Elizabeth Choy
Encyclopedia
Elizabeth Choy-Yong Su-Moi OBE
was a Singaporean war heroine, educator and councillor
. Along with her husband, Choy Khun Heng, she supplied medicine, money and messages to British civilians interned in Changi Prison
during the Second World War.
family in Kudat
, British North Borneo
. Her great-grandparents first came to Kudat from Hong Kong
to assist German missionaries in their work. The eldest of 11 children, Choy's father worked as a civil servant after completing his early education in China with some English education in North Borneo, where he married the daughter of a priest. He transferred to work in Jesselton and was later promoted to District Officer, moving to Kalimantan
.
Choy was looked after by a Kadazan
nanny and acquired Kadazan as her first language.She became an Anglican at St Monica's boarding school in Sandakan
, where she took the name Elizabeth, and went on to complete her education at Raffles College in Singapore. As her family could not afford the fees, she started to teach, first at St Margaret’s School
and then at St Andrew’s.
In August 1941 she married Choy Khun Heng, a book-keeper employed by the Borneo Company.
, Choy became a volunteer nurse with the Medical Auxiliary Service. After the fall of Singapore
in 1942, the Choys set up a canteen at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital
, after all the patients and doctors had been moved from the Miyako Hospital (former Woodbridge Hospital
), where they soon started a regular ambulance run for British civilian internees. The couple helped the Changi prisoners-of-war (POW) by passing on cash and parcels containing such things as fresh clothing, medicine and letters during their deliveries, and incurred further risk by sending in radio parts for hidden receivers until the Japanese crackdown following Operation Jaywick
.
During the subsequent Double Tenth Incident
, an informant
told the Kempeitai
that the Choys were involved in smuggling money into Changi Prison, and Khun Heng was arrested. After several days, Elizabeth went to the Kempeitai East District Branch
at the YMCA
building on Stamford Road
to inquire about her husband. The Japanese denied all knowledge of him, but lured her back to the YMCA three weeks later and confined her with other Chinese and Changi prisoners. She was imprisoned and subjected to torture
. Mr R. H. Scott, a former Director of the British Ministry of Information (Far Eastern Branch) and principal witness at the War Crimes Court in Singapore, had witnessed Choy being stripped and severely beaten "on at least one occasion".
At the Japanese surrender in Singapore in September 1945, Choy was invited by Lady Mountbatten
to witness the official ceremony, where she was escorted by the governor, Sir Shenton Thomas
, and his wife, to whom she had sent medicine in Changi.
awarded her the Girl Guides
' highest honour, the Bronze Cross, and the Rajah of Sarawak
presented her with the Order of the Star of Sarawak
. Mr and Mrs Choy were bestowed with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire
(OBE) in June 1946. They were honoured for their work in assisting British POWs in Malaya during the Japanese Occupation. In addition, Mrs Choy received the honour of having a half-hour private audience with the Queen
at the St. James's Palace
on 25 July 1946.
During her four year stay in England, she took up Domestic Science at the Northern Polytechnic
and taught at a London council school. Intent on studying art but without the finances for this venture, Choy began a stint as an artist's model, posing nude for two sculptures, Serene Jade and Flawless Crystal by the sculptress Dora Gordine
.
, founded in 1948 by Victor J. Mendis. However, she lost in the 1951 City Council Elections, to the Progressive Party
representative, Soh Ghee Soon.
From 1951 to 1955 she was nominated by the Governor
to the Legislative Council
, where she spoke frequently on behalf of the poor and needy, and campaigned for the development of social services and family planning. As a member of the Legislative Council, she represented Singapore at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
in June 1953. She later stood for elections in Queenstown
but retired from politics thereafter.
Choy's war-time experiences had inculcated in her the belief that civil development required effective protection from aggressors. She served as a second lieutenant in the women’s auxiliary arm of the Singapore Volunteer Corps
, where she acquired the nickname “Gunner Choy”.
Her teaching career at St Andrew’s continued until 1973, except for a four-year spell as the first principal, as well as a teacher, at the Singapore School for the Blind from 1956. After her retirement she improved her languages and travelled. She continued with social work and school visits into her nineties, impressing young Singaporeans with the need to maintain strong national defence.
