War Hero Tan Chong Tee passed away- interestingly nobody bothers

[RandomNexus]

Read a Straits Times obituary dated 24 Nov 2012 on the passing of Tan Chong Tee. You cannot find it in the internet.

The name caught my attention - Tan Chong Tee. Also the wife is mentioned ..Lee Shao Meng. In his youth, they are famed badminton players in the local scene.

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19390122.2.163

My interest in local history got me to read the accounts of Force 136 written by Tan Chong Tee, just very recently although the book has been out for more than a decade. The more well known hero was Lim Bo Seng who died as a martyr under Jap torture during World War 2.

What I find fascinating in the accounts are the stuff they tried to do - spying impersonating as businessmen in Perak, and there was one spy who fell in love with a socialite and caused havoc to the spy missions. There are plenty of interesting accounts in the book. And there is the alliance between the British and the communists led by Chin Peng, and the characters are part of the cast. The communists, once prominent figures in history, are not relegated to mere mentions in footnotes of history. Their hardships and sacrifices are totally not remembered in this generation.

Their bravery and exploits of Force 136 are worth a read. We heard of spy stories and thought these belong to places far way, and yet in our home soil, there are such real incidents that did happen.

Unfortunately, the world moves on and these are forgotten. Tan Chong Tee was born in 1916, and lived nearly a decade, witnessed enough real live events that we now read in history books.

Even the local news did not even bother to report his passing. I googled and found nothing. Yet I do reckon this is a real life war hero born here - thoroughly forgotten..

To me, this is the interesting part .. why do we not remember folks like them? ... folks who rose up in a period of strong patriotism during World War 2 and it is something the present generation just does not appreciate.

Even the local press could not be bothered ...

War heroes as they were
They fought for our future
The present does not bother
The past is irrelevance
Forgotten and just withered away

Anyway just write it out here, and see if folks here bother ...doubt so..

See below for more info on this war hero.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Chong_Tee

http://books.google.com.sg/books?id...onepage&q=tan chong tee lee shao meng&f=false

 

[Dreamer1]

Mr Tan Chong Tee,
文天祥-正气歌一首。
　　天地有正气，杂然赋流形。下则为河岳，上则为日星。
　　于人曰浩然，沛乎塞苍冥。皇路当清夷，含和吐明庭。
　　时穷节乃见，一一垂丹青。在齐太史简，在晋董狐笔。
　　在秦张良椎，在汉苏武节。为严将军头，为嵇侍中血。
　　为张睢阳齿，为颜常山舌。或为辽东帽，清操厉冰雪。
　　或为出师表，鬼神泣壮烈。或为渡江楫，慷慨吞胡羯。
　　或为击贼笏，逆竖头破裂。
　　是气所磅礡，凛烈万古存。当其贯日月，生死安足论。
　　地维赖以立，天柱赖以尊。三纲实系命，道义为之根。
嗟予遘阳九，隶也实不力。
　　楚囚缨其冠，传车送穷北。鼎镬甘如饴，求之不可得。
阴房阗鬼火，春院閟天黑。
　　牛骥同一皂，鸡栖凤凰食。一朝蒙雾露，分作沟中瘠。
如此再寒暑，百沴自辟易。
　　嗟哉沮洳场，为我安乐国。岂有他缪巧，阴阳不能贼。
顾此耿耿在，仰视浮云白。
　　悠悠我心悲，苍天曷有极。哲人日已远，典刑在夙昔。
风檐展书读，古道照颜色。

文天祥-过零丁洋
人生自古谁无死，
留取丹心照汗青。
Solute fr a Chinese helicopter,amen
南无阿弥陀佛
南無觀世音菩薩
南無妙法莲华经.

 

[Rogue Trader]

That part of history is a mess. Heroes became bad guys and bad guys somehow became heroes.

Just a point to ponder.. comparing what CPM's MPAJA accomplished during the war to Lm Bo Seng's martyrdom why isn't there even a shrine for the MPAJA guerrillas?

The answer is in their political affiliation.

 

[JurongEast]

Dear RandomNexus
many of the force136 members were linked to communists.
During the ww2, MPAJA and FORCE136 were mainly armed by Chinese communist.
I wonder if Mr Tan was jailed by British or PAP government because of the communist link?

 

[CALLofDUTY]

It's a historical flux whereby the best thing to do then was to keep invisible and unheard. Stick out your head, be ready for the consequences that prevail around that time in history, which is unsettling and frontier like.

 

[mscitw]

Read a Straits Times obituary dated 24 Nov 2012 on the passing of Tan Chong Tee. You cannot find it in the internet.

