The Fall of Singapore

Posted on: 19 January 2014
By: Aline Dobbie

The Railway Man is a powerful and poignant film showing the extreme cruelty of the Japanese after the surrender of the British and Indian Forces fighting in the Malayan Peninsula and retreating down into Singapore.

The Fall of Singapore was a black day in the annals of the British Empire and this story gives one man, Eric Lomax’s account of what ensued for thousands of British and Indian men. His book was outstanding and eventually this excellent film has captured the essence of the courage, tenacity and heroism of these men in appalling conditions.

Immensely powerful and at times intimidating film

The Railway Man It is immensely powerful and at times intimidating - depicting the sheer brutality and dreadful attitude of the Japanese who considered they were going to be the victors of their war, but as we all know the Japanese were defeated and indeed that defeat was probably foreseen from the Battle of Midway onwards.

Eric Lomax had indomitable courage but paid a huge price in mental fitness since his terrible ordeals….however the story is one of conciliation, love and determination and ….well all I can say is go and see it; for those of us who have been born since the war it is essential to realise just how awful the experiences of some of our fathers was. The acting is superb.

My father's own story

In my own case my beloved late father Frank Rose had the temerity to decide to escape with his Indian soldiers and their story is given in The Last Voyage of the Woo Chang. My father was considered a hero of the Indian Army for this successful escape from the Fall of Singapore and is well recognised at The Jat Regiment of the modern Indian Army (and mentioned in despatches).

I was born after the war at the regimental HQ in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh in northern India and have had the happy experience of returning there on several occasions. We must never forget all these Brave Men and Women ……they gave us our Today.