On October 29, 1997, an exhibition titled Elizabeth Choy : A Woman Ahead of Her Time was officially opened at the Singapore History Museum in honour of her contribution to Singapore. The exhibition was the first of its kind for a living woman in Singapore history, tracing her life as a nurse, her travels to United Kingdom to meet royalty, her 22-year teaching career at St Andrews School and her vast contributions to the less fortunate. More than 100 artifacts of pictures and newspaper clippings of her past, including the sculpture Serene Jade, were on display at the exhibition. This was a nude sculpture of Choy, created in 1949 by renowned artist Dora Gordine
. It was also the first in a series of four sculptures by Gordine, and only five other copies of the sculpture remain in existence.
Choy was also noted for wearing traditional Chinese and Indian clothing, qipao
s and bangle
s, which earned her the nickname "Dayak Woman of Singapore".
Choy died at the age of 96 on 14 September 2006 from pancreatic cancer
.
production Life Stories.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
was a Singaporean war heroine, educator and councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
. Along with her husband, Choy Khun Heng, she supplied medicine, money and messages to British civilians interned in Changi Prison
Changi Prison
Changi Prison is a prison located in Changi in the eastern part of Singapore.-First prison and POW camp:...
during the Second World War.
Early life
Choy was born Yong Su-Moi on 29 November 1910 to a HakkaHakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
family in Kudat
Kudat
Kudat is a town in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the northern tip of Borneo island. It serves as the administrative center for the Kudat Division, which includes the towns of Kudat, Pitas, Kota Marudu, and some offshore islands....
, British North Borneo
North Borneo
North Borneo was a British protectorate under the sovereign North Borneo Chartered Company from 1882 to 1946. After the war it became a crown colony of Great Britain from 1946 to 1963, known in this time as British North Borneo. It is located on the northeastern end of the island of Borneo. It is...
. Her great-grandparents first came to Kudat from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
to assist German missionaries in their work. The eldest of 11 children, Choy's father worked as a civil servant after completing his early education in China with some English education in North Borneo, where he married the daughter of a priest. He transferred to work in Jesselton and was later promoted to District Officer, moving to Kalimantan
Kalimantan
In English, the term Kalimantan refers to the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo, while in Indonesian, the term "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo....
.
Choy was looked after by a Kadazan
Kadazan
The Kadazans are an ethnic group indigenous to the state of Sabah in Malaysia. They are found mainly on the west coast of Sabah, the surrounding locales, and various locations in the interior. Due to similarities in culture and language with the Dusun ethnic group, and also because of other...
nanny and acquired Kadazan as her first language.She became an Anglican at St Monica's boarding school in Sandakan
Sandakan
Sandakan is the second-largest city in Sabah, East Malaysia, on the north-eastern coast of Borneo. It is located on the east coast of the island and it is the administrative centre of Sandakan Division and was the former capital of British North Borneo...
, where she took the name Elizabeth, and went on to complete her education at Raffles College in Singapore. As her family could not afford the fees, she started to teach, first at St Margaret’s School
St. Margaret's Secondary School
St. Margaret’s Secondary School is an autonomous government-aided girls’ secondary school in Singapore. It is the first girls’ school in Singapore and is often regarded as the oldest existing girls’ school in the Far East. It is affiliated with St...
and then at St Andrew’s.
In August 1941 she married Choy Khun Heng, a book-keeper employed by the Borneo Company.
World War II
During the Japanese invasion of MalayaBattle of Malaya
The Malayan Campaign was a campaign fought by Allied and Japanese forces in Malaya, from 8 December 1941 – 31 January 1942 during the Second World War. The campaign was dominated by land battles between British Commonwealth army units, and the Imperial Japanese Army...
, Choy became a volunteer nurse with the Medical Auxiliary Service. After the fall of Singapore
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South-East Asian theatre of the Second World War when the Empire of Japan invaded the Allied stronghold of Singapore. Singapore was the major British military base in Southeast Asia and nicknamed the "Gibraltar of the East"...
in 1942, the Choys set up a canteen at the Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Tan Tock Seng Hospital
The Tan Tock Seng Hospital is the second-largest hospital in Singapore after the Singapore General Hospital, but its accident and emergency department is the busiest in the country largely due to its geographically centralised location...
