Lim Bo Seng War Diary

July 8 1937

The cruel Japanese just declared war on my homeland just yesterday. I could not believe that the Japanese would want to declare war on my homeland. They had already annexed the Korean Empire and they still wanted more land from us? My friends and I today were participating in anti-Japanese activities, such as the boycotting of goods-to hurt the Japanese economy-so they were unable to fund the war. To help our people, we also did fund raising to support war effort against the Japanese. I hope that we could drive the Japanese back and crush the Japanese advance and effort.   

November 29 1937

Many Japanese-owned industries that are in Singapore and Malaya are suffering from many strikes from Chinese workers. I realised that there is a tin mine in Dungun in Malaya owned by the Japanese. They could be making weapons using the tin as they shipped the tin to Japan. If the miners and workers there went on a strike, the Japanese could suffer from a lack of tin, that could delay weapon production. I decided to plan this operation out. 

16 February 1938

With the assistance of Hui Quan and local police, the workers went on to strike and left the mine to follow us to Singapore. The plan was well-carried out. I am quite pleased by the effects of the strike. There is still a couple of workers that are still striking. We'll have to wait for them to follow us back to Singapore. 

11 February 1942

I'm sorry that I haven't written a war diary entry for 4 years. I was too busy organizing the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force and fighting the Japanese. In the chaos, I lost my diary. I just found it before I boarded the submarine for India, tucked away in the corner. However, I made a difficult decision a few hours ago. I had to leave my beloved family to save myself. I have had to leave my family in certain danger but I had no choice. I am very sad. I do not want my family to die.... I have much to write about the war so far in Malaya and Singapore. Despite the British forces coming from Australia and the many erected military installments such as gun batteries and bunkers, the Japanese still managed to push us back all the way from Kota Bahru in Malaya to Pasir Pajang in Singapore. Our forces are literally being cut into corpses. The  Can the British manage to contain the Japanese advance into Singapore City? I doubt it. With many of our airfields captured and military supplies seized by the shrewd Japanese, Singapore City will fall very quickly. The reservoirs are also captured and pipelines are bombed by the Japanese. I hope that the British will be able to resupply the troops by sea from the colonies of New Zealand and Australia. Perhaps the British could push the Japanese back and defend until more troops and supplies arrived. I would like to see the Japanese lose a major battle. The war in China is going good, my fellow people resisting. With resistance everywhere, the Japanese can't advance anywhere. So far, the war for my people is going good. The British could do with more enforcement in Singapore to defend it from the invading Japanese and I hope that my family will still be alive. Now, I am in a submarine en route for Sumatra and then, to India with other Chinese community leaders.

12 June 1942

The Japanese almost have complete control of the Pacific Theatre. The Japanese have almost full control of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with the exception of Port Moresby. The Japanese has gotten so far as to bomb Darwin in Australia. But their advance has halted during the battle of the Coral Sea. I hope that the Americans and British forces can push the Japanese eventually back to their homeland.  I'm in India now. I was recently busy recruiting and training hundreds of secret agents through intensive military intelligence in China and India. I have formed the Sino-British guerrilla task force 'Force 136'. 

24 May 1943

The force's first operation is under way. It is aimed to establish espionage network in Malaya and Singapore. The first of the force's agents entered the fray in Perak. I hope that the operation will be a success. I shall wait to find out.....

2 November 1943

I have finally arrived on Malaya on the 2nd of November, 1943. I am under the alias "Tan Choon Lim". It seems that I would have to travel as my alias to prevent identification by the Japanese. Hopefully, the very first of my fellow agents code named "Gustavus I" would be able to rendezvous with the Dutch O 24 and will be able to transfer supplies and personnel. 

2 April 1944

The operation failed. I am now in prison. I could not believe that my training cannot prepare my agent for this operation properly. I have been captured at the Gopeng roadblock by the Japanese military police. Just now, I was beaten countless times and subjected to much pain from the Kempeitai at the interrogation centre. My captor asked me question regarding Force 136. I must remain loyal to the force. I must not leak out information just to spare my life. I rather die than reveal much about the Force 136 and its operation. I protested against the Japanese for ill-treating the prisoners at the prison I am in. Punishments by the Japanese were harsh and they didn't deserve it. I definitely deserve it more than them. 

29 May 1944

I have now ill with dysentery. It is impossible for me to recover from this. The dirty and wet living conditions of the cell are taking its toll from me. Death was a certainty. I have now bedridden; too weak to move anymore. This is the end of me, but definitely my sacrifice will never be in vain for Force 136 and China.