Parit Sulong is a small town in
Batu Pahat District, Johor, Malaysia on the Simpang Kiri River, east of
Muar. The historical
Parit Sulong Bridge constructed 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
is a main feature in that town. Parit Sulong sits approximately from
Bandar Penggaram, Batu Pahat, capital of
Batu Pahat
The Batu Pahat District is a district in the state of Johor, Malaysia. It lies southeast of Muar, southwest of Kluang, northwest of Pontian, south of Segamat and Tangkak District. The capital of the district is Bandar Penggaram.
Geography
...
district.
History
The first large
massacre
A massacre is the killing of a large number of people or animals, especially those who are not involved in any fighting or have no way of defending themselves. A massacre is generally considered to be morally unacceptable, especially when per ...
of 161
Australian troops by Japanese forces occurred at Parit Sulong on the west coast of
Malaya on 22 January 1942. Wounded survivors from the
Battle of Muar who could not travel on foot were left at Parit Sulong when the remnants of the greatly outnumbered force of Ausrtarians and Indians escaped from the Japanese who surrounded them.
The Japanese soldiers are said to have kicked and hit the prisoners with
rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
butts. They forced them into an overcrowded shed and denied them food, water and medical attention. At sunset, those able to walk were roped or wired together and were led away. The Japanese collected
petrol
Gasoline (; ) or petrol (; ) (see ) is a transparent, petroleum-derived flammable liquid that is used primarily as a fuel in most spark-ignited internal combustion engines (also known as petrol engines). It consists mostly of organic c ...
from the Allied vehicles which had been left stranded, shot and
bayonet
A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...
ed their prisoners, threw petrol upon them and ignited it. The officer who ordered the massacre, Lt General
Takuma Nishimura, was tried and convicted of
war crimes and executed by
hanging
Hanging is the suspension of a person by a noose or ligature around the neck.Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Hanging as method of execution is unknown, as method of suicide from 1325. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' states that hanging ...
on 11 June 1951.
Towns in Johor
Batu Pahat District
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