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WE LOVE NPCC!!!!! @ {7:19 PM}
On the sunny afternoon of 17 August 2007, Kranji NPCC unit embarked on a fieldtrip to the Old Ford Factory at Upper Bukit Timah Road. This factory was the venue where the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese during World War 2. Now it stands as a modernized, air-conditioned museum that houses our nation’s wartime memories.
The trip turned out to be a very enriching and educational experience for us in various ways. First, fascinating photographs, interesting artefacts, war documentaries and oral history recordings all combined to make history lessons about Japanese Occupation come alive at the museum. For example, we could feel the atmosphere of uncertainty and fearful apprehension as we listened to the interviews giving eye witness accounts of Sook Ching, a purging operation that killed many innocent people. Next, we also discovered that the local people found many ways to overcome the difficulties of the Occupation through clever innovations and persistent determination. For example, they used coconut husks to make stools, ate tapioca skin as if it was noodles, and substituted cod liver oil with palm oil.
Last but not least, we learned that we cannot depend on others to defend our country and protect us from our enemies. We have to be responsible for our own destiny. The oral history interviews of the survivors bear testimony to our need to be self-reliant and independent.
Here are some appreciative comments from some of the cadets after the visit.
“I felt happy as I got to know more about Singapore’s history outside the boundaries of the classroom. It taught me to appreciate the freedom that I have.” (Nurul Asyikin)
“It was very fun and interesting as I got to see real guns that the British used last time.” (Ng Jing Wen)
“I learned that war is cruel, and I feel fortunate to live in a peaceful environment.” (Edmund Lim)
P/Insp
Yeo Wee Seng
Kranji Secondary School
PASSION TO SERVE
♥ LOVE
