The Battle of Sarimbun

"Sarimbun is an area located in the north-western part of Singapore, close to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Live Firing Area.

Sarimbun was where General Tomoyuki Yamashita landed his troops during World War II, and was engaged in the Battle of Sarimbun Beach. Sarimbun is also home to many small vegetable and fruit farms and health farms. These farms are normally owned by local entrepreneurs. Sarimbun also hosts multiple permanent campsites, especially on Jalan Bahtera. These campsites include the Singapore Scout Association's Sarimbun Campsite, Girl Guides Singapore's Camp Christine, and Ministry of Education's Jalan Bahtera Adventure Centre."

~Wikipedia Description

Sarimbun is in the Lim Chu Kang area, that place where P5s spend their school time for a mandatory camp. Sarimbun is a Malay place name, and existed probably since the early nineteenth century. The Franklin and Jackson's Plan of Singapore (1830) refers to Sungei Sarimbun, or Sarimbun River in Malay, as "Serimhone".

Rimbun means "luxuriant", "in great quantity" or "thick". 

Sarimbun was the first phase of the Japanese invasion to Singapore fro 8th -9th February where the first Japanese infantryman stepped onto Singapore ground. 

The first wave of 4000 Japanese soldiers went in, but were stalled due to the Australian 22nd Brigade's machine gunners. But after midnight the Brigades have lost comms with each other, forcing them to retreat. At 1am, further Japanese troops were landed and the last Australian reserves went in.

Before dawn, a part of the brigade was overrun/ surrounded. Percival maintained a belief that further landings would occur in the northeast and did not agree to reinforce the 22nd Brigade until Tengah Airfield itself was threatened. However, before limited British and Indian infantry reinforcements arrived, the badly-battered Australian and Singaporean units, along with the Jinds, had retreated to take up positions on the "Jurong Line", stretching south from the village of Bulim. Tengah Airfield was taken by the Japanese at around midday on 9 February, and as a result, they lost.

This has taught us to get more people in your team, seeing as that the Allies have only 3000 compared to Japan's 10,000 , the more the merrier.

Website URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sarimbun_Beach & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarimbun

Date accessed: 12th February 2013