Published online: 06 Jan 2015.

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1 This article was downloaded by: [University of Malaya] On: 08 January 2015, At: 20:45 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: Registered office: Mortimer House, Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Click for updates The International Journal of the History of Sport Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: The Sporting Lives of Sir Shenton Thomas and the Male European Internees at Changi Prison Camp During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Peng Han Lim a & Mohd Salleh Aman a a Sport Centre, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Published online: 06 Jan To cite this article: Peng Han Lim & Mohd Salleh Aman (2015): The Sporting Lives of Sir Shenton Thomas and the Male European Internees at Changi Prison Camp During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, , The International Journal of the History of Sport, DOI: / To link to this article: PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the Content ) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content. This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &

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3 The International Journal of the History of Sport, The Sporting Lives of Sir Shenton Thomas and the Male European Internees at Changi Prison Camp During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Peng Han Lim* and Mohd Salleh Aman Sport Centre, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia During the Japanese occupation of British Malaya and Southeast Asia from the years 1942 to 1945 there were reports of POWs being allowed to play cricket, football, rugby and basketball, as told by Kevin Blackburn in The Sportsmen of Changi published in This research about the sporting lives of a Governor and male European internees at Singapore s Changi prison is likely to be first detailed research on this topic. The authors depended mainly on four published diaries and 262 issues of the men s camp newspaper, Changi Guardian, to account for the male internees casual and competitive cricket, football, hockey, volleyball, badminton, tennis and boxing matches that were played during internment. The Japanese Military Administration allowed the male internees to organize their daily lives and play games that they indulged in during the pre-war period as the British dominated the Singapore Cricket Club, Penang Cricket Club and Perak Club. The internees were able to play the various games and matches in spite of the limited food and sparse facilities. Many of the cricket and football games that were played were organized as inter-state, inter-club or league matches. These games were played with improvized equipment and rules. Keywords: Japanese occupation; cricket; football; Singapore Cricket Club; Selangor Club Introduction During the Japanese occupation of East Asia and Southeast Asia from 1941 to 1945, hundreds of civilian internment camps were created in Japan, Korea, Manchuria, China, French Indo China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Republic of the Philippines, Burma, Singapore, Sumatra, Java, West Borneo and the Celebes. There were approximately 114 predominantly Dutch civilian camps in Java, of which 30 remained when the Japanese surrendered. In Sumatra there were 93, of which only nine existed at the time of liberation. In Hong Kong, the bomb-damaged prison warden quarters at Stanley Prison housed 2,500 predominantly British men, women and children caught in the British colony. In Singapore, Changi Prison, built on the east coast of Singapore island, housed the 3,000 to 4,000 predominantly British men, women and children who were stranded when Singapore surrendered. In May 1944 the Changi internees were moved to a former Royal Air Force (RAF) barracks in Sime Road, where they remained until they were liberated. 1 There were also studies about the experiences of prisoners-of-war (POWs) at Changi s army barracks by Chan 2 and Havers 3. Recently published research by Kevin Blackburn 4 suggests that although the POWs led frugal lives and had to do back breaking manual work when instructed by the Japanese military officers, they had the opportunity of organize and participate in sports like cricket, *Corresponding author. penghan12@gmail.com q 2014 Taylor & Francis

4 2 P.H. Lim and M.S. Aman football, rugby, deck tennis and boxing. The available published research so far reveals that the most vivid account of these activities took place at the former military complex at Changi, Singapore, where more than 50,000 British and Australian Imperial Forces were deployed at various officers bungalows, NCO s semi-detached houses, barrack blocks, store rooms, a variety of makeshift shelters, with the sick and wounded crowded into Roberts Hospital. 5 There was also a European civilian internment camp consisting mostly of British civilians located near the modern Changi prison near the POW military camps. This research is about the sporting activities of the male civilian internees which were contained in the sparingly published diaries of T.P.M. Lewis, 6 Tyler Thompson, 7 Brian Kitching, 8 George L. Peet 9 and the 262 issues of the men s thrice weekly type written two-page camp newspaper, Changi Guardian, published from March to October The authors relied on the Changi Guardian as the main source of information and the four published diaries to provide additional information and to verify parts of the narrative. However, there were more unpublished diaries of the male internees kept at the Rhodes House Library in Oxford, 12 Cambridge University Library and the Royal Commonwealth Society Library. 13 Thus, the limitation of this research is the authors inability to gather all the available published and unpublished diaries due to limited time and resources. While the sporting lives of the POWs at Changi have been written by Blackburn, 14 this is likely to be the first research article about the sporting lives of a Governor and European male internees during the Japanese occupation of Singapore. It could contribute to the historiography of Singapore s sporting history and the history of internment camps in East and Southeast Asia. The European Community in British Malaya The British East India Company occupied Penang in 1786, Malacca in 1895 and set up a trading post in Singapore in In 1826, the three settlements of Singapore, Penang and Malacca were incorporated, forming the fourth Presidency of India. 16 In 1832 Singapore became the headquarters of the three settlements, known as the Straits Settlements. 17 The European community in Singapore gradually grew to be a small body of British merchants, law agents and newspaper editors who constituted the majority of the adult male population. 18 The Straits Settlements was transferred from the control of the Indian Government to that of the Secretary of State for the Colonies in London in The Government ruled with the help of the executive and legislative councils. The Legislative Council comprised members of the Executive Council, together with the Chief Justice and four non-officials nominated by the Governor. Singapore continued to be the centre of government, commerce and policy making. 20 By 1891, 80% or 5,254 Europeans were residing in Singapore out of a total European population of 6,589 in the Straits Settlements. 21 The Federated Malay States (FMS) comprising Selangor, Perak, Negri Sembilan and Pahang was established on 1 July In 1909, the British completed the takeover of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Trengganu with the signing of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty. These four states and Johore (which did not receive a British Advisor until 1914) were collectively known as the Unfederated Malay States (UMS). 23 British Malay thus consisted of three parts, the Straits Settlements, the FMS and the UMS, but all were effectively under British control. 24 By 1931 the total European residents throughout British Malaya consisted of 17,708 residents, 11,520 male and 6,188 female. Out of these, 8,147 or 46% of all Europeans lived in Singapore, as shown in Table 1. 25

