With a thunderstorm threatening, we took a taxi to Kranji War Cemetery in the north of the island. In 1942, Kranji was where the Australian forces defended against the Japanese invasion across the narrow strait to Malaysia. We came to visit the grave of Albert (Blondie) Sargent who was a member of “Z” Special Forces in WW 11. Operation Rimau was to sink Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour, but unlike the previous successful raid by “Z” Force, this one was detected. All were killed, or made their escape and were later captured. Lt Albert Sargent was one of the latter, and was executed not far from the site of the Kranji Cemetery, on 7th July, 1945, not long before the end of the war.
Malay gardeners were tending the neat lawns and one showed us to his grave which was next to the other nine Australian soldiers executed that day. We paused for a while until the dark blue and grey clouds hanging low over the low hill, emptied. (see photo)
“The use of travelling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson