source: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_456_2005-01-18.html

Sources: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_456_2005-01-18.html

One detail regarding the battle was how he managed to identify Japanese soldiers who were attempting to infiltrate the Regiment's base in disguise as "Punjabi soldiers",^[3] who were marching four abreast (the Japanese marching style) instead of three, which was the style of marching preferred by the British troops.^[4]

The nightmare did not end there for Lt. Adnan's family. The Japanese began hunting down his family. A neighbour had warned that the Japanese were looking for Adnan Saidi's family. They were to be killed too. Worried that the Japanese would be able to track down his family, Mr. Amarullah Saidi had to give away his brother's photographs and belongings. No one dared to keep Lt. Adnan's belongings. Today, the only things of his father which Mokhtar Saidi has are three medals which were awarded to Adnan by the British.

It is widely understood that Adnan had been killed as a casualty of the battle, although exact details surrounding how it happen differed between opposite sides of the war and the actual mode of execution was never officially recorded.

The official version, as recorded by the Japanese Imperial Army, indicated that he was executed and then hung upside down from a cherry tree due to his 2 days of stubborn retaliation and for not surrendering. (Other accounts say that he might have been tied to the tree first, then repeatedly bayoneted to death.^[4][5]) British accounts have confirmed that his corpse was found hung upside down after the surrender and this has been repeated in a number of authoritative texts on the Malayan campaign.

Adnan is currently considered a national hero by both Singaporeans and Malaysians alike due to his bravery and valiant contributions to the war against the Japanese Army invasion at that time.^[6]

Some however felt that the site of the plaque was not the exact spot of the battle. Haji Burhan Muslim, a former resident of Bukit Chandu, believes that the actual battle took place a kilometre away from Kent Ridge Park.

The heroic patriotism of Lt. Adnan Saidi will be hard to forget: etched on the main memorial column wall of the Kranji War Cemetery is No. 385 - "Lt. Adnan Saidi".

Lt. Adnan Saidi received his education in Pekan Sungei Ramal in the English medium. He was a diligent student and excelled in his studies. Upon graduation, Adnan was chosen to be a trainee teacher and taught at his alma mater for over a year. Fate however had other plans for him. A firm man who took discipline seriously, Adnan Saidi chose instead to pursue the military vocation.

In 1933, when he was 18 years old, Adnan Saidi joined the Malay Regiment. A year later, he was chosen as best recruit. In 1936, Adnan was promoted to the rank of Sergeant - a promotion that came fast for a bright young soldier. In 1937, he was chosen to represent his platoon in a military ceremonial parade in London to honour the ascension of King George VI to the throne. Shortly thereafter, Adnan Saidi was promoted yet again to Company-Sergeant-Major and headed for Singapore for an officers' conversion course. Upon graduation as 2nd Lieutenant, Adnan Saidi became the leader of the 7th Platoon, 'C' Coy.

"After two hours of heavy shelling and mortaring, the Japanese attacked the Malay Regiment which was holding Pasir Panjang Ridge. The latter fought magnificently, but suffered heavy casualties, and by afternoon the enemy had reached the Gap (Pasir Panjang Ridge)"

At this historic site, Singapore's last stand for defence was made in an epic 48-hour battle, culminating in the only (recorded) fiery hand-to-hand combat against the Japanese Army.

In 1995, a war memorial plaque at Vigilante Drive, Kent Ridge Park, was erected to honour the fighting spirit and patriotism of Lt. Adnan Saidi and his Malay Brigade.

Some however felt that the site of the plaque was not the exact spot of the battle. Haji Burhan Muslim, a former resident of Bukit Chandu, believes that the actual battle took place a kilometre away from Kent Ridge Park.

The heroic patriotism of Lt. Adnan Saidi will be hard to forget: etched on the main memorial column wall of the Kranji War Cemetery is No. 385 - "Lt. Adnan Saidi".

