"I'm hoping for a day where I can escape from this torturous cell. I want my freedom back. I'm trying my best to think positively but sometimes, I really feel like giving up. My hopes, my faith. It's fading away." Mary thought, sitting alone at a corner of the cell. Everything was great before she was dragged by the Japanese. "You wouldn't believe what I've gone through. The Japanese were heartless and cruel. They poured hot sizzling water on my body, starve me and beat me with thick sticks. I survived, but I can't hold on any longer." Mary murmured.
Mary Lim was born in July 1904, the eldest of six children of the rector in a small village. The six years she spent in Singapore, from 1939 to 1945, was not her first experience of life abroad.
She spent years studying and teaching, thus she wanted to try something new. She applied to join the Women’s Land Army but there was a waiting list of 8,000. This was a depressing prospect, and at the suggestion of her brother George, who was on leave from Singapore where he was an assistant master of a school there, she returned there with him and landed in Singapore early in the morning in December 1939.
After two years of stay in Singapore, in 1941, the first wave of bombs fell. During that period, the war in Europe seemed to have little or no repercussion on their lives. Everything went on as usual, only a little interrupted when the younger men were called up for military training. Food, frozen or fresh, was plentiful. There was no need for black-out or curfew and no one took Air Raid Precautions very seriously as they knew that Singapore was an impregnable fortress.
The school were closed down before the Japanese advance. Many of the classrooms were turned into hospital wards for wounded English soldiers.
The person in charge of the hospital, Jenna, was a great busybody and she would spend her evenings going round the school with a torch, trying to catch the off-duty nurses who were flirting in corners with the soldiers, fire fighters and ambulance men instead of doing what she was supposed to do.
"Do you need some water or bread? You must be exhausted and hungry." Mary said to a Singapore soldier.
"No thank you, I'm alright. I've to leave the hospital very soon." John, the soldier replied.
"Are you sure? You can take one bread along with you and eat it when you're hungry." Mary said, with a smile on her face.
Aren't you suppose to be treating the wounded? Why are you chatting away instead of doing what you're supposed to do?" Jenna interrupted.
"I'll go back to work now." Mary replied and left quickly.
As the Japanese advance drew nearer and nearer, the burning question of whether “to stay or to go” kept lingering in Mary’s mind. She decided to await orders.
“We don’t know what will happen, but in the event of the worst coming to the worst we shall all be together in one of the hospitals.” Marilyn, one of the staff said. This conversation assured Mary.
The night before she sleeps, the shelling began. The shells flew overhead, very loudly and apparently very near. She could not sleep at all, so she got up and put on her uniform and went over to the school. The shelling had died down quite quickly and things there were quieter. A few soldiers came in to clean up their wound and Jane got them some bread as they were starving.
More and more casualties came in to the hospital with wounds and injuries all over. At this point of time, Mary felt sick and helpless.
“We’ve surrendered!” one of the nurse there shouted. Mary was shocked; she could not believe that Singapore has been defeated.
All of them were rounded up for internment. Women and children were together and separated with men. Women were separated from their husbands and did not know if they would ever see them again. The food was very scanty and the cells were so crowded that they could barely move from one place to another.
"Round up everyone. We are heading for the base camp." the man with a voice of authority ordered.
“We don’t know what will happen, but in the event of the worst coming to the worst we shall all be together in one of the hospitals.” Marilyn, one of the staff said. This conversation assured Mary.
The night before she sleeps, the shelling began. The shells flew overhead, very loudly and apparently very near. She could not sleep at all, so she got up and put on her uniform and went over to the school. The shelling had died down quite quickly and things there were quieter. A few soldiers came in to clean up their wound and Jane got them some bread as they were starving.
More and more casualties came in to the hospital with wounds and injuries all over. At this point of time, Mary felt sick and helpless.
“We’ve surrendered!” one of the nurse there shouted. Mary was shocked; she could not believe that Singapore has been defeated.
All of them were rounded up for internment. Women and children were together and separated with men. Women were separated from their husbands and did not know if they would ever see them again. The food was very scanty and the cells were so crowded that they could barely move from one place to another.
"Round up everyone. We are heading for the base camp." the man with a voice of authority ordered.
"Yes, General," came a crisp response.
Mary and the rest of the prisoners were forced to go bare-footed and march to another building which was very far under the hot sun whereas transport were provided for the Japanese soldiers. Mary was all exhausted and her legs were wobbly when they reached the destination. The building was bare, dark and damp. The cells were all so small so they were all cramped together.
“Settling down to a permanent life in these strange conditions was not an easy business.” Mary said.
Time passed by slowly and painfully. Food became increasingly deficient and number of deaths due to starvation and malnutrition increased as time went on. Those who disobeyed the Japanese were executed. Mary lived each day with fear of being punished or executed. A faint glow in the never-ending darkness had enveloped her. Thoughts kept lingering in her mind. Is she going to be rescued? She thought that freedom was just within his grasp only to have it cruelly wrenched away from her. So near yet so far. She sat down, blinded by the scream that filled her mind. She could only wait.
“Settling down to a permanent life in these strange conditions was not an easy business.” Mary said.
Time passed by slowly and painfully. Food became increasingly deficient and number of deaths due to starvation and malnutrition increased as time went on. Those who disobeyed the Japanese were executed. Mary lived each day with fear of being punished or executed. A faint glow in the never-ending darkness had enveloped her. Thoughts kept lingering in her mind. Is she going to be rescued? She thought that freedom was just within his grasp only to have it cruelly wrenched away from her. So near yet so far. She sat down, blinded by the scream that filled her mind. She could only wait.