5 The International Journal of the History of Sport 3 Table British Malaya Total Population and European Population by State and Settlements in Total population Europeans Persons Male Female Persons Male Female Singapore 567, , ,762 8,147 5,378 2,769 Penang 359, , ,544 1, Malacca 186, ,082 81, Straits settlements (A) 1,114, , ,935 10,003 6,511 3,492 Perak 765, , ,238 2,359 1, Selangor 533, , ,783 2,723 1, Negri Sembilan 233, ,381 85, Pahang 180, ,508 74, Federated Malay States (B) 1,713,096 1,046, ,042 6,350 4,065 2,285 Johore 505, , , Kedah 429, , , Kelantan 362, , , Trengganu 179,789 92,354 87, Perlis 49,296 26,027 23, Unlocated 1,496 1, Unfederated Malay States (C) 1,528, , ,634 1, British Malaya (A þ B þ C) 4,355,211 2,582,600 1,772,611 17,708 11,517 6,191 Sports Clubs in Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century British Malaya For throughout British Malaya wherever a British community existed, there was sure to be a club. These white men s clubs were social hubs of the colonial masters and expatriate community. These exclusive clubs were multipurpose places, where the tuans (bosses) could relax, read, gossip and play games. 26 The Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) was established in However, after the 1880s, football, hockey, lawn bowls, tennis and athletics were organized among different committees in the Club. 27 In 1928, the Club had 896 active members participating in a variety of sports like cricket, hockey, rugby and tennis. 28 By 1940 the Club s membership rose to 1,083 members and an excess income of $1,132 over expenditure. 29 The Penang Cricket Club (PCC) was probably founded during the early 1880s. It was reported that the Club began to build a Pavilion on the Esplanade in The PCC had a total membership of 321 in It was widely discussed that Penang had too many European clubs: The Penang Club, a social club for men only; Penang Golf Club (PGC) which provided facilities for golf and tennis; the Swimming Club; and the Town Club. Their membership in 1932 and 1933 has decreased considerably owing to a reduction in the European and because of the attractions offered by the hotels. 32 According to the earliest published Government Gazette, the PGC was established in The Club had 230 male members and 119 female members in In 1937 PCC and the PGC were amalgamated to form the Penang Sporting Club. 35 The Perak Club (PC) was founded in Taiping in The Club s ground was converted from a swamp into a first-class cricket ground. 37 It later became the oldest sporting institution in Perak, 38 as well as the senior club in the Malay states. It was the premier social institution in Taiping. Practically, every European resident of Larut, Matang, Krian and Upper Perak was a member of the Club. 39 The Selangor Club (SC) was founded in 1884 at the north end of the padang (esplanade). It was a social and cricket club

6 4 P.H. Lim and M.S. Aman in Kuala Lumpur. 40 It was reported that there were 1,520 members in It was estimated that the Club s membership dropped to 566 members in Inter-State Cricket Matches The first known Inter-State cricket game was played between Perak and Selangor in 1899 and has since become an annual affair. 43 In the following year, Perak and Selangor also played with the Singapore and Penang elevens. 44 The Inter-State cricket matches continued until the early 1940s. In May 1940 Selangor defeated Penang by 163 runs in a thrilling three-day match. 45 In June 1941 the annual match between the SCC and SC ended in a draw. 46 The Non-Benders Cricket Club The Non-Benders Cricket Club of Malaya, consisting of senior cricketers from all parts of the Malay Peninsula, was formed in Ipoh, Perak, in The objective of the Club was to promote good fellowship and cricket amongst all colonists over the age of forty throughout Malaya. Mr Justice Sproule was elected the first President of the new cricket club. The regional representatives were Mr Griffith-Jones (Singapore), Mr Haddon (Penang), Mr Eiles (Malacca), Mr Mackay (Kedah), Mr Dunford Wood (Perak), Mr Savage Bailey (Selangor), Mr N.J. Foster (Negri Sembilan), Mr C.H.G. Clarke (Johore) and Mr Hubback (Pahang). The first Non-Benders two-day cricket match was played between Perak and Selangor during the inaugural meeting, with the former winning by an inning and 11 runs. 47 Sir Shenton Thomas, KCMG, CMG, OBE, formerly Governor of Nyasaland Protectorate for three years and Colonial Secretary of the Gold Coast for two years, was appointed Governor of the Straits Settlements and High Commissioner of the Malay States in He was educated at St John s, Leatherhead, and Queen s College, Cambridge, and was keenly interested in cricket, lawn tennis and golf. 48 He joined the Non-Benders club and played a game between the Non-Benders and the United Services team the following year. Although the former won by one wicket, it was reported that he made great impression with both bat and ball. His total of 38 was top score for the Non-Benders. 49 Malayan Cup Annual Football Tournament The annual Malayan Cup football tournament began in The competition consisted of four teams from the North (Penang, Perak, Selangor and Pahang) and another four teams from the South (Singapore, Johore, Negri Sembilan and Malacca). 51 Singapore won the inaugural tournament by beating Selangor by two goals to one. 52 In 1932, the Services team from the British Army and RAF was allowed to compete in the tournament for the first time. Singapore consistently qualified to play in the finals from 1921 to and won the Cup 11 times with two drawn matches in 1928 and 1929 with Selangor. Selangor were champions five times and Perak, twice. 54 The Japanese Invasion of British Malaya and Singapore Between 7 and 10 December 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour, bombed Clark Fields in the Philippines, sank HMS Peterel, a small river gunboat moored in the Whangpoo River off the Shanghai Bund, and sank two British warships, The Prince

7 The International Journal of the History of Sport 5 of Wales and The Repulse, just off Singapore. Hong Kong surrendered on Christmas Day. 55 Japan began the invasion of Malaya on 8 December By 31 December 1941 the British and Commonwealth forces in Malaya retreated to Singapore. 57 Nearly all the white women and children in Malaya had been sent away while the invaders were advancing down the peninsula. However, Straits Settlements government issued an order that every fit man under 60 must stay and play his part in the defence of Singapore. The male British civilian residents in Malaya remained behind in Singapore. The younger men of the peacetime white community were almost all in the volunteer forces of the colony and the Malay States and were consequently mobilized with their regular forces. They numbered about 2,000. In addition, there were British residents, mostly middle-aged and elderly, from all parts of the country in Singapore at the time of the surrender, and a small number of white women. 58 By 15 February 1942, the Japanese army had conquered the entire Malay Peninsula. 59 The Japanese Military Administration (JMA) reigned over Malaya and Singapore for a period of three years and eight months. 60 Singapore was renamed Syonan-to, that is brilliant south. 61 When Singapore surrendered to the Japanese on the evening of Sunday, 15 February 1942, there were about 3,000 British civilians left in the city. 62 The March to the East Coast On the Tuesday morning all the British civilians were told to assemble 63 on the padang,a grassed area of Singapore s two principal cricket clubs. They were moved to internment from as early as 18 February The civilians carried their own baggage and clothes meant for only 10 days and trekked on foot from the city to the south-eastern part of the island at Seaview Hotel. 65 The women and children, with some of the baggage, were packed into buses. The prisoners were directed into a large seaside property known as Karikal and the Joo Chiat police station, and there the internment began. 66 From the beginning, the men and women were segregated. Boys of nine years and under followed with the women. They were placed in two houses near Roxy cinema. 67 On 2 March 1942 there were 700 inmates in camp 1 (Karikal), 500 inmates in camp 2 (Joo Chiat), 350 women in camp 3 and 650 inmates in camp 4 (Convent). 68 Changi Prison After three weeks they were transferred to Changi Gaol. It was a six-mile walk to the East Coast Road and Changi Road. 69 Governor Shenton, 63 years of age, led the march of the internees from Katong to Changi Prison. 70 On 6 March 1942, at about 10 am, the women marched to Changi Gaol. 71 Changi Gaol was opened in January It was a modern prison with excellent sanitary facilities (in Asian style). At the beginning there were over 2,000 inmates, and two years later there were 3,500 inmates. Three men were assigned to each cell. In addition, there were the workshops, dining halls and all of the corridor space. Each cell was 7.5 feet wide and 12 feet long (although the effective length was lessened by corner walls, the inward-swinging cell door, and the flush pan). In the centre of the cell against the head was a concrete bed with a little concrete pillow. The women and children were accommodated in Block A, and the men in Blocks B, C and D. The space allowance for the women was

8 6 P.H. Lim and M.S. Aman somewhat more generous than for the men. Two, rather than three inmates, were assigned to each cell and there were more space generally. 73 The Men s Camp There were 2,361 male internees on April 1942 as shown in Table The average age of the men was years. Sixty-eight men were over 40 years, 37% were between 40 and 50 years and only 9% were under 30 years. 75 There was a group of Asia boys who were merchant seamen, mostly from Liverpool. They were employed on the Canadian Pacific liner Empress of Asia, which was bombed, set on fire and abandoned while bringing troops to Singapore a few days before the fall. About 100 of these members belonged to the catering department of the troop ship. Some of them were middle-aged men, but the majority were working-class British teenagers rarely seen in the white community of Malaya. Belonging almost without exception to the British working class, they formed a very distinctive group in the camp and one which contrasted strongly with the generality of British internees from Malaya. 76 Each block elected their head known as the Block Commandant. The first Camp Commandant was General Macrae, who was in charge of the Indian Red Cross before the war. Macrae was transferred to Japan on 22 July He was succeeded by Mr Johns, formerly surgeon at the Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, the Adrian Clarke, formerly legal advisor in the FMS; Mr N.A. Worley, formerly a Malayan civil service and judge; Dr Glyn Evans, of the Malayan Medical Service; and Mr C.E. Collinge, manager of a mercantile firm. There was an abundance of professional and technical staff, the best that Malaya had possessed during peacetime. Hence, there was no difficulty in staffing the camp hospital, the dental surgery and other clinics, the block dispensaries, the public health and sanitary services, the vegetable gardens, the school for the children, the electrical and water services, and all the other activities of a completely self-contained community. 78 See Appendix A for a list of the men s occupations. 79 The Women s Camp On April 1942, there were 369 women and 61 children, as shown in Table There were six British lady doctors and 70 nursing sisters in the camp. The women s hospital was across the courtyard. 81 See Appendix B for a list of the women s professions. 82 The women and children were better off, although separated from the men. They had an entire block to house only 400 persons, including children (the number later increased to 500), they were able to use the big rooms on the ground floor for recreation and meals. 83 An examination of the 2,555 male and 369 female British internees out of a total of 2,791 internees, as shown in Appendix C, shows that the Smith clan was the most numerous with 32 members. Other names that ran in double figures were as follows: Williams, 17; Brown, 15; Evans, 15; Jones, 15; Anderson, 14; Scott, 14; Hall, 10; and Mitchell, Table 2. Camp register of men, women and children internees on 29 April 1942 Men Women Children Total Interned on 17 February , ,379 Interned between 17 February and 6 March , ,223 Interned after 6 March , ,791

