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Portrait Photograph of Tham Sien Yen
Born in Ipoh, Perak, Tham Sien Yen first received military training in Chungking during the Sino-Japanese war. He was later recruited by Lim Bo Seng and received training in guerilla warfare in India. He became a leading member of Force 136 and was a part of the original group of Force 136 members who returned to Malaya via submarine in 1943. Mr Tham was responsible for intelligence work in the Bukit Bidor base camp and covered duties for Mr Lim Bo Seng when the latter left the base camp. After the war, Mr Tham retired from active military service and became a businessman.
Valuables Donated
Some notable items in this collection include a samurai sword given to Mr Tham by the British at the end of the war, a framed-up photograph of the Chinese Force 136 officers, videotape recordings of programmes related to Force 136, oral recordings of Tham Sien Yen recalling his Force 136 experiences and his radio interview on the anti-Japanese struggle.
Ms Tham also loaned NAS over 800 records for digital duplication. This includes a report written by Tham Sien Yen after the war on how some Force 136 members and him were captured by the Japanese in 1944, Tham Sien Yen's journal of his life as a resistance fighter in the Malayan jungles, photographs related to Force 136, and personal letters to Mr Tham from former Force 136 officers.
Why is this collection valuable?
As Mr Tham was a leading member of Force 136, this collection provides valuable information on the activities of Force 136 and its members. It also provides insight on the Japanese Occupation period from the perspective of local resistance fighters.
Collection Highlights
1. Tham Sien Yen's War-time Journal
Mr Tham Sien Yen was part of original Force 136 which successfully landed in Malaya in 1943. This journal was written between April to September 1945 when they were operating in the jungles of Malaya. It is a very significant record as it provides a glimpse into the life of the Force 136 members during the Second World War.
First entry in the journal, describing the preparation work of sending some members back to Columbo, India via submarine.
Extract from the journal:
"十二日人与物降落后, 约四十分钟已发现敌人, 衣人民服装, 约十五名, 初疑是人民, 及知是敌人, 以机枪扫射时, 敌人已躲入有掩蔽之地, 失去机会."
"On the 12th, we encountered enemies within 40 minutes after the air-drop. There were about 15 of them, dressed in civilian clothes. We thought they were civilians at first, but when we realised otherwise and shot at them, they had had the time to duck under cover and retaliate."
2. Japanese Samurai Sword
At the end of the war, Tham Sien Yen was given a Japanese Sword by the British in recognition of his wartime efforts. The sword and his war journal are currently on display at Memories at Old Ford Factory, a World War II interpretative gallery on the life of Singaporeans during the Japanese Occupation. | 