One detail regarding the battle was how he managed to identify Japanese soldiers who were attempting to infiltrate the Regiment's base in disguise as "Punjabi soldiers",^[3] who were marching four abreast (the Japanese marching style) instead of three, which was the style of marching preferred by the British troops.^[4]
source:

Tan Sri Dato' Mubin Sheppard, 86, an ex-officer and former POW, says of his friend the late Lt. Adnan:

"He was heavily outnumbered by the Japanese - they bombed him but he fought on fiercely and inflicted heavy losses on them. Adnan would have never surrendered under any circumstances. He was absolutely dedicated. In fact, just before fighting, he adopted a motto for his platoon, 'Biar putih tulang, jangan putih mata' - death before dishonour."

Corporal Yaakob, who won a Medal of Gallant subsequently, was one of the few who survived Opium Hill. In the chaos of the battle, he fell and landed on top of the bodies of the dead soldiers. He escaped death by laying motionless amongst the pile of the dead bodies and witnessed the gruesome death of Adnan Saidi. The triumphant enemies captured Lt. Adnan. Angered by his fierce battle resistance, the platoon leader was dragged and pushed into a gunnysack. The Japanese soldiers then hung him by his legs on a cherry tree. Angered by the death of their fellow comrades, the Japanese bayoneted him again and again. In some instances, his throat was slit repeatedly. In Corporal Yaakob's state of 'death', he witnessed these gruesome deeds. In the aftermath of the battle, no one was allowed to bring down his body for burial. No one dared. Some sources claimed that Lt. Adnan Saidi's mutilated body was burnt to ashes.

Years later, Haji Burhan Muslim, who had lived along Bukit Chandu, recalled going up the hill with his cousin few days after the battle. In one of the white bungalows that stood on the hill at Pepys Lane, he witnessed the dismembered bodies of Malay soldiers everywhere. In one of the rooms, laid the body of a Malay soldier. His throat had been slit several times. His uniform was soaked with blood. Judging from the badges he had on his uniform, Haji Burhan believed that he was a high-ranking officer. He felt that the body could have been that of Lt. Adnan Saidi.

Adnan's family was informed of his death through a telegram. A few days earlier, Madam Sophia had delivered their third child. Shortly thereafter, the baby girl died.

The nightmare did not end there for Lt. Adnan's family. The Japanese began hunting down his family. A neighbour had warned that the Japanese were looking for Adnan Saidi's family. They were to be killed too. Worried that the Japanese would be able to track down his family, Mr. Amarullah Saidi had to give away his brother's photographs and belongings. No one dared to keep Lt. Adnan's belongings. Today, the only things of his father which Mokhtar Saidi has are three medals which were awarded to Adnan by the British.

In 1949, Madam Sophia became ill and passed away. Her sons were fostered out.

13,000 Japanese troops had made an amphibious landing in the northwest part of Singapore near Sarimbun (see Battle of Sarimbun Beach), and had started to advance south towards Pasir Panjang. They had already captured Tengah Airfield en route. The 13,000 soldiers^[1] constituted a significant part of the total strength of 36,000 Japanese troops deployed in the invasion of Singapore.
sourcehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pasir_Panjang

During the Malayan Campaign and the Battle of Singapore, the Malay Regiment lost a total of 159 men, including six British officers, seven Malay officers and 146 soldiers of other ranks, mainly in the fighting that took place from 12 to 14 February 1942. Lieutenant Adnan Saidi, commander of Platoon No. 7 of C Company, 1st Battalion, was one of those who perished during the Battle of Pasir Panjang.

Although he was seriously wounded during the attack, Adnan and his troops refused to surrender, and fought the Japanese to the very end. When he was captured by the Japanese, Adnan was shot, bayoneted and his body hung by his legs from a tree.

The Malay mortar crew on display at Bukit Chandu

On 14 February, Eve of Chinese New Year, the Japanese again launched a heavy attack at 8.30am, supported by intense mortar and artillery fire, on the front held by the 1st Malay Brigade.^[3] The defenders beat off this and a number of other attacks. The fighting included bitter hand-to-hand combat, and losses from both sides were heavy. At 4.00pm an attack supported by tanks eventually succeeded in penetrating the left, and the defenders on this flank were forced back to a line from the junction of the Ayer Rajah and Depot Road through the Brick Works and along the canal to Bukit Chermin. Owing to the failure of units on both its flanks to hold their ground, the 1st Malay Brigade withdrew at 2.30pm. It was at this point that C Company of the Malay Regiment received instructions to move to a new defence position, Bukit Chandu.