9 The International Journal of the History of Sport 7 The first elected Commandant of the women s camp was Dr (Mrs) Eleanor Hopkins. The women organized committees, planned projects, opened hospitals and schools, taught children, delivered lectures, organized exhibitions and various forms of entertainment. They learned from each others expertise, cultivated lasting respect for each other and discovered their hidden abilities. 85 The Cricketers at Changi Prison The JMA allowed the men internees to organise their daily routine including playing casual and competitive sports like cricket, football, boxing, hockey and tennis. Cricket was played in the exercise yard every afternoon between 3:00 and 5:15 pm, chiefly by the Empress of Asia boys. 86 It was played with a tennis ball and the wickets were home made. A hit that went outside the concrete ellipse scored one run, two runs if it reached the drain and four if it reached the wall. The striker scored four for a hit which struck any wall full pitch; but, if caught on the rebound, was out. No runs were counted if a hit went over the wall of the prison. 87 The Inter-Block Cricket Matches A series of cricket games were played from April to August The first series were the one-day Inter-Block matches. The first-known Inter-Block match between Block B and the Upper floor took place on 10 April Kitching skippered his team. They scored 89 and 121 to 55 and 77. He made 24, retiring on the maximum, and took eight wickets in the first innings! 88 Kitching was the Chief Surveyor of the Malayan Survey Service until his retirement from service in The Governor lived in the kitchen block. There was a cricket match between the Blocks and the Malayan Non-Benders XI on 28 April 1942, in which he played. 90 On 6 May there was a keenly fought cricket match between the Rest of B-Block and the Empress of Asia. The lads were anxious to win. Kitching lost the toss, and they scored 130 (four wickets fell to him); Kitching s team won with 165 runs. There was excellent fielding on both sides. 91 Since early May cricket days were to be restricted to four a week, ostensibly so that there may be two days for deck tennis and badminton. Sunday was a rest day. 92 A list of Inter-Block cricket matches fixtures are shown in Table Table 3. Inter-block cricket matches, April August 1942 Date of matches Team Team 10 April 1942 Block B (Ground floor) a Block B (Upper floor) 17 April 1942 Block B (Ground floor) a Block D (Ground floor) 6 May 1942 Rest of Block B a Empress of Asia (Kitchen) 13 May 1942 Block B a Malayan Police 14 May 1942 Block B and Kitchen Non-Benders Block C and D Non-Benders a 20 May 1942 Block B a Block C 30 May 1942 Block B a Malayan Police 3 June 1942 Block B SS Police a 4 June 1942 Block C a Block D 8 June 1942 Block B a Empress of Asia (Kitchen) August 1942 Block B a Block D a Winning team.

