Changi prison camp in World War 2 – myths & facts
This month marks 83 years since the fall of Singapore in the Second World War. LIZ COWARD is a Friends of the Museums docent at Changi Chapel and Museum; she looks back at that time and offers some views on the myths around Changi at that time.
On 15 February 1942, around 97,000 British and Commonwealth soldiers were surrendered following the swift defeat of the British Empire in Malaya and Singapore. The prisoners of war (POWs) were later divided. Indian Army troops were corralled into Farrer Park and invited to join the Indian National Army or else face captivity. The remainder were told to return to barracks and await further orders. On 16 February, they began their march to the British army base at Changi, recently re-designated as a POW camp.
Changi was one of the most modern and best equipped military bases in the world. Its extensive grounds housed facilities such as sports pitches, two cinemas (one of which was air conditioned) and a golf course. Some areas were landscaped and it enjoyed “one of the finest natural settings of any military base anywhere in the world”. Although it had been bombed and shelled, Changi prison was a place of tranquillity for the humiliated and exhausted troops. Indeed, years later, it was viewed as heaven by POWs returning from the notorious Thai-Burma Railway.
Nowadays, however, the Changi prison camp is often described as a “hell camp” where Japanese guards routinely tortured British and Australian POWs during their three-and-a-half-year captivity. This is a myth, yet it has stuck fast in the public imagination partly due to inaccurate yet popular TV dramas, YouTube videos and Wikipedia entries. This myth should be challenged for the sake of the ex-POWs, their friends and family.
Myth #1 – Changi was a hell camp
No; in fact, Changi was “one of the most benign of the Japanese POW camps in World War 2.” While the Japanese had ultimate control, British and Australian senior officers were responsible for the camp’s daily management. Once military discipline was restored, orders and initiatives followed. For instance, local volunteer forces set up repair workshops from which sprang Changi Industries. Churches and synagogues were created. Lending libraries and universities were established. There were sports competitions and a range of entertainments produced for the camp theatres.
Still, Changi prison camp was no picnic. There was malnutrition, preventable illnesses and inadequate medical facilities. Daily fatigues, such as gathering fuel, cooking and gardening were arduous for men surviving on insufficient calories, terrible skin afflictions and recurrent tropical diseases. From September 1943 onwards, the POWs were forced to work on the Japanese aerodrome and runway at Changi Point, today’s Changi Airport.
Myth #2 – Japanese routinely tortured the POWs
British and Australian officers were also responsible for enforcing camp discipline within their designated areas. Therefore their own military police/provosts patrolled inside the perimeters while the Japanese patrolled outside.
The Japanese did execute those attempting escape, and collective punishment was applied if there was insufficient respect or disobedience. For instance, in September 1942, the POWs were crammed into Selarang Barracks square for refusing to sign a “will not attempt to escape” form. While there, four POWs were executed for an earlier escape attempt and the water supply was severely restricted. Senior officers eventually relented when the Japanese threatened to add those hospitalised with infectious diseases.
Myth #3 – only British and Australian POWs were held at Changi prison
The majority of Changi’s POWs were British, but many other nationalities were represented. For instance, around 25,000 to 28,000 Dutch East Indies (KNIL) troops passed through or stayed in Changi prison camp. There were Americans, New Zealanders, Italians and volunteer forces comprising expatriates and locals. One of the latter was David Marshall, who went on to become Singapore’s first elected Chief Minister.
Myth #4 – the POWs were in Changi for three and a half years
Changi was the largest POW camp in Southeast Asia. It was used as a marshalling yard and transit camp. While a few thousand POWs spent their entire captivity in Changi, the majority were shipped out as slave labour to work in different parts of the Japanese Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere – for instance, to work in copper mines in Taiwan, and to build airstrips in Borneo and roads and railways in Thailand and Burma. These were the real hell camps – places where men were beaten, starved, denied medical treatment and worked to death.
In April 1944, the POWs left Changi army base and moved into and around Changi civilian gaol. The previous occupants were civilian internees who were relocated to Sime Road camp.
Final word
Changi was not a hell camp, nor was it a place where POWs routinely suffered torture and beatings by the Japanese. Instead, it was a vibrant multicultural camp. Despite suffering sickness and malnutrition, Changi’s POWs survived because of their autonomy, ingenuity and resilience. They should be celebrated, not suffocated under a blanket of victimhood.
Photos courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
This article first appeared in the February 2025 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
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