Tan Chong Tee (; 15 October 1916 – 24 November 2012) was a Chinese resistance fighter based in
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
and
Malaya
Malaya refers to a number of historical and current political entities related to what is currently Peninsular Malaysia in Southeast Asia:
Political entities
* British Malaya (1826–1957), a loose collection of the British colony of the Straits ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
An accomplished badminton player before the war, he joined
Force 136
Force 136 was a far eastern branch of the British World War II intelligence organisation, the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Originally set up in 1941 as the India Mission with the cover name of GSI(k), it absorbed what was left of SOE's Or ...
around 1942 after
Singapore fell to the Japanese.
In 1944, while on a mission, Tan, along with
Lim Bo Seng
Lim Bo Seng (; 27 April 1909 – 29 June 1944) was a Chinese-born resistance fighter based in Singapore and Malaya during World War II. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, he was a prominent businessman among the Chinese community in Singa ...
and other Force 136 members, was captured by the Japanese. He was subjected to torture during his captivity.
After the war, he returned to playing badminton and later became a businessman.
Early life
Tan was born in an ethnic Chinese family with ancestry from
Fujian Province
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its cap ...
at his family residence along Shrewsbury Road in present-day
Novena, Singapore
Novena is a planning area located within the Central Region of Singapore. Novena is bounded by Toa Payoh to the north, Bukit Timah to the west, Tanglin to the south and Kallang to the east. While Novena is not classified as a "new town" by th ...
. His father, Tan Kah Tek, worked in a carriage shop on
Orchard Road
Orchard Road, often known colloquially as simply Orchard, is a major –long road in the Central Area of Singapore. Known as a famous tourist attraction, it is an upscale shopping area of Singapore, with numerous internationally renowned depa ...
while his mother, Lim Peng Tuan, owned a floral nursery.
Tan left Singapore to further his studies in China in 1930 and returned home in 1933.
He helped his mother run Kheng Cheng School, which she established in 1927.
As a badminton player
Tan was a talented badminton player in his youth and represented the Marigold and Mayflower Badminton Parties at various tournaments in Singapore. At just 17 years old, he made his senior debut in the
1934 Singapore Open and exceeded expectation by reaching the quarter-finals of the men's singles event. His exceptional performance during the tournament, characterised by his impressive speed and powerful gameplay, propelled him to prominence in the local badminton circuit.
In 1935, Tan was selected to represent Singapore at the All-Malayan Chinese Olympiad interstate badminton tournament. Despite his best efforts, Singapore fell short in the semi-finals with a narrow defeat against the Penang team. At his second
Singapore Open, Tan continued to make a strong impression by advancing to the semi-finals of both the men's singles and doubles events. Later that year, he achieved his first senior success in the inter-club championship, where he won all his matches to help Mayflower to emerge as the inter-club champion.
From 1936 onwards, Tan established himself as a dominant force in the regional badminton scene, achieving remarkable success in various tournaments. At the
1936 Singapore Open, he secured his first men's singles title by defeating the reigning champion, Leow Kim Fatt,
who had earlier emerged victorious in an exhibition match against former All-England champion
Frank Devlin
Joseph Francis Devlin (19 January 1900 – 27 October 1988) was an Irish male badminton player.
Badminton career
Devlin is the second most successful player ever in the All England Open Badminton Championships with 18 titles between 1925 ...
. In addition to his singles triumph, he also teamed up with his clubmate, Seah Eng Hee, to clinch the men's doubles title.
The following year, Tan repeated the same feat once again by winning both the men's singles and doubles titles at the
1937 Singapore Open.
His back-to-back victories in both disciplines made him the first player in the history of the tournament to claim consecutive titles in both events.
Tan's achievements were not limited to Singapore alone. At the 1937 All-Malayan Chinese Olympiad interstate badminton tournament, he played a pivotal role in leading Singapore to achieve its first success since the tournament inception in 1933, by beating their fierce rivals from Penang in a thrilling final. In 1938, Tan claimed the men's singles title at the
Malaysia Open,
having made the quarter-finals the year before. He made another final in 1939 but unfortunately, he was unable to secure the victory and ended up as the runner-up.
In 1940, Tan regained his best form to win his third
Singapore Open men's singles crown
and paired up with Lee Shao Meng, another Marigold player, to secure the mixed doubles title
after falling short in the previous year.