10 8 P.H. Lim and M.S. Aman Test Cricket Matches Between Clubs, Government, Non-Benders and Police Teams Test cricket matches were played between the cricket clubs, government, Non-Benders and police teams. The first classic game of the season began on 25 May when two representative teams from the Colony and FMS played their first test cricket in prison. The Colony team was skippered by Doc Hopkins, and Mickie (F.K.). MacNamara led the FMS team. 94 Dr H.O. Hopkins came to Malaya in 1927, acting as Malaria Research Officer at the Institute of Medical Research. An Oxford cricket Blue, Dr Hopkins skippered Malayan sides and played some fine innings all over the Peninsula. In 1938 he was Pathologist, Straits Settlements, and Professor of Pathology at the King Edward VII College, Singapore. 95 The cricket match between FMS and the Colony turned out to be a grand game before a large, keen crowd. Kitching took a wicket first ball to huge delight. Their fielding was excellent. The result for the first day was FMS 321, Colony 110 for 2. Kitching had two tennis balls painted red. A curious effect was that they did not bounce higher than a cricket ball and were less lively altogether. 96 After three days play the FMS won by 63 runs. A large and enthusiastic crowd watched the play throughout and it was agreed that the game had been a great success. Four of the players Blelloch, MacNamara, Adams and Dr Hopkins had played in the pre-war versus Colony matches, while they and eight others Andrew Mustard, Stiven, Bayley, Cadwell, Burnham, Jeans, Murray and Kitching had featured in the Inter-State games. After making 110 for 2 in reply to 321 by the FMS on the first day, the Colony were thus left with 283 to win, but in a somewhat bad light they lost 4 wickets for 56 before the close of play. A creditable recovery brought their score to 219 the next day 63 short of victory. 97 Governor Sir Shenton Thomas and the Non-Benders There was a cricket game between the Blocks and the Malayan Non-Benders XI in which the Governor played. However, there was no report on the outcome of the game. 98 The King s birthday holiday on 11 June 1942 was celebrated with an interesting cricket match played between the Non-Benders and the Malayan Police. 99 Kitching had a good eleven Johnny Foster, captain; H.O. Hopkins, S. Bayley, Saunders, Stiven, A. Mustard, Cochren, Steele, Sir Shenton Thomas (the Governor), Riches and Kitching. The opposite team scored 247 and Kitching s team 184. He went in last to make 37. On Sunday, 14 June, Kitching picked a cricket team with Hopkins. Hopkins insisted Kitchings to play because of his superb bowling skills. 100 The Malaysian Police had an easy victory over the Non-Benders, winning by 63 runs. The Police scored 247 (Jackson 53, Richards 52 and Ryves 43 being top scorers.) Hopkins took 2 wickets for 30 runs and Stiven 3 for 34. The Non-Benders knocked up 184, their top batsman being Saunders (48) Kitching (37) and Steele (29). Jeans (4 for 20) and Jackson (4 for 25) were responsible for their quick dismissal. MacNamara took the other 2 wickets at a small cost of 11 runs. 101 This was the second and last cricket game for the Governor during his internment. In July 1942 Sir Shenton Thomas (former Governor) was transferred to Japan. Lady Thomas did not accompany her husband but remained at Changi prison. 102 On 24 June 1942 the cricket scoreboard was ready. 103 A three-day cricket match started between eleven representing the SC and the SCC. 104 Despite the keen opposition put by the SC in the concluding stages of the three-day match, the SCC got away with the honours by 30 runs 105 Table 4 shows a list of cricket matches played among the better organized teams and institutions from April to August

11 The International Journal of the History of Sport 9 Table 4. Inter-regional clubs or institutional cricket matches, April August 1942 Date of matches Team Team 28 April 1942 Blocks (NA) Non-Benders (NA) May 1942 Colony FMS a 10 June 1942 SS Police FMS Police a 11 June 1942 Malayan Non-Benders Malayan Police a June 1942 The Rest a Malayan Police June 1942 SCC a Selangor Club 1 3 August 1942 The Rest Government a August 1942 Over 35s Under 35s a Note: NA indicates the result of the match was not available. a Winning team. Changi Cricket League (September October 1942) On Sunday, 30 August 1942, the cricket meeting fixed up a Changi Cricket League with seven teams. 107 Changi s long-promised cricket league had been formed as a result of the untiring energy of Mr T. Kitching. The league consisted of seven teams two from each major Block and one made up from the kitchen and the odd corners of the camp. The fixture list was displayed on all Block notice boards. All matches were played in the B Yard and the time fixed for each team to bat was 65 minutes. Each team played the other once. The first game, Block 1 versus Block 2, was played on Tuesday, 1 September On 18 September 1942, Kitching s Block played the most exciting game of cricket against Block C s second eleven. The game ended in a tie. 109 Block C1 topped the League winning all their six games as shown in Table The Footballers of Changi The first football game was played between the Empress of Asia and the Eurasians on Friday, 21 November The teams were limited to eight a side, considering that the ground was uneven and smaller than the standard football patch. In the first half the Eurasians playing down-hill were constantly attacking and were unlucky in being able to score one goal only. The Empress goalkeeper was praised for a number of spectacular saves. In the second half the superior combination and finished technique of the Eurasians began to tell, allowing them to win comfortably by four goals to nil. 111 Table 5. Cricket League Table (September October 1942) Played Won Lost Tied Points C B B C D K D Note: The table was the latest result that was available.

12 10 P.H. Lim and M.S. Aman Changi Football League (December 1942 February 1943) The major football games were organized into two football leagues and one knock-out competition. The first Changi Soccer League consisted of eight teams, Aberdeen, Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspurs, Newcastle and Plymouth Argylle. 112 The majority of Empress of Asia who were from Liverpool formed the Liverpool team. 113 The first game of the two-month league was played on Monday, 21 December Everton and Liverpool played very fast football. Liverpool won by one goal to nil and was unlucky not to score more. 115 The football matches were exceptionally well controlled by well-known referees who had been in charge of the Malaya Cup finals. They were played on an improvised field measuring 75 years by 40 yards. Many of the players had previously played for wellknown clubs: Donald (Glasgow Rangers), Joy (Bolton Wanderers), Combe (Queen s Park Rangers), Graham (Patrick Thistle), Theuvenet (Sparta Military Club, Bandung), Gick (South Liverpool), Crowley (Pembroke) and Morris, who had played for several Liverpool amateur teams. Malayan State players included Bristone, Brockett, Cherrington, Donald, Humphries, Joy and Street. The highest number of goals scored in any one league match was 10, when Leicester defeated Plymouth 9 1. A total of 28 matches were played and the total number of goals was 104. Only one match was goalless when Aberden met Leicester City. 116 The top scorer of the league was Bristowe with 12 goals, followed by Sullivan with 11 goals. 117 The last game was played on Monday, 15 February 1943, 118 which brought a revolution in Camp entertainment, that was thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by the majority of the internees. 119 Aberdeen beat Arsenal two goals to nil, maintaining their unbeaten record and winning the league at the same time. 120 Liverpool (Empress of Asia) lads finished fourth as shown in Table A Knock-Out Football Changi Cup Competition (May June 1943) In late May 1943 football play has been restarted on the newly levelled ground, 122 and by mid June the Empress of Asia played the Malaya Cup Players at seven-a-side soccer. The Asia team won 3 2. The much improved padang (ground) must be the only instance on record of a playing field on the Equator being levelled and all earthwork done by European labour. 123 A football knock-out tournament consisting of 10 teams began in May Spectators were requested to place their seats at least one yard behind the touch lines so as to give the players room to do their work without the danger of tripping over spectators Table 6. First Changi Football League Table (December 1942 February 1943) Matches Goals Play Win Lose Draw For Against Points Aberdeen Everton Leicester City Liverpool Arsenal Tottenham Hotspurs Newcastle Plymouth Argylle