Bukit Chandu (means "Opium Hill" in Malay) was named after an opium-processing factory located at the foot of the hill. This was also where C Company of the Malay Regiment made their final stand against the Japanese attack. Bukit Chandu was a key defence position for two important reasons. It was situated on high ground overlooking the island to the north; and secondly, if the Japanese gained control of the ridge, it gave them direct passage to the Alexandra area. The British army had its main ammunition and supply depots, military hospital and other key installations located in Alexandra.

C Company's position was separated from D Company by a big canal. Oil was burning in the canal, which flowed from Normanton Depot. The burning oil prevented C Company soldiers from retreating further south. The company was under the command of Lieutenant Adnan Saidi. He encouraged the men to defend Bukit Chandu down to the last soldier, and was killed,^[4][5] together with many of his Malay Regiment soldiers in the last defensive battle at Pasir Panjang.

The Japanese pressed their attack on Bukit Chandu in the afternoon, but under the guise of a deception. They sent a group of soldiers, dressed in Punjabi uniforms, passing themselves off as Indian soldiers in the British army. C Company saw through this trick as they knew that soldiers of the British army usually marched in a line of three whereas the disguised soldiers were in a line of four. When they reached the Malay Regiment's defensive line, C Company's squad opened fire, killing several men. Those who survived escaped downhill.
 
source:

Two hours later, the Japanese launched an all-out banzai charge in great numbers. The attack overwhelmed the Malay Regiment, and the defence line shattered. Greatly outnumbered and short of ammunition(there were only a few hand grenades left and not much rifle ammunition) and much-needed supplies(such as medication and bandages), the Malay Regiment continued to resist the Japanese. Both sides engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat using bayonets. Adnan was seriously wounded but refused to retreat or surrender and instead encouraged his men to fight to the end.^[6][7]

Soon after, Pasir Panjang was under Japanese control, and Adnan, wounded and unable to fight, was captured. Instead of taking him prisoner, the Japanese continuously kicked, punched and beat him before tying him to a tree and stabbing him to death with their bayonets (some sources claim that Adnan was brutally beaten up before being thrown into a tied-up gunny sack, which was then stabbed repeatedly by his Japanese captors).^[8]

Casualties[edit]

During the entire Malayan Campaign, but mostly on 12, 13, 14 and 15 February 1942 in Singapore, the Malay Regiment suffered a total of 159 killed. Six of them were British officers, seven Malay officers, 146 other ranks and a large but unspecified number wounded. About 600 surviving Malay Regiment soldiers reassembled in the Keppel Golf Link area. Here, they were separated from their British officers. They later joined prisoners-of-war from the British Indian Army battalions at the Farrer Park concentration area. It remains unclear as to how many casualties the Japanese suffered.

Aftermath[edit]

“ | The Malay Regiment showed what esprit de corps and discipline can achieve. Garrisons of posts held their ground and many of them were wiped out almost to a man. | ”
— Lieutenant General Arthur Percival

,^[9][10]

The battle of Pasir Panjang had little strategic significance. From a purely military operational perspective, the Battle of Pasir Panjang could not change the outcome of the fate of Singapore and it was a matter of time before the British would surrender to the Japanese 25th Army. The Allied units stationed there were simply tasked with defending the approach to the ridge, but instead had to resist the main invasion force. Opium Hill itself is situated on high ground overlooking the island to the north; and it control the direct passage to the Alexandra area where the British army had its main ammunition and supply depots, military hospital and other key installations located in the Alexandra area. The fall of Opium Hill allow Japan access to Alexandra area, indirectly contribute to Alexandra Hospital massacre.

Adnan Saidi is described by many Singaporeans and Malaysians today as a hero for his actions on Bukit Chandu—he encouraged his men not to surrender and instead fight to the death. In Singaporean and Malaysian school textbooks, he is also credited as the soldier who noticed the error in the marching style of the Japanese soldiers disguised as Indian troops.

However, after his death. There are still continued fighting after the British signing of surrender of Singapore to the Empire of Japan at 6.10pm on 15 February 1942, Chinese New Year. In area around Alexandra Hospital, Tanjong Pagar and Pulau Belakang Mati (Sentosa) where some of the Malay Regiments re-groups.

source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pasir_Panjang'