He also reached yet another semi-finals at the Malaysia Open, his third in a row, which solidifying his status as one of the best player in the region.
He was a contemporary of
Wong Peng Soon
Wong Peng Soon, (; 17 February 1917 – 22 May 1996) was a Malayan/Singaporean badminton player who reigned as a top player in Malaya from the 1930s to the 1950s when it was a single nation. Noted for his smooth but powerful strokes and gra ...
and achieved the remarkable feat of defeating Wong in competitions, making him one of the few players to have achieved such a distinction.
Career in Force 136
![TanChongTee-LimBoSeng](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/57/TanChongTee-LimBoSeng.jpg)
When the
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) or War of Resistance (Chinese term) was a military conflict that was primarily waged between the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Th ...
broke out in 1937, Tan participated in anti-Japanese activities such as boycotting Japanese goods and fund-raising to support the war effort in China.
On 31 January 1941, he embarked on a journey to Chongqing, China, with the intention of joining the Chinese armed forces in their fight against the Japanese invaders.
However, Tan was denied entry into the army due to his young age and was advised to stay in Chongqing to pursue his studies instead. He later enrolled at the University of Hunan to study fine arts.
Tan lost touch with his family in 1942 after the Japanese
invaded
An invasion is a military offensive in which large numbers of combatants of one geopolitical entity aggressively enter territory owned by another such entity, generally with the objective of either: conquering; liberating or re-establishing con ...
and
occupied Singapore. After facing disappointment in his attempt to join the Chinese Air Forces due to exceeding the age limit, he took an alternative approach by organising an art exhibition to raise funds for overseas Chinese refugees. It was during this exhibition that he caught the attention of the
Kuomintang government of China, and was recruited to contribute to the resistance effort in Malaya.
He then went to India for training and joined
Force 136
Force 136 was a far eastern branch of the British World War II intelligence organisation, the Special Operations Executive (SOE). Originally set up in 1941 as the India Mission with the cover name of GSI(k), it absorbed what was left of SOE's Or ...
, a branch of the
Allied
An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a secret British World War II organisation. It was officially formed on 22 July 1940 under Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton, from the amalgamation of three existing secret organisations. Its pu ...
, where he met and befriended
Lim Bo Seng
Lim Bo Seng (; 27 April 1909 – 29 June 1944) was a Chinese-born resistance fighter based in Singapore and Malaya during World War II. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, he was a prominent businessman among the Chinese community in Singa ...
.
Tan participated in
Operation Gustavus
Lim Bo Seng (; 27 April 1909 – 29 June 1944) was a Chinese-born resistance fighter based in Singapore and Malaya during World War II. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, he was a prominent businessman among the Chinese community in Singa ...
, a mission aimed at establishing an espionage network in Malaya and Singapore to gather intelligence about Japanese activities, and thereby aid the British in
Operation Zipper
During World War II, Operation Zipper was a British plan to capture either Port Swettenham or Port Dickson, Malaya, as staging areas for the recapture of Singapore in Operation Mailfist. However, due to the end of the war in the Pacific, it wa ...
– the code name for their plan to take back Singapore from the Japanese. The team embarked on a journey from
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
, Sri Lanka, to Malaya, utilising a submarine as their means of transportation. By 2 August 1943, the submarine had successfully reached Malayan waters near
Pangkor Island
Pangkor Island ( ms, Pulau Pangkor) is an island in Manjung District, Perak, Malaysia. It has a population of approximately 25,000. Nearby islands include Pangkor Laut Island, Giam Island, Mentagor Island, Simpan Island, and Tukun Terindak Islan ...
, located off the coast of Perak. The team executed a covert landing at Tanjong Hantu and subsequently rendezvoused with a contingent of guerrillas affiliated with the
Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA).
Tan was subsequently assigned to undertake infiltration and intelligence tasks, adopting the persona of Tan Tien Soong or Lim Shu, a wealthy businessman. This guise provided him with the necessary cover to establish and manage spy networks in the regions of
Lumut and
Ipoh
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Ipoh in Perak
, pushpin_map = #Malaysia#Asia#Earth
, pushpin_mapsize = 275px
, pushpin_map_caption = Ipoh in Malaysia
, coordinates ...
. Leveraging his background in art, Tan utilised his sketching skills to visually capture crucial information for the group's espionage operations.