13 The International Journal of the History of Sport 11 feet and chairs. 124 In the first game between Aston Villa and Glasgow Rangers, the former won by eight goals to four. Mr A. Clark, Men s Representative, kicked off for Villa in this first Changi Cup competition. Six of Villa s goals were scored for Bristowe. Elliott and Gardener were outstanding for the Rangers, the latter playing a particularly good game in spite of the poor support he received. 125 The highest scoring game occurred in a second round match between Aston Villa and Aberdeen. Villa won by 10 goals to Aberdeen s three. Bristowe was credited with four of Villa s 10 goals. 126 A record crowd of men watched the Cup final played in a warm afternoon in mid-june between Aston Villa and Plymouth Argylle. Villa won by one to nil. 127 Table 7 shows the results of all the games that were played. 128 Second Changi Football League The second Changi football league began on 21 June 1943, with a hard fought opening match between Newcastle and Aberdeen resulting with the former wining by three goals to one. A total of six teams registered, one less than the first league. Everton had to withdraw at the last moment due to Morris injury. 129 Liverpool led with four wins and a draw midway through the league. 130 However, Leicester won the league earning 13 points, the same as Liverpool, due to its superior gaol difference, as compiled in Table Leicester s Rusk was the top scorer of the competition with a total of 14 goals October 1943 (The Double Tenth Incident) On 10 October 1943, the Japanese Kempeitai (Military Police) descended on the Civilian Internment Camp, convinced that they would find an organized spy ring transmitting messages and organizing sabotage on Singapore island. The fact that the accusations were without foundation did not prevent the imprisonment, torture and often death of a number Table 7. Football Knock-out Changi Cup Championships (May June 1943) 1. Bye Arsenal Arsenal 6 2 Aston Villa Bye Everton 3. Bye Aberdeen Aston Villa Aston Villa Aston Villa 8 4 Aston Villa Glasgow Rangers 6. Plymouth Plymouth Liverpool Plymouth Bye Tottenham 9. Bye Newcastle Plymouth Bye Leicester Newcastle 4 0 Table 8. Second Changi Football League Table (June 1942 September 1943) Matches Goals Play Win Lose Draw For Against Points Leicester Liverpool Newcastle Aberdeen Tottenham Hotspurs Plymouth Argylle

14 12 P.H. Lim and M.S. Aman of men (including the Bishop) and a couple of women. 133 There was also a rumour that a number of their ships had been sunk off the Malayan coast, and that they thought this was the result of information supplied by sympathetic Chinese and transmitted to British naval forces by a concealed radio in the camp. 134 The first arrests under the Double Tenth persecution were made on 10 October 1943, and more arrests were made up to April After the Double Tenth there was a sudden and calamitous change in the internees food position. The supply of rice lessened, the supply of bread from the town was stopped and all camp buying in town was prohibited. What was more remarkable was that even when the diet was at its very worst one could still see the internees turning out to play tennis in the morning after the wretched breakfast, or for football or hockey in the evening with practically nothing in their bellies, until medical advisors stopped this as being a harmful expenditure of energy. 136 Sime Road Camp, May 1944 September 1945 On 31 April 1944 the internees began to move to a new camp at Sime Road. 137 This had formerly been a British military camp. It was on the outskirts of the city, near the MacRitchie Reservoir and close to a golf course. 138 It had previously been a hutted RAF camp of some 70 acres, built on what had been a rubber estate. The huts which could at a pinch accommodate 100 internees each had atap roofs, concrete floors and six-foot high rough plank walls in a poor state of repair. The whole camp was surrounded, not by walls, but by coils of barbed wire. They were still huddled together like sardines, but the air was good and fresh. 139 The men s and women s camps were separated only by a barbed wire fence and a sentry at the gate. The women s camp was on the sides of two small hills, with a little valley in which they cultivated vegetables. Most of the huts held about 60 people. Living space was apportioned at about 24 square feet per woman. 140 The Japanese paid the internees for their work in camp. They wanted strong squads engaged in growing vegetables inside the camp. If they had to go outside, the internees preferred to be putting in tapioca, which they hoped might be harvested by them in the future, rather than building roads. 141 In November the internees had planted 3,500 papaya trees and they were told to bring it up to 10,000 trees. 142 In one camp the men produced over 60,000 pounds of vegetables, equivalent to 10 ounces per day per head for 3,400 people. There was a big jump in the production of sweet potatoes and tapioca from a total of 6,000 to 17,000 pieces. 143 There were no records of the male internees playing any games at the Sime Road camp probably because of its rough terrain and the priority then was to grow as much food as possible to survive. By the end of the war the Sime Road camp was holding 4,511 internees, of whom 2,616 were British and 759 British Eurasian. 144 By 9 August 1945, it was estimated that 204 internees had died in this camp since the beginning of internment. 145 There was news that the war was over on 15 August and on 20 August British planes were spotted flying low over the skies. 146 Conclusion In spite of the poor conditions of imprisonment and a certain amount of maltreatment, the internees never experienced anything comparable to Belsen and other German centres, or some other Japanese camps in Southeast Asia. 147 The European and other civilians interned at Changi goal and later the Sime Road Camp were allowed to organize their daily

