Who is John Dalley and his Chinese army?
Dalley's Desperadoes: The Last Stand of Singapore's Chinese Warriors As the sun rose over Singapore on 8 February 1942, the island's defenders knew the end was near. The Japanese had swept down the Malayan peninsula in just 70 days. The British were in full retreat. But along the mangrove swamps of the Kranji River and the muddy banks of the Jurong, a force of men and women from all walks of life—teachers, rickshaw pullers, students, and labourers—prepared to make their final stand. Armed with hunting rifles, parangs, and a handful of grenades, with only a few days of military training, they faced the elite troops of the Imperial Japanese Army. They were called "Dalley's Desperadoes." And they would not go quietly. The Birth of a Volunteer Army The origins of Dalforce lay in a desperate gamble. By late December 1941, the Japanese had captured Kuala Lumpur and were racing south. The British colonial government, having previously refused to arm the local Chine...
