Commemorative sign : 5th Infantry Divison, Imperial Japanese Army, 1942

White painted sign made from four wooden planks, assembled wide (top), narrow, wide, narrow (bottom). The sides of the upper plank have been sawn at an angle to form two sloping shoulders. The sign is painted with black characters in Japanese and Chinese.

The sign translates: 'Johore Strait Crossing Operation/ February 9th 1942/ Koi [Carp] Corps [Japanese code for the 5th Division]'. A code using numerals and Chinese characters lists the eleven units that made up the Division: Koi 5191 Unit; Tomi 84(1?) Unit [this unit added after the main sign had been completed]; Tomi 7899 Unit; Tomi 7251 Unit; Tomi 6760 Unit; Tomi 97(?)0 Unit; Tomi 8125 Unit; Tomi 3903 Unit; Tomi 9354 Unit; Tomi 6031 Unit; Tomi 9717 Unit [this unit added after the main sign had been completed].

This sign, collected by the Australian 10th Military History Field Team in 1945, was erected at the end of Lim Chu Kang Road on the north west of Singapore Island by members of the Japanese 5th Infantry Division in 1942. It commemorated their victory over the 22nd Australian Infantry Brigade on the night and morning of 8/9 February 1942.

22 Brigade was sent to take up a defensive position on the north west coast of the island at the end of January 1942, to the left of the Causeway linking Johore, on the Malayan mainland, to Singapore. The wide frontage it was required to cover meant that its companies, platoons and sections had to be widely dispersed. When the Japanese launched their amphibious invasion on the night of 8 February the Australians were readily infiltrated, although they initially inflicted heavy casualties on the invaders. Despite confused fighting most of the Australians were able to withdraw to form a defensive perimeter along Lim Chu Chang Road. It was soon obvious that they would be overwhelmed and the units of the Brigade withdrew to the south. The elements of the Brigade were scattered and never fought as complete units again. Small parties formed and fought a desperate fighting retreat towards the city of Singapore, that ended in the Allied surrender on 15 February.