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The Japanese Army Travelled From Kota Bharu To Singapore On Bicycles
This photograph shows how Japanese soldiers travelled down the Peninsula on bicycles during their advance from Kota Bahru to Singapore and the eventual Japanese Occupation.
The war broke out in Malaya with the bombing of Singapore on 8 December 1941 and the Japanese landings in Kota Bharu. Violence spread from north to south, as one by one the towns of Malaya fell to the Japanese. The Japanese Occupation began when Singapore was captured on 15 February 1942.
The First Battalion, Perak, was assigned to defend the aerodromes, bridges, and other vital telecommunication facilities. However, the defences crumbled under the Japanese attacks. From Taiping onwards, retreating British pursued a 'scorched earth policy' by blowing up bridges, military installations, warehouses, government facilities and quarters, to prevent the Japanese from using them. However, the Japanese seemed to be unstoppable, repairing broken bridges by using tree trunks as posts, crossing the rivers by rubber boats and rafts or simply using human bridges.
To read more about the book ‘Kinta Valley’, click here.