Introduction
"History" has been rightly defined. History is nothing to speak of if we do not recognise within it his story, a story that involves real people. Within such a concept is a reminder that this is not just his STORY, but rather HIS story which brings the focus not merely upon the events, nor the politics and the leadership of the day, but the people themselves. Failing to grasp the essence of the flesh and blood of ordinary people is a great travesty of any historical study. During my own schooling, history meant nothing to me for many years. It was merely dates and statistics. That changed when a teacher brought a new approach to the study, his excitement as he spoke of the story was evident, as if he lived the story for himself. Immediately the realisation was there, this is about real people, just as today must be looked back on by our descendents recognising our lives and aspirations as people are must always be paramount.
My previous book, "From barren rocks ... to living stones", majored upon my experiences regarding the events in Aden in 1966/67 during the terrorism of the time and the major British evacuation in 1967. These were major historical land marks, but it was the people who made the story so real. "Paradise Island, heavenly journey" looks back to the experiences in the Far East in the 1950's. I was far younger, but history was still the issue, surrounded by people who had adult concerns following the Second World War. It is the stories of the people that will be found within this book.
In the context of my definition of history I believe that every one of us could be described as being "history" without any offence intended! Every one of us has a wonderful story to reveal, without even touching the fictional stories of imagination. "Paradise Island, heavenly journey" seeks to draw out some of those personal stories that puts the meat into the years lived out in the world, the real history that exceeds the isolation of politics on their own.
However, as the story develops the question emerges, does the question of "HIS story" mean even more to the story of history? Time and reading will reveal the answer."
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1st chapter includes the description of the voyage to the far east in the 1950's. example:
"Smoke was billowing out from the solitary funnel that was towering above them all, though that was fairly normal for the ships funnel to have smoke coming through it, this time there was definitely more than the normal to be seen as a result of the fire which had started in that area, however seeing it in these circumstances seemed to emphasize the drama of the whole situation that they were experiencing. Violet knew where they had all been instructed, as a family, to gather, and so her first thoughts that night were that she should make her way to the pre-arranged spot as soon as she could, armed with the life jackets ready to put onto each one of the children. As a hen would have gathered her chicks protectively as close to her as possible in times of disaster, so was her desire. She wanted to draw her treasured children around her knowing they were securely hidden under the security of her wing.
As she looked at each of them, she began to be filled with an extreme alarm with the discovery she had now made. Her motherly instinct had immediately revealed that everything was far from well. One of the children was missing! Even with six children, a mother soon knows one of her own is missing."
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settling into the new life in Singapore in the 1950's, at the time of the Chinese riots, was an experience with a difference. For example:
"Initially, the family were resident in a place that was known as Katong, a residential district that lay in the east end of the island, which was out with of the military base and therefore providing a far less secure living accommodation during the times of unrest such as this. Some of the students and other rioters were known to gather as a crowd nearby, shouting out various words of insult to any of the British population who were anywhere within earshot. They were taunting them, goading them, seeking any kind of reaction, whilst they armed themselves with metal dust bin lids, which they would bang together as loudly as possible. The intention was to try and instill a sense of fear, alarm and despondency amongst the young families of the servicemen that lived in the locality, and in the process undermine the morale of the whole of the British community. It was a tremendous racket, as the noise seemed to get increasingly louder and louder, reverberating as it impacted and pounded into the depths of their minds. There seemed as if there was no sanctuary available, no peace and shelter from the mounting tension that surrounded them as the noise echoed from house to house and back again. There was no part of their housing that would be discovered to give a haven against the invasion of the noise."
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The book reveals something of the feelings of the local people as they reflected upon the occupation under the Japanese. For example:
"In the nineteen fifties there were still a lot of very sore memories from the experiences that were endured during those dark years of war and the Japanese occupation. Those who had lived through those years in Singapore all had a story to tell, and every story was still fresh on their minds. When Paddy and Violet first met up with the members of the Church in Singapore they were a couple completely focused on their own concerns and difficulties. They were coming to realise that whatever their concerns, they had never experienced the troubles that were known to the people of Singapore. Even their own war time experiences could never compare with the experiences of the Japanese occupation of Singapore, and yet somehow they had managed to find a way for them to overcome everything.
They began to realise this was a time for them to start to listen. Jimi Hendrix was to be quoted as saying in later years words that were most profound, "Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens." On one occasion Pastor Chew Hock Hin began to share some of those experiences that he had known during the war, and the memories that were still painfully there within him from when the Japanese occupation began in Singapore in nineteen forty two on the fifteenth of February, which was also known to be the date of the Chinese New Year in nineteen forty two.
He spoke of how they initially had felt relieved to find they had survived that initial day, offering thanks in prayer to their Lord for the deliverance they had known. Yet the Chinese New Year's Day was also a strangely quiet day, which was a stark contrast to the nerve wrecking din of bursting bombs and shells that had been incessantly filling the air all over Singapore earlier. War time can generate such a variety of emotions as one might swing from one experience to another.
In normal peacetime, Singapore would have been a happy and colourful city, with houses that were decked with red banners across the doorways, colourfully dressed children darting hither and thither, throwing exploding crackers everywhere laughing with free and joyful abandon. But now, a mysterious silence had descended upon the city. It was unnerving, bringing with it an oppressive sense of foreboding. True they were extremely relieved, but without the slightest feelings of joy, joy over what? This was the dawn of a new year? This yearly event was completely obscured by the immense sense of relief, that the fighting had ceased and the dreaded explosions had stopped. This was not the time for them to be joyful and celebrate. Surely no one in his sane mind would rejoice over the fall of Singapore! It took them some time to get used to the bewildering silence. It was as if they had just awakened out of a nightmare, a horrible, crippling fear that everything around them was about to collapse.
Three days after the surrender of Singapore, he spoke of how he had travelled with friends, giving them a lift in his car, as they went to inspect the condition of their property in Geylang road. What they saw on the way sickened them to the core. They saw wrecked buildings, dead bodies, some British soldiers with their heads cut off, cars damaged and burnt. Nothing could ever have prepared them for the sights that met their eyes that day."
