Portraits

Major F. W. Ward, Prosecuting Officer, addressing the court in the Nishimura Takuma [Takoma] and others. Seated beside him is Richard Lim Chuan Hoe, legal adviser to the Chinese Consul-General and the appeal committee for the Singapore Chinese massacred by the Japanese. Image dated 1947, from the Tham Sien Yen Collection, courtesy of National Archives of Singapore.
A portrait of Richard Lim Chuan Hoe can be found below.

Indicted Japanese war criminals standing to attention in the dock of the Singapore Supreme Court at the beginning of the trial, 1946. Image taken by Royal Air Force official photographer Vasey (Pilot Officer), courtesy of Air Ministry Second World War Official Collection, Imperial War Museums.
A portrait of the five Indian men who were executed by Ikegami Tomoyuki can be found below.

Studio portrait of Lieutenant Roderick Graham Wells, who was arrested in Sandakan POW Camp (in British Borneo) after his activity in the Sandakan underground. He was tortured in the Kempeitai Headquarters in Kuching and sentenced to death along with another POW, but permission from the Japanese command in Saigon only allowed for one execution (due to a typographical error). Lt. Wells was transferred back to Singapore and imprisoned in the Outram Road Gaol, and his release at the end of WWII marked an end to the longest period of solitary confinement for any Allied POW (21 months). Image taken circa 1940. Image provided courtesy of Francie Young, Australian War Memorial.
A portrait of Father Massano and Father Coruado who were victims in the Otsuka Misao case.

What is their story?

This page features portraits or stories of individuals involved in the Singapore War Crimes Trials or trial-related events. We hope that these human stories shed light on how these trials were experienced and interpreted by those involved. Our aim is to portray multiple perspectives, with the aim of furthering discussion and understanding about the complexities of pursuing justice in the aftermath of conflict. Unless indicated otherwise, the portraits on this page are based on trial transcripts, media reports, oral interviews, and other secondary material.

Get involved

Do get in touch if you have any stories to share about those involved in the Singapore Trials or those involved in trial-related events. The portraits featured on this page are written by research assistants, students, and volunteers. If you wish to get involved, please reach out using the Contact page. We look forward to working with you.

Click on the names to read more.

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