We Shall Remember: The Story of Singapore at War
Written by Sim Ee Waun | Illustrated by Lim An-Ling
paperback
We Shall Remember: The Story of Singapore at War is a fascinating account of World War Two and the Japanese Occupation in Singapore. Aimed at children aged 9-12 years old, it traces the war from the Japanese invasion at Kota Bharu in 1941 and the fall of Singapore, through its ordeal during the Japanese Occupation, and finally to the Japanese surrender in 1945.
In addition to events that we are familiar with, this book also uncovers little-known but no less exciting stories of Singapore’s war experience, such as the secret school in Sime Road Prison, the courageous quilters in Changi Goal, the multi-racial volunteers of the Burma-Yunnan Road, the grandmother who became a fighter, and many more. What happened on the Malay Peninsula is also captured here to an extent as both lands were integrated under colonial rule at that time.
Based on more than two years of extensive research, this densely packed book focuses on the human experience and brings to light aspects of the war that have been forgotten in a narrative long dominated by the Western point of view. The people who march through its pages with their stories of courage and sacrifice are multi-racial and multi-national, which show the war as it truly played out in Singapore.
Hear from teenage resistance fighters, fearless commando-spies, the unbreakable war heroine, soldiers who chose death over dishonour and other unsung heroes.
We Shall Remember is written by Singaporean author Sim Ee Waun, who also co-wrote The Little Singapore Book, The House on Palmer Road, and its wartime sequel The House on Silat Road. The 132-page book is aimed at engaging young readers with an easy-to-understand format. Grouped into twelve chapters, the narrative is complemented by sidebars of vignettes, facts, eye-witness quotes, explanations and helpful glossaries. Twenty-four detailed illustrations and maps by artist Lim An-Ling make this book all the more riveting.