Second World War British Military Hospital, Singapore

a plaque commemorating massacre , expanding on hospital s history after war.

on 14 february 1942, japanese imperial forces advanced through kent ridge down pasir panjang road alexandra road military hospital. british 1st malaya infantry brigade retreated west through hospital. set machine guns on first , second floors cover retreat. lieutenant carried red cross brassard , white flag meet japanese troops, , announce surrender of non-combatants in hospital, killed immediately.

among patients in hospital crew members survivors of force z, comprising hms prince of wales , hms repulse (nicknamed plymouth argylls) sunk japanese torpedo bombers off coast of kuantan, pahang, on 10 december 1941.

japanese troops of 18th division rushed wards , operating theatres , bayoneted total of 250 patients , staff members. before repeat brutalities in other wards, officer ordered them assemble in hospital grounds. troops, however, removed 400 patients , staff , locked them in small fetid room nearby, reminiscent of black hole of calcutta. many died suffocation. next afternoon cell door burst open under mortar fire , men staggered out many mown down japanese machine-gun fire. escaped thought include privates swj hoskins , fah gurd, captain r de warrenne waller , medical corporal gw johnson. other survivors taken out in small groups , shot. bodies buried in mass grave. japanese claimed indian troops had fired on them hospital grounds. area major japanese objective because contained british army s biggest ammunition dump , alexandra barracks.

walter salmon of royal signals, wounded mortar bomb, hospitalised on top floor , had come canteen. witnessed of massacre. several men, including george britton of east surrey regiment, had been moved upstairs ward dining room , in makeshift beds under dining table. pte britton later described how japanese rushed in, taking bread piled on table. although orderly marched out , bayoneted, on floor ignored. left 3 days no food or water before being moved changi pow camp, on wheelbarrows, carts or had wheels, no motorised vehicles being available.

in 2008 four-page account of massacre, written private haines of wiltshire regiment, sold private auction. reg twigg, in book survivor on river kwai, mentions short video recording made survivor of massacre, fred shenstone, of royal leicestershire regiment, , others, forms part of permanent exhibition in museum of royal leicestershire regiment gallery of newarke houses museum, leicester.

other surviving staff , patients of hospital transferred roberts barracks command taken on colonel glyn white of royal australian army medical corps. remains unclear how many survived massacre cannot have been more handful. these included george britton, walter salmon, fred shenstone, arthur haines, fergus anckorn, , perhaps mentioned above, managed escape cell under mortar fire. in forces tv news interview fergus anckorn claimed survivor mistaken.