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
May
Civilians 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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 1942
February 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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 1944
May
Civilians 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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