15 The International Journal of the History of Sport 13 lives among themselves by publishing their newsletters, conducting classes for the children, indulging in artistic pursuits and participating in sports and recreation. Although many sports like badminton, 148 volleyball, tennis, 149 hockey 150 and boxing matches 151 were held, cricket and football were the most popular participation and spectator sports. 152 The Inter-Block matches (Table 3), test cricket games (Table 4) and cricket league (Table 5) reminded the internees of similar pre-war games they had played on the premier cricket grounds at the SSC, SC and PC. Two football leagues (Table 6 and Table 8) and a knock-out tournament (Table 7) had teams named after the English football clubs like Everton, Leicester, Liverpool, Arsenal and Newcastle. Although the men were interned, they were culturally and socially playing English football within the prison grounds. In his study of the POWs playing cricket at Changi barracks Blackburn stated that cricket was a game exclusively of the British empire, and by playing cricket in captivity the POWs were unconsciously and sometimes consciously asserting who they were and were demonstrating their commitment to British values. 153 It was likely that the European internees were thinking along the same lines, especially with the Governor playing the game. All the football teams in the two leagues and one knock-out competition were named after English clubs in England (Tables 6 8). It was only after the Double Tenth incident that the sporting activities were greatly reduced for health reasons. After the internees shifted to the Sime Road Camp the men were too occupied with growing food and there was no known reports of sporting activities probably for the lack of space and facilities. The authors hope that the stories of the sporting lives of Governor Shenton and the European male internees at Changi prison can contribute to the historiography of the history of sports in Singapore as well as the history of sports in the European internee prison camps during the Second World War. Disclosure statement No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. Notes on Contributors Peng Han Lim is Visiting Research Fellow, Sport Centre, University of Malaya. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Department of Information Science, Loughborough University. He was also a Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow at the National Library Board, Singapore, in Mohd Salleh Aman is the Director and Dean, Sport Centre, University of Malaya. Notes 1. Bernice Archer, The Internment of Western Civilians Under the Japanese : A Patchwork of Internment (London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2004), Chan Kin Sang, Soldiers in Captivity: POW Experiences in Changi, (Academic Exercise, National University of Singapore, 1986). 3. R.P.W. Havers, Reassessing the Japanese Prisoner of War Experience: The Changi POW Camp, Singapore, (London: RoutledgeCurzon, 2003). 4. Kevin Blackburn, The Sportsmen of Changi (Sydney: NewSouth, 2012). 5. David Nelson, The Story of Changi Singapore (Singapore: Changi Museum, 2011), T.P.M. Lewis, Changi: The Lost Years: A Malayan Diary (Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysia Historical Society, 1984). 7. Tyler Thompson, Freedom in Internment: Under Japanese Rule (Singapore: Kefford Press, n.d.) 8. Brian Kitching, Life and Death in Changi: The War and Internment Diary of Thomas Kitching ( ) (Singapore Landmark Books, 2002).

