also an important part of our healing process – I am grateful to Ambassador Hiroshi-san for being here today.
I am also grateful to my colleagues from Commonwealth countries who are here today. We remember the sacrifice of your countrymen and women who gave so much during both world wars. It is a point of pride for me that our countries are equal partners in the Commonwealth of Nations, an organisation that encompasses a third of the global population and actively works to promote democracy and the rule of law.
In a year where there is much conflict in the world, we must remember all those who continue to serve in our Armed Forces. We remember those in Ukraine fighting to defend their homeland from Russian aggression. And we remember the people of Israel and the State of Palestine and all those in the Middle East who have been killed, wounded, and displaced in the past years. We pray for an end to the fighting and peace for the people of regions that have suffered so much.
We are conscious that the world today feels a lot more fragile than it has in a long time. The peace that was so hard won in 1945 is not a given. We must redouble our efforts to work towards a peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for us and for our children.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Singapore Armed Forces and their Veterans’ League for helping to make today happen. I would, as always, like to pay special thanks to Mr Ben Lim and his gardeners here at Kranji – thank you for continuing to make this space one of beauty, tranquillity, and peace.
Thank you to our readers, and all the participants in today’s commemoration.
I also want to recognise Sandbag who do brilliant work bringing veterans from all countries together.
I wish to recognise the presence of 38 members of the National Far East POW Welfare and Remembrance Association who have travelled from the UK on a pilgrimage to Singapore and Thailand. It’s lovely that Pauline Simpson, National FEPOW Chaplain, will join the Singapore Inter-Religious Organisation as they conduct a silent prayer of Remembrance.
Finally, my thanks also to the Defence Section at the High Commission who organised this event and all the BHC volunteers who have assisted with today’s proceedings.
As the sun rises above us on a new day in Singapore, let us renew our commitment to a more peaceful future and to remembering and honouring all those who served and who continue to serve today.
Thank you.
