On 28 February, 1942, some 300-400 Chinese civilians were killed along the Punggol foreshore by hojo kempei (auxiliary military police) firing squads. They were among tens of thousands who lost their lives during the Japanese’ Sook Ching operation to purge suspected anti-Japanese elements within Singapore’s Chinese population between 18 February to 4 March 1942.
The victims who perished along the foreshore were among 1,000 Chinese males rounded up following a house-to-house search of the Chinese community living along Upper Serangoon Road by Japanese soldiers.