The 2nd Australian Imperial Force (AIF) was formed at the outbreak of World War Two. The force consisted of Australian volunteers for overseas service.
In 1941 most of the 8th Division of the AIF was sent to defend the Malayan Peninsula (now known as Malaysia and Singapore). The force, designated AIF MALAYA, soon established friendly relations with the local population, receiving many acts of hospitality and kindness from them.
Following a substantial and sustained onslaught by the Japanese and the fall of Singapore in February 1942, most of the survivors of the 2nd Australian Imperial Force entered an extended and very difficult period of captivity; many of them in the notorious Changi prison camp and the camps for construction of the Burma railway. Many died in captivity.
Through all the loss of life and misery, the bond between AIF members and the local communities grew stronger and stronger. Often at great personal risk and with dire consequences for helpers, the local community continued to provide aid, support and kindness to AIF members in captivity. Many force members owed their very survival to this support and kindness.
Following the Japanese surrender, the war in Asia ended in August 1945. The surviving members of the AIF returning home, much the worse for their experiences, but all the better for the support of the Malayan community.