, after all the patients and doctors had been moved from the Miyako Hospital (former Woodbridge Hospital
Institute of Mental Health
The Institute of Mental Health is a medical complex in Singapore specialising in the treatment of patients with mental illnesses. The Institute was also popularly known by its former name as the Woodbridge Hospital...
), where they soon started a regular ambulance run for British civilian internees. The couple helped the Changi prisoners-of-war (POW) by passing on cash and parcels containing such things as fresh clothing, medicine and letters during their deliveries, and incurred further risk by sending in radio parts for hidden receivers until the Japanese crackdown following Operation Jaywick
Operation Jaywick
Operation Jaywick was a special operation undertaken in World War II. In September 1943, 14 commandos and sailors from the Z Special Unit raided Japanese shipping in Singapore Harbour, sinking seven ships.- Background :...
.
During the subsequent Double Tenth Incident
Double Tenth Incident
The "Double Tenth Incident" or "Double Tenth Massacre" occurred on 10 October 1943, during the Second World War Japanese occupation of Singapore...
, an informant
Informant
An informant is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law enforcement world, where they are officially known as confidential or criminal informants , and can often refer pejoratively to the supply of information...
told the Kempeitai
Kempeitai
The was the military police arm of the Imperial Japanese Army from 1881 to 1945. It was not an English-style military police, but a French-style gendarmerie...
that the Choys were involved in smuggling money into Changi Prison, and Khun Heng was arrested. After several days, Elizabeth went to the Kempeitai East District Branch
Kempeitai East District Branch
The Kempeitai East District Branch was the headquarters of the Japanese military police force, the much feared Kempeitai during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. It was located at the old YMCA building, at the present site of Singapore's YMCA on Stamford Road...
at the YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
building on Stamford Road
Stamford Road
Stamford Road is a one-way road in Singapore within the planning areas of Downtown Core and Museum. The road continues after the traffic light junction of Nicoll Highway, Esplanade Drive and Raffles Avenue towards Orchard Road. It then ends at the junction of Fort Canning Road, Bencoolen Street...
to inquire about her husband. The Japanese denied all knowledge of him, but lured her back to the YMCA three weeks later and confined her with other Chinese and Changi prisoners. She was imprisoned and subjected to torture
Torture
Torture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
. Mr R. H. Scott, a former Director of the British Ministry of Information (Far Eastern Branch) and principal witness at the War Crimes Court in Singapore, had witnessed Choy being stripped and severely beaten "on at least one occasion".
At the Japanese surrender in Singapore in September 1945, Choy was invited by Lady Mountbatten
Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma
Edwina Cynthia Annette Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma,, GBE, DCVO, CI, DStJ was an English heiress, socialite, relief-worker, wife of Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and last Vicereine of India.- Lineage and wealth :Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma...
to witness the official ceremony, where she was escorted by the governor, Sir Shenton Thomas
Shenton Thomas
Sir Thomas Shenton Whitelegge Thomas, GCMG, GCStJ was the last Governor of the Straits Settlements, 1934–1942 during which time World War II began. He died at age 82...
, and his wife, to whom she had sent medicine in Changi.
Post-War
After the war, the Choys were invited to England to recuperate. During their stay, Lady Baden-PowellOlave Baden-Powell
Olave St Clair Baden-Powell, Baroness Baden-Powell, GBE was born Olave St Clair Soames in Chesterfield, England...
awarded her the Girl Guides
Girl Guides
A Guide, Girl Guide or Girl Scout is a member of a section of some Guiding organisations who is between the ages of 10 and 14. Age limits are different in each organisation. It is the female-centred equivalent of the Scouts. The term Girl Scout is used in the United States and several East Asian...
' highest honour, the Bronze Cross, and the Rajah of Sarawak
Charles Vyner Brooke
Vyner, Rajah of Sarawak, GCMG was the third and final White Rajah of Sarawak.-Early life:...
presented her with the Order of the Star of Sarawak
Order of the Star of Sarawak
The Most Excellent Order of the Star of Sarawak was the highest state order during the days of the Kingdom of Sarawak...
