Kranji Memorial

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For a detailed description of the Kranji War Memorial see FORTRESS SINGAPORE, The Battlefield Guide, pp. 42-45, Maj. Yap Siang Yong, Romen Bose, Angeline Pang, Times Books International, Second Edition 1995. Available at most major book sellers in Singapore.

Prior to W.W.II the Kranji Memorial site was used as a military camp and an ammunition dump. After the surrender a POW camp and hospital were located here. The cemetery was started by the inmates of the hospital during the occupation.

The cemetery was expanded after the war the cemetery was re-laid out by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and the airfoil inspired structure was added. Within the walls of the structure are engraved the names of 23,943 men and women who do not have graves. The names of those buried are kept in a memorial book, copies are located at the entrance to the cemetery and at the main monument. (If not there, check with the Caretaker.)

Entrance to Kranji War Cemetery

Air Frame design of the Memorial

Lieutenant Colonel Ivon Lyon

Included in the internees are Lieutenant Colonel Ivon Lyon, Lieutenant-Commander Donald Davidson, Captain Robert Page and Corporal Archie Campbell. All four were part of Special Force 'Z', based in Australia.

Lyon (commander) Davidson and Page were part of Operation Jaywick. Operation Jaywick was the only one out of eighty-one of SRD (Services Reconnaissance Department) missions that was completely successful. Jaywick was a commando raid into Singapore harbor, destroying as much enemy shipping as possible. In the end three teams of two, blew up a total of seven ships. All the commandos and support team safely made it back to Australia.

All four were part of Operation Rimau (Malay for tiger), again planned by and led by Lyons. Rimau was to be a repeat of Jaywick, however with more commandos and using a mini-sub nick named Sleeping Beauty. In the end the entire team was killed without getting to their target. Campbell and Davidson died on Tapai Island, Lyon was killed on Soreh Island and Page died at Bukit Timah, in Singapore. (Click on the headstones for a detailed view.)

Archie Campbell and Donald Davidson

Ivan Lyon

Ivon Lyon is on the far right. Photo taken at Ft Siloso.

Click Here for a map of the cemetery.

Click here for cemetery listings for Campbell, Davidson, Lyon and Page.

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