Historian Tom Trumble tells the story of the cunning World War II Australian sabotage mission known as Operation Jaywick, and how two survivors outsmarted the Imperial Japanese Army police, the Kempeh Tai.

Deep in the years of World War II, Australian commandos in the Pacific theatre executed a cunning plan to sneak up on Japanese warships in the occupied Singapore Harbour.

They managed to get away with an incredible operation, but in doing so, triggered intense paranoia and embarrassment for Japan.

The Japanese were furious, and were convinced Chinese-Singaporeans were behind this humiliating setback.

They enacted a terrifying regime of massacres, arrests and torture.

Japanese authorities suspected Elizabeth Choy and Robert Heatlie Scott were involved with the sabotage, and the two paid dearly for that assumption during their time in prison.

Further information

Survival in Singapore: The triumph and tragedy of Australia's greatest commando operation is published by Penguin Random House.

This episode was produced by Alice Moldovan, Conversations' Executive Producer is Nicola Harrison.

It explores Changi, Changi Prison, smuggling money, the double tenth incident, sook ching massacre, fall of Singapore, WWII, military history, WWII history, fishing vessel, sabotage, commando operation, Australian commandos, Ivan Lyon, SOE, Special Operations Executive, revenge, Sumida Haruzo and spies.

To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.

How a ‘heroine of Singapore’ survived jail and torture in WWII

Conversations

How a ‘heroine of Singapore’ survived jail and torture in WWII