Survival in Singapore

The triumph and tragedy of Australia's greatest commando operation

By: Tom Trumble

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Paperback | 29 July 2025 | Edition Number 1

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23.4 x 15.4 x 3.8

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SURVIVAL IN SINGAPORE is a gripping account of an untold story of Japanese-occupied Singapore, and a testament of courage, sacrifice and the resilience of the human spirit.

'Wonderfully evocative writing, of a great tale' - Peter FitzSimons
'A story of extraordinary heroism and absolute horror' - Paul Ham

On a pitch-black night in September 1943, a daring Australian commando unit launches a covert raid on Singapore Harbour, sinking and damaging numerous Japanese ships. Operation Jaywick - an epic mission that passed into Australia's national legend - sets in motion a brutal crackdown by Japan's dreaded military police, the Kempei Tai.

Tasked with finding the culprits of the attack, Major Sumida Haruzo intensifies his hunt for the saboteurs, weaving a deadly web that ensnares dozens of British internees in Changi Jail and countless Chinese Singaporeans. Among those swept up in the aftermath are Elizabeth Choy, a courageous schoolteacher who risks her life to smuggle aid into Changi Prison, and Robert Heatlie Scott, a senior diplomat and propagandist who miraculously survived the sinking of a ship and two days drifting on a dinghy in the open sea only to be recaptured by the Japanese.

Incarcerated in hellish conditions where the lines between fact and fiction blur, and where victims are forced to turn on each other to survive, Elizabeth and Robert must confront starvation, disease and brutal torture. The fate of countless innocent lives hinges on their will to resist unimaginable agonies, maintain their tenuous grasp on reality and hold to the truth even if it costs them their lives.

About the Author

Tom Trumble has worked in journalism, policy development and book retailing. He graduated with honours in history, and has also studied music and journalism. He is the author of Unholy Pilgrims (2011) and Rescue at 2100 Hours (2013), both published by Penguin. He lives in Melbourne.

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