NO INCIDENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 59, 7 September 1945, Page 8

NO INCIDENTS

ALLIES GO ASHORE

(Official War Correspondent, R.N.Z.N.) SINGAPORE, September 5. A great fleet of British ships, the fir^t to call here in three years, steamed into Singapore Harbour today. They found the city apparently little damaged and the population quiet, the Japanese abiding punctiliously by the conditions laid down. They appear to have their troops well under command. A drive through the city was made between packed lines of Chinese and Malays cheering wildly any European. No public transport was in the streets, i but the Chinese, who were anxious to ! express their great delight at the return of the British, made their cars freely available. One incongruous sight is the large formations of the Japanese navy and army. Many of them are armed, waiting patiently to be told where to go, or marching resignedly along. There were no incidents at all when the Indian Division, including British troops, came ashore this morning. Not a shot was fired, and the Japanese were ready with plans for the handing over of the city. Some small disturbances among the civilian population, mainly over the looting of Chinese shops occurred. Looting of this kind was not prevalent, but the looting of warehouses and wharf stores went on steadily, but in a most orderly fashion.

On this first day. when we were still reconnoitring the town and expanding our hold, no troops were available to deal with civilian misdemeanours of this sort. The day for the formal signing of the surrender of the Japanese armies in South-east Asia is not yet fixed, but in the meantime the military and civil authorities are moving steadily about the job of restoring the city, whose people have obviously suffered much during the invasion. Great priority is being given to succouring prisoners of war and internees, among whom are many New Zealanders, and hospital ships and food ships have arrived with convoys. These ships are specially earmarked to take internees home at the earliest possible moment.