Japanese Forces
On December 8, 1941, Japanese forces landed at Kota Baru in Kelantan. Within ten weeks, the Japanese had defeated the British and conquered the whole of Malaya and Singapore. The people of Malaya and Singapore came under a period known as the Japanese Occupation, which lasted for a short period from February 1942 to September 1945.
Japanese Fighter Plane
Taiping Market - 1930s
After the Japanese captured Penang on December 15, 1941, they moved southwards through Selama towards Taiping. Father Chung Chow recalled a harrowing incident that happened during this period. He had just received his wages and was in the market to buy some pork. Suddenly, several Japanese planes flew low over the town and dropped bombs. He quickly ran for his life and seek cover under the concrete platform where pieces of pork were laid out for sale.
When the bombing stopped and calm returned, he crawled out from under the platform and saw several dead bodies lying on the road and fire burning all over the place. He hurriedly collected his bicycle, and in his haste to get away, he dropped the pork he had bought. He also knocked somebody down as he pedaled as fast as he could to a hiding place in a farm in Golden Hill Garden which is located at the Old Kamunting Road.
Japanese Soldiers Riding Bicycles
From Selama, the Japanese soldiers advanced swiftly on their small bicycles through Pondok Tanjung, Kamunting and into Taiping. The small band of British and allied soldiers who stayed behind to defend Taiping was soon defeated. Those who died were later buried at the British memorial cemetery along Waterfalls Road at the foot of Maxwell Hills (Bukit Larut).
Japanese Soldier on Bicycle
Next: 15. Screening and Interrogation
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