After Singapore Fell

[anon1]

He is asking for confirmation on a story he heard as a child, not making the political or religious statement you so desperately want him to "back up".

He is looking for more reasons to demonize Muslims in order to justify his racialized stance Syrian refugees.

 

[SkyRider]

he is looking for more reasons to demonize muslims in order to justify his racialized stance syrian refugees.

if there are any hindus or muslims or students of hindu and muslim history on the board, i would love to hear your version of the 30,000 who "turned". Just to be clear, the only reason for this post is to reply to oj's question. It is by no means a criticism of those who "turned".

f.y.i.

 

[dirkd101]

This doesn't make sense. Japan's post-war constitution prohibits their deployment of troops outside their borders. Where were these Japanese soldiers deployed, and when?

Japan's constitution didn't come about until sometime after the war ended, in either 1947 or early '48.

See anon's answer below; Japanese troops were used at wars end as "colonial" policemen for the areas colonial powers, Britain and France as the main colonial powers in South east Asia.

These colonies, wanted independence and at wars end saw their opportunity to achieve this. So the allies used what was available to them and offered the Japanese soldiers a job. The Japanese soldiers were used because they were good professional soldiers with a reputation and they were exactly what was needed in order to keep these colonies in line and to keep them as colonies.

He's referring to the Allies' use of POW Japanese soldiers as "policemen" in far east colonies immediately after the war.
The European allies had promised independence to their many colonies in Asia if they would come and save their asses in the war against the Axis.
Post-war they wanted to renege on the promise. Since their troops were few and scattered, they resorted to using POW Japanese soldiers to maintain colonialist control.
That's why there was a Vietnam War.

Thank-you anon for answering the question.

 

[SkyRider]

Japanese troops were used at wars end as "colonial" policemen for the areas colonial powers, Britain and France as the main colonial powers in South east Asia.

Were these troops still members of the official Japanese military or were they private mercenaries? Not to belabor the point, but does anybody have a link to a reputable source to confirm this story?

I know that Japanese troops were asked to maintain order in Singapore and Hong Kong after Japan surrendered but that was only until they were relieved by the arrival of British troops. Also, I heard that units of the Japanese army were still fighting in the Malayan jungle well into September 1945 because they were unaware or did not believe that Japan had surrendered.

 

[oil&gas]

Upon the arrival of the British troops in Hong Kong Japanese
soldiers were disarmed and sent into detention. I presume
same procedure was followed in Singapore. Difficult to believe
Japanese POWs were hired to maintain order given the atrocities
and crimes they had committed. In Philippines people murdered
by the occupation force could be as many as one million. Many
locals were executed by drowning alive. A Japanese soldier put
on duty in public in any of HK, Philippines and Malaysia would
have been killed by revenging locals.

 

[SkyRider]

In Philippines people murdered
by the occupation force could be as many as one million.

Yes, taking back Manila and the rest of the Philippines by force was a bloodbath. Thank goodness (and the Americans) that Singapore, Hong Kong and large areas of China were liberated without the need for force. This saved many lives, both local and Japanese.

 

[dirkd101]

Were these troops still members of the official Japanese military or were they private mercenaries? Not to belabor the point, but does anybody have a link to a reputable source to confirm this story?

I know that Japanese troops were asked to maintain order in Singapore and Hong Kong after Japan surrendered but that was only until they were relieved by the arrival of British troops. Also, I heard that units of the Japanese army were still fighting in the Malayan jungle well into September 1945 because they were unaware or did not believe that Japan had surrendered.

These troops were still part of the Japanese military or what was left of it at or near wars end. I have no link for you as of now, but this was the case, let Google be your friend here as the texts that I have read with this information are not handy for me to cite.

You are correct about some Japanese troops that were cut off from their command and control and were by-passed by allied armies, did not know that the war was over.

 

[dirkd101]

Were these troops still members of the official Japanese military or were they private mercenaries? Not to belabor the point, but does anybody have a link to a reputable source to confirm this story?

I know that Japanese troops were asked to maintain order in Singapore and Hong Kong after Japan surrendered but that was only until they were relieved by the arrival of British troops. Also, I heard that units of the Japanese army were still fighting in the Malayan jungle well into September 1945 because they were unaware or did not believe that Japan had surrendered.

These troops were still part of the Japanese military or what was left of it at or near wars end. I have no link for you as of now, but this was the case, let Google be your friend here as the texts that I have read with this information are not handy for me to cite.

You are correct about some Japanese troops that were cut off from their command and control and were by-passed by allied armies, did not know that the war was over.