16 14 P.H. Lim and M.S. Aman 9. George L. Peet, Within Changi s Walls: A Record of Civilian Internment in World War II (Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2011). 10. H. Miller and G.H. Wade, Issue 15, Changi Guardian, 27 March Idem., Issue 259, Changi Guardian, 5 October Joseph Kennedy, British Civilians and the Japanese War in Malaya and Singapore, (London: Macmillan Press, 1987), Archer, The Internment of Western Civilians Under the Japanese, Blackburn, The Sportsmen of Changi. 15. J. Watson, Straits Settlements Annual Report of the Education Department for the Year 1929 (Singapore: Government Printing Office, 1930): Bernard Nunn, The Government, in Walter Makepeace, Gilbert E. Brooke and Roland St J. Braddell (eds), One Hundred Years of Singapore, Vol. 1 (London: John Murray, 1921), Roland St J. Braddell, A Short History of the Colony, in Walter Makepeace, Gilbert E. Brooke and Roland St J. Braddell (eds), One Hundred Years of Singapore, Vol. 1 (London: John Murray, 1921), C.M. Turnbull, The European Mercantile Community in Singapore, , Journal of Southeast Asian History 10, no. 1 (1969), Robert, L. Jarman, Annual Reports of the Straits Settlements : Volume (London: Archive Editions, 1998), v vi. 20. C.M. Turnbull, A History of Singapore, , 2nd ed. (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1989), E.M. Merewether, Report on the Census of the Straits Settlements Taken on 5th April 1891 (Singapore: Government Printing Office, 1892), Khoo Kay Kim, The Formation of the Federated Malay States, in Cheah Boon Kheng (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Malaysia: Early Modern History, (Singapore: Archipelago Press, 2001), Cheah Boon Kheng, The Unfederated Malay States, in Cheah Boon Kheng (ed.), The Encyclopaedia of Malaysia: Early Modern History, (Singapore: Archipelago Press, 2001), C.E. Carrington, Singapore and Malaya (London: Royal Institute of International Affairs, 1956), C.A. Vlieland, British Malaya: A Report on the 1931 Census and on Certain Problems of Vital Statistics (London: Crown Agent of the Colonies, 1932), D.J.M. Tate, The Lake Club : The Pursuit of Excellence (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1990), Walter Makepeace, A Century of Sport, in Walter Makepeace, Gilbert E. Brooke and Roland St J. Braddell (eds), One Hundred Years of Singapore, Vol. 1 (London: John Murray, 1921), Singapore Cricket Club, Straits Times, 16 August 1928, Appreciable Increase in S.C.C. Membership, Straits Times, 19 November 1940, Penang News, Straits Times Weekly, 27 December 1883, Penang Cricket Club, Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 28 October 1927, Special Correspondent, European Clubs in Penang, Straits Times, 9 June 1934, The Government Gazette, Straits Times Weekly, 2 July 1890, Penang Golf Club, Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 8 March 1922, Two Penang Clubs Merge, Straits Times, 24 March 1937, Raja Nazrin Shah, Landmarks of Perak (Kuala Lumpur: RNS, 2006), E.W. Birch, Mr. E.W. Birch on Cricket Grounds, Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 14 July 1896, Perak Club Meeting, Straits Times, 1 November 1907, Theodore R. Hubback, Sport, in Arnold Wright and H.A. Cartwright (eds), Twentieth Century Impressions of British Malaya: Its History, People, Commerce, Industries and Resources (London: Lloyd s Greater London, 1908), J.M. Gullick, Kuala Lumpur : A City in the Making (Petaling Jaya: Pelandok, 1988), Selangor Club, Straits Times, 25 March 1920, From the Federal Capital, Straits Times, 13 March 1936, Hubback, Sport, 581.

17 The International Journal of the History of Sport Singapore Cricket Club, Straits Times, 25 August 1900, Correspondent, Selangor Beat Penang in Race Against Time, Straits Times, 14 May 1940, Time Robs Cricket Club of Victory, Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 16 June 1941, Correspondent, Malaya s Non-Benders, Straits Times, 4 September 1928, Pen Portrait of the New Governor, Straits Times, 17 June 1934, Week-End Cricket: Governor in Great Form, Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 17 June 1935, Malayan Cup Final, Straits Times, 3 October 1921, Sport in Malaya, Straits Times, 9 February 1923, Malayan Cup Final, th Malaya Cup Final Tomorrow, Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, 16 August 1940, Singapore s Cup Victory Was Hard Earned, Straits Times, 23 August 1940, Archer, The Internment of Western Civilians Under the Japanese, Keiko Soeda, The Japanese Racial Policy in Malaya and Singapore During the Japanese Occupation: Its Impact on National Integration (MA diss., National University of Singapore, 1997), Archer, The Internment of Western Civilians Under the Japanese, Peet, Within Changi s Walls, Paul Kratoska, The Japanese Occupation of Malaya: A Social and Economic History (London: Hurst & Company, 1998), Akashi Yoji, The Japanese Occupation of Malaya: Interruption or Transformation?, in Alfred W. McCoy (ed.), Southeast Asia Under Japanese Occupation (New Haven: Yale University Southeast Asian Studies, 1980), The Meaning of Syonan, Syonan Times, 21 February 1942, Peet, Within Changi s Walls, H.R. Cheeseman, An Internee Presents a Picture of Internment in Singapore, British Malaya 20, no. 10 (1946), Kennedy, British Civilians and the Japanese War, Cheeseman, An Internee Presents a Picture of Internment in Singapore, Peet, Within Changi s Walls, Kennedy, British Civilians and the Japanese War, Kitching, Life and Death in Changi, Peet, Within Changi s Walls, Lewis, Changi: The Lost Years, Margaret Thomas, In the Shadow of the Rising Sun (Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2009), New Changi Gaol Opens Its Doors, Straits Times, 31 January 1937, Thompson, Freedom in Internment, Miller and Wade, Nominal Strength of the Camp, Ibid. 76. Peet, Within Changi s Walls, Idem., Farewell, Changi Guardian, 21 July 1942, Peet, Within Changi s Walls, Kitching, Life and Death in Changi, Miller and Wade, Nominal Strength of the Camp, Tompkins, Three Wasted Years, Nakahara Michiko, The Civilian Women s Internment Camp in Singapore: The World of POW WOW, in Akashi Yoji and Yoshimura Make (eds), New Perspectives on the Japanese Occupation in Malaya and Singapore (Singapore: National University of Singapore Press, 2008), Peet, Within Changi s Walls, Miller and Wade, Nominal Strength of the Camp, Michiko, The Civilian Women s Internment Camp in Singapore, Lewis, Changi: The Lost Years, H. Miller and G.H. Wade, With Bat and Ball, Changi Guardian, 23 April , Kitching, Life and Death in Changi, 103.