. Mr and Mrs Choy were bestowed with the Officer of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(OBE) in June 1946. They were honoured for their work in assisting British POWs in Malaya during the Japanese Occupation. In addition, Mrs Choy received the honour of having a half-hour private audience with the Queen
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
at the St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace
St. James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St. James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign and the most senior royal palace in the UK...
on 25 July 1946.
During her four year stay in England, she took up Domestic Science at the Northern Polytechnic
University of North London
The University of North London was a university in the United Kingdom from 1992 to 2002. On 1 August 2002, it merged with London Guildhall University to form London Metropolitan University. The former University of North London premises now form the new university's north campus, situated on...
and taught at a London council school. Intent on studying art but without the finances for this venture, Choy began a stint as an artist's model, posing nude for two sculptures, Serene Jade and Flawless Crystal by the sculptress Dora Gordine
Dora Gordine
Dora Gordine, FRBS aka La Gordine, was a British sculptress.-Early career to 1939:Dora Gordine's childhood has not been well documented. There is confusion over her date of birth with various dates 1895 , 1898 and 1906 mentioned...
.
Later life
On returning to Singapore after her visit to Britain in 1949 Elizabeth Choy resumed teaching, and became involved in the political developments preceding independence. She was persuaded to stand for elections in December 1950 for the West Ward or Cairnhill constituency under the banner of the Labour PartyLabour Front
The Labour Front was a political party in Singapore. It was founded before the 1955 legislative council elections by David Saul Marshall, Singapore's first chief minister in 1955 and Lim Yew Hock, Singapore's second chief minister...
, founded in 1948 by Victor J. Mendis. However, she lost in the 1951 City Council Elections, to the Progressive Party
Progressive Party (Singapore)
The Singapore Progressive Party , or just, the Progressive Party is a now defunct political party that was formed on August 25, 1947. It won the Legislative Assembly general elections in 1948 by winning half of the contested seats in the Legislative Assembly, 3 out of 6...
representative, Soh Ghee Soon.
From 1951 to 1955 she was nominated by the Governor
Governors of Singapore
The Governors of Singapore were the political leaders of Singapore during its pre-independence phase in the history of Singapore.-Resident of Singapore :...
to the Legislative Council
Legislative Council of Singapore
The Legislative Council of Singapore was a Legislative Council in Singapore that assisted the Governor in making laws in Singapore. It officially came into existence in 1946, when the Repeal Act abolished the Straits Settlements, and Singapore became a Crown Colony on its own that would need its...
, where she spoke frequently on behalf of the poor and needy, and campaigned for the development of social services and family planning. As a member of the Legislative Council, she represented Singapore at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the ceremony in which the newly ascended monarch, Elizabeth II, was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon, and Pakistan, as well as taking on the role of Head of the Commonwealth...
in June 1953. She later stood for elections in Queenstown
Queenstown, Singapore
Queenstown1 is one of the early housing estates in Singapore, built before Toa Payoh and Ang Mo Kio, and was a test bed for much of Singapore's public housing...
but retired from politics thereafter.
Choy's war-time experiences had inculcated in her the belief that civil development required effective protection from aggressors. She served as a second lieutenant in the women’s auxiliary arm of the Singapore Volunteer Corps
Singapore Volunteer Corps
The Singapore Volunteer Corps was a militia unit established in 1854 as the Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps. The Corps underwent several reorganisations and was known by various names through its history...
, where she acquired the nickname “Gunner Choy”.
Her teaching career at St Andrew’s continued until 1973, except for a four-year spell as the first principal, as well as a teacher, at the Singapore School for the Blind from 1956. After her retirement she improved her languages and travelled. She continued with social work and school visits into her nineties, impressing young Singaporeans with the need to maintain strong national defence.
On October 29, 1997, an exhibition titled Elizabeth Choy : A Woman Ahead of Her Time was officially opened at the Singapore History Museum in honour of her contribution to Singapore. The exhibition was the first of its kind for a living woman in Singapore history, tracing her life as a nurse, her travels to United Kingdom to meet royalty, her 22-year teaching career at St Andrews School and her vast contributions to the less fortunate. More than 100 artifacts of pictures and newspaper clippings of her past, including the sculpture Serene Jade, were on display at the exhