The WWII relic bomb was found buried several metres deep at a construction site at Upper Bukit Timah Road. Experts identified it as Japanese type 94 100 kg aerial bomb. The SAF has successfully managed a controlled detonation.
The detonation was handled by the EOD (explosives ordnance disposal) unit which operates under the 36th Battalion, Singapore Combat Engineers.That the controlled detonation went so well made the whole exercise seem so nondescript, an anti-climax. So much so that I have seen some disparaging comments online. Make no mistake, our boys in green put their lives at risk that day. Diffusing or detonating unexploded bombs is an extremely hazardous task, more so with old relics buried in the ground for years. No one knows how the change in temperature may affect the mechanisms and chemicals,. Jarring can set the bomb off. Those few young men who carried the bomb to the detonation pit may seem like matter-of-fact from a distance, but I bet their heart beats were racing crazy. What makes soldiers do dangerous tasks when called upon? Training and discipline. They deserve respect and gratitude, doing jobs no one else will do to keep us save.
My regular readers know I like to personalise my blog with first hand experiences whenever I can. During my fulltime national service days back in 1970 or 71, my company was involved in helping to recover a few hundred WWII bombs from the swamps somewhere in Jurong. We were working in knee or thigh-deep mud, depending on how tall one was. We had to use bare hands blindly into the mud and pull out the bombs and pass them along a human chain. No one told us anything except don't worry, it's safe. By safe I take it as these were unused bombs which are different from duds. Unused bombs are safe in that detonating mechanisms have not been triggered. Duds are bombs which have been used but somehow failed to detonate which makes them dangerous, such as the one found at Upper Timah. Though they were supposedly unused, the fact they were relics and buried in cool mud for 35 years, who can vouch for its safety with certainty? There was another peculiar observation. The bombs had a tiny hole drilled by the side. I have no idea why there were drill holes. What was frightening was in many cases, some smoke were emitting from the holes. Some said the bombs have been diffused and safe. But I say given a choice I would run a kilometer away from a bomb with smoke emitting from it, and so would you. My knowledge was weak, but looking back, I think those were artillery shells. Anyway, our task was thankfully cut short by the rising tide. Water level in a swamp rises very fast so we had to move quickly to solid ground or drown in the mud.
The first time Japan bombed Singapore was on night of 8 Dec 1941. Two squadrons flew out from their base in Indo-China. Fortunately, bad weather forced one squadron of 37 planes to abort mission or damage would have been worse. This first raid showed up the ineptness of the British. Against the better judgement of his commanders, General Percival refused to scramble fighter jets as he felt some may be shot by friendly fire in the darkness. Next they could not find the personnel with the key to the power stations to switch off street lights. The Japanese squadrons split into 2 groups. One flew safely above 14,000 feet to draw anti-aircraft fire while the other at 4,000 feet to bomb on fully lighted up Seletar and Tengah airbases and CBD. The British fell for the decoy and not a single plane was shot down.
Not all unexploded bombs from WWII are Japanese. The US bombed Japanese-occupied Singapore 11 times in 1944 and 1945.
A parting shout out :
Plato said:
“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”
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