Singa: The Lion of Malaya – Gurchan Singh (1949) (1st ed)

S$155.00

Singa: The Lion of Malaya – Gurchan Singh (1949) (1st ed)

S$155.00

Title: Singa: The Lion of Malaya

Author: Gurchan Singh, Hugh Barnes (ed)

Publisher: Quality Street Ltd Publishers, 1949. First and only edition. Scarce.

Condition: Hardcover, green cloth. In good condition overall, expected wear and rubbing, some stains on boards, some warping of boards, firmly bound, pages evenly toned, generally clean.

The story of a Malayan Resistance Movement organised and led by an Indian Policeman, Gurchan Singh, and of the secret newspaper which he wrote and distributed himself during the Japanese occupation of Malaya.

This is a fascinating story of a part of the World War about which very little has been written. Mr. Gurchan Singh, an Indian in the Malayan Police when the Japanese invaded the country, suddenly found himself a solitary individual abandoned by the Administration which he had served. He could so easily have made terms with the Japanese invader, but he never lost his faith in the cause for which the Allies were fighting or his belief that one day the British would return. In “Singa” is told what he and a few friends did to carry on a lone underground campaign against the Japanese under conditions of great hardship and the ever-present risk of torture and execution if caught. This tale of loyalty, enterprise and cold courage is one of the best answers to those who tried to pretend that the fall of Malaya was largely due to the desire of the inhabitants to get rid of the British.

– from the foreword by L D Gammans