He was captured in 1944 by the Japanese when the operation failed.
He spent the next 18 months in captivity, during which he was tortured by the Japanese, who attempted to force him to reveal the identities of other Force 136 members but he refused. He was released after the
Japanese surrender
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
in 1945.
Upon returning to Singapore, Tan found out that his brother, Chong Mao, had been executed by the Japanese in the
Sook Ching massacre
Sook Ching was a mass killing that occurred from 18 February to 4 March 1942 in Singapore after it fell to the Japanese. It was a systematic purge and massacre of 'anti-Japanese' elements in Singapore, with the Singaporean Chinese particular ...
and that his mother had been beaten up by the Japanese when she tried to sought information about her missing son. Her injuries left her bedridden and she died in December of the same year.
Postwar life
After the war, Tan participated in badminton tournaments again and continued to excel, reaching two more men's doubles finals with partners
Ong Poh Lim
Ong Poh Lim (; 18 November 1923 – 17 April 2003) was a Malayan/Singaporean badminton player who had won numerous national and international titles from the late 1940s to the early 1960s. Known for his quickness and his aggressive, unorthodox ...
and Kon Kong Min in the 1948 and 1952 Singapore Open respectively.
In 1952, he finished as runner-up in the Foong Seong Cup, a notable interstate badminton tournament in Malaya, while representing Singapore. Adding to his accomplishments, Tan also secured another inter-club championship that year, this time as the member of the Marigold Badminton Party. Transitioning from competitive play, Tan dedicated himself to coaching the sport of badminton for the
Singapore Badminton Association (SBA), where he mentored and trained the next generation of players. In 1959, he won the veteran men's doubles title with
Ismail Marjan
Ismail bin Marjan (7 June 1920 – 25 January 1991) was a badminton player from British Malaya, Malaya/Singapore who had won many individual and doubles titles at local, regional and international competitions throughout the 1940s and 1950 ...
.
In addition to his pursuits in badminton, Tan also ventured into property development and advertising where he established himself as a successful businessman.
After many years of hard work and dedication, he eventually retired from his business endeavors in 1985.
In 1994, he wrote a Chinese-language memoir, ''FORCE 136: Story Of A WWII Resistance Fighter'' (), which recounts his experiences with Force 136. The memoir was translated into English a year later by Lee Watt Sim and Clara Show, and published in 2001 by
Asiapac Books
Asiapac Books is a Singaporean publisher that publishes educational comics and illustrated books on Asian culture, history, philosophy, health practices, art and literature. Established in 1983, its publications are now sold in more than 20 count ...
as a comic book. In 2001, Tan was part of a group selected to recite the
National Pledge during the
National Day Parade
The National Day Parade (NDP) is an annual parade held in Singapore to commemorate its independence. Held annually on 9 August, it is the main public celebration of National Day, consists of a parade incorporating contingents of the Singapo ...
. In 2002, Tan published another book named ''Upholding The Legacy: Singapore Badminton'' (), which covers the history of badminton in Singapore.
Personal life
In 1946, Tan married Lee Shao Meng, his teammate at Marigold Badminton Party, who he teamed up for various mixed doubles events. They had a daughter together.
Death
Tan died in Singapore on 24 November 2012 at the age of 96. He was cremated at the Mandai Crematorium.
Honours and awards
On 3 October 1945, Tan was conferred the rank of Liaison Officer by Colonel John Davies, the commanding officer of Force 136 and invited to partake in negotiations regarding demobilisation. Following the demobilisation process, he was honored with a Force 136 service medal, a Burmese medal award certificate, a demobilisation certificate, and a certificate of service bestowed by the
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
.
In 1947, Tan, along with 145 other Singaporeans, were each awarded with a certificate of commendation by the Governor of Singapore, Sir
Franklin Gimson for their services to the community during the Malayan campaign, during the Japanese occupation and in the B.M.A period after the liberation.
On 19 September 1995, Tan and eight other surviving members of Force 136 were each presented with a commemorative silver ingot to honour them for their resistance efforts.
Sporting achievements
Tournaments
''Men's singles''
''Men's doubles''
''Mixed doubles''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tan, Chong Tee
1916 births
2012 deaths
People from British Singapore
Singaporean people of Hokkien descent
Singaporean people of World War II
Singaporean male badminton players