Double Tenth Incident

On 27 September 1943, 6 Japanese oil tankers were destroyed at Keppel Harbour, and although the saboteurs escaped unnoticed, the Japanese suspected that prisoners interned at Changi were responsible for the incident. On 10 October 1943, the anniversary of the founding of the Republic of China, the Kempeitai raided the cells in Changi Prison, interrogating 57 prisoners, with tortures resulting in the death of 15. The Kempeitai raid is known as the Double Tenth incident.

Background
Except for Swedes and Danes, all Caucasian and British prisoners-of-war were interned in Changi Gaol during World War II. The camp was literally run by the internees themselves, with the camp Commandant and a Committee elected to allocate work to the internees. Japanese sentries and the Japanese camp Commandant connived to set up a black market for food. Wireless parts were easily smuggled into the intern camp with an elaborate system set up to circulate BBC news weekly through sheets of copied notes. In fact, a book marked "W.S." with notations of the weekly BBC news was collated by internee Wickham Steed and circulated by Walter Stevenson.

Operation Jaywick
On 27 September 1943, a daring commando raid, code-named Operation Jaywick, led by Captain Lyon resulted in the blowing up of 6 Japanese oil tankers in the Singapore Harbour. The Japanese authorities received information from the Johore Branch of the Kempeitai that foreign internees in Changi Gaol had transmitted news to the raiding party. Lieutenant Colonel (then Major) Sumida Haruzo, Chief of the Kempeitai received orders to investigate the Changi camp and arrest persons suspected of sabotage.

Double Tenth Incident
At 9:00 am on 9 October 1943, internees at Changi Gaol were ordered to assemble at the courtyard while the cells were thoroughly searched. A wireless set belonging to Walter Stevenson was found and he was immediately arrested. Similarly a total of 19 men were arrested that day including barrister Robert Heeley Scott CBE, a prominent Foreign Office employee, who was suspected to be the ringleader of the anti-Japanese elements and John Long, the camp's ambulance driver who was executed. By 2 April 1944, a total of 57 men were arrested with many other civilians from the city taken to either the YMCA, the Central Police Station in South Bridge Road or a Smith Street residence transformed into a temporary gaol. For the next 5 months the suspects were kept in cramped quarters and subjected to constant interrogation and torture.

Scott was first interviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Sumida Haruzo and thereafter interrogated and tortured by Warrant Officer Monai Tadamori for 4 weeks but all Scott confessed to was being anti-Japanese, conveying nothing about Operation Jaywick. Scott was charged for his anti-Japanese propaganda and for his work with the wireless set at Changi. He was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment in Outram Road Gaol. At least 15 internees died under torture. The rest were sent back to Changi Gaol.

On 18 March 1946, 21 members of the Kempeitai were charged for the torture and murder of civilians in a war criminal trial termed the "Double Tenth" trial.



Author
Heng Wong



References
Haruzo, S. (1951). Trial of Sumida Haruzo and twenty others (the "Double Tenth" trial) (pp. xiii-xxxii). London: W. Hodge.
(Call no.: RCLOS 341.69 HAR)

Tan, B. L. (1996). The Japanese Occupation 1942-1945: A pictorial record of Singapore during the war (p. 55). Singapore: Times Editions.
(Call no.: RSING 940.5425 TAN)

Turnbull, C. M. (1989). A History of Singapore: 1819-1988 (p. 206). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 TUR)



The information in this article is valid as at 1998 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Events>>Historical Periods>>World War II and Japanese Occupation (1939-1945)
Singapore--History--Japanese occupation, 1942-1945
History>>Asia>>Southeast Asia>>Singapore



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