I was 2 years old when WWII broke out. At that time, my father was living in Singapore, while I stayed in Putien, China with my mother. I didn't come over to Singapore until 1947, after the war had ended. I was part of a large family with 7 siblings - 3 girls and 5 boys. My older brother and I were born in China, but the rest of my younger siblings were born in Singapore.

My father shared stories of his experiences during the war in Singapore. He mentioned that he worked for the Japanese, helping them with groceries and performing housekeeping duties in exchange for food. According to him, it was an incredibly tough time. Rice was in short supply, so people had to resort to growing tapioca. People had to stand in long queues for bread. My own husband was just 4 or 5 years old during WWII and had similar experiences. He was pushed while waiting in line for bread and fell into a drain. It was a chaotic and challenging period.

My father typically ate his meals outside with a group of friends, as he didn't know how to cook. He would buy food from the mixed vegetable rice stall in the market. Food stalls sold simple fare during the war since there wasn't much to eat. When I arrived in 1947 after the war, there was still rice rationing, and my father had to register our family to receive the rationed rice. I was 7 at that time, but since the minimum age for registration was 12, my father inflated my age. It was a necessity to ensure we had enough to eat. We were living on Sixth Avenue, and the government used the house next to us as the rice distribution center.

Geylang Road

1938-1939

Courtesy of Roots.gov.sg (link)

My father also spoke of the Japanese cruelty during the war, mentioning that they killed many people. He used to own a shop along Geylang Road where he made beehoon (rice vermicelli), and he had a large detached house along Geylang Lorong 26. However, he had to sell them at a low price during the war. After the war, he started a bus company with a few partners and gradually expanded the business. This was how he managed to make a living in the post-war period.