The name caught my attention - Tan Chong Tee. Also the wife is mentioned ..Lee Shao Meng. In his youth, they are famed badminton players in the local scene.

War heroes as they were
They fought for our future
The present does not bother
The past is irrelevance
Forgotten and just withered away

Anyway just write it out here, and see if folks here bother ...doubt so..

See below for more info on this war hero.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tan_Chong_Tee

http://books.google.com.sg/books?id...onepage&q=tan chong tee lee shao meng&f=false

Two problems if Mouthpiece writes about them.

1. He pledged loyalty to the Brits and possibly the inept Nationalists, not to Familee.
2. He either fought or balk the Nihons and will make PrataNathan and Old Autocrat look like first class traitors.

Contrast the glories reaped by PrataMan, he could be a stooge for the Kempeitai but he cleverly picked the right ruler to serve in his later career, hence securing his wonderful retirement. Mr Tan should have re-used his war time experience to help Old Autocrat deal with murderous Indos, purge the Commies and other political pariahs, too bad he did not and dies a lonely death.

 

[laksaboy]

Here's a good lesson for patriotic Sinkies (especially those very gung ho about NS, flying the flag and defending Singapore in a war):

Patriotism does not pay, definitely not in Singapore. Traitors prosper, while heroes are scorned then conveniently forgotten.

Don't take my word for it. Go see how badly neglected the Lim Bo Seng memorial is. I rest my case.

 

[Rogue Trader]

Patriotism does not pay, definitely not in Singapore. Traitors prosper, while heroes are scorned then conveniently forgotten.

Don't take my word for it. Go see how badly neglected the Lim Bo Seng memorial is. I rest my case.

Lim Bo Seng got it good. At least he has a memorial.

One well known collaborator became a respected businessman and then singapore's ambassador to Japan

 

[Kinana]

The role played by the freedom fighters in Malaysia had no bearing on the outcome of the war.
What counted were the fights in China, Pacific islands, Burma and the two atomic bombs.

 

[GoldenDragon]

Lim Bo Seng got it good. At least he has a memorial.

Son headed MRT previously. Grandson now number one in S'pore Sports Council after pension from SAF as BG.

 

[ahsoo]

Lim Bo Seng got it good. At least he has a memorial.

One well known collaborator became a respected businessman and then singapore's ambassador to Japan

Wee Mong Cheng? He was even appointed as Singapore's ambassador to Japan from 1973 to 1980, and chairman of Singapore Broadcasting in 1981. But for some reasons, LKY decided to charge him and son for tax evasion. Wee himself went back [or run road?] to Xiamen, died in HK in 2003.

 

[Rogue Trader]

Wee Mong Cheng? He was even appointed as Singapore's ambassador to Japan from 1973 to 1980, and chairman of Singapore Broadcasting in 1981. But for some reasons, LKY decided to charge him and son for tax evasion. Wee himself went back [or run road?] to Xiamen, died in HK in 2003.

The fella was the chairman of the CPM before Lai Teck. Together with 2 other senior members, was taken to Kempeitai HQ to lim kopi when Singapore fell. Only 2 of them walked out. He was seen walking in and out of kempeitai HQ freely during the occupation. The funny thing was he wrote an open letter in a bid to expose Lai Teck as a traitor after the war. He was right, but of course the communists didn't believe him.

Lai teck is another fucker .. first time I've heard of a triple agent. I remember posting here years ago that he was killed in Thailand after running away with party funds (according to Chin Peng's autobiography). But after more reading more of his exploits, I am convinced he was protected by the British and lived til a ripe old age. I hope someday all this will be unclassified.

 

[moolightaffairs]

Tan Chong Tee a very low profile guy. last week he passed away. lao hero, he is the last WWII hero in sg.

look at my signature.

 

[Rogue Trader]

Son headed MRT previously. Grandson now number one in S'pore Sports Council after pension from SAF as BG.

My mom knew his daughter. During the chinese middle school riots in 1954, she was telling all her school mates at not to take part in it. I guess it has something to do with her dad being the top KMT guy in singapore before he died..

 

[Kinana]

Force 136 hardly did anything. Please don't talk big about war heroes.
They were trained by the Brits to prepare for a invasion of Malaya which never happened.
Before they could even by properly put in place, the war was over n they were disbanded.
You guys know that don't you?

 

[Bedok]

Go see how badly neglected the Lim Bo Seng memorial is. I rest my case.

Sinkies, better wake up. I rest my case too.