(By Kind Permission of the Imperial War Museum Film Archive for this project.)
A British film on 'Fortress Singapore' and its importance to the British Empire from Africa to India and Australia, made in 1938, and showing the opening of Singapore's new dock facilities. An interesting insight into the (only just) pre-war bravado of the UK's over-confident view that they were ready for 'whatever destiny may have in store'. Is this film complacent? Or is it a propaganda film knowing that everything must be done to support the idea that Singapore was indeed an impregnable fortress? Many knew otherwise: For example the RAF knew the planes that "guard the air" were obsolete, as a simple comparison with the latest fighters would quickly show. Also the Malayan peninsula is portrayed as 'securing the land approaches' - why then did Lientenant-General Arthur Percival, General Officer Commanding Malaya (GOC), suggest the launching of 'Operation Matador' barely three years later? That plan was to counter the Japanese landings in Malaya and was based on a recommendation by Major General William Dobbie, who in 1937 predicted correctly that the Japanese could land on the East Coast of Malaysia at Kota Bhahru between October and March in the monsoon season.
There is an oft quoted line that Singapore's defences were inadequate because 'the guns were pointing the wrong way, out to sea'. Yet the British knew the vulnerability of attack from Malaysia and had years to prepare, and many weeks after the Japanese landings. There were, for example, quite a few mobile heavy artillery pieces in Singapore, such as the sixty or so 3.7 inch Anti Aircraft guns that were similar to the notorious German 88mm and also highly effective if used on ground targets. My father, Lt. A.S.Ruthven, whose POW card home is shown in another clip, was in charge of sixteen 3.7s, and mentioned to me they were indeed deployed on ground targets, but too late, in the last days of battle in February 1942. Hindsight is a wonderful thing of course but many of the weaknesses in Singapore's defence were known by the senior British military way before this film was made. The real question is why the politics of command did not allow realistic preparation.
History is constantly reviewed and the above is only intended to provoke discussion!
John Ruthven
February 2013
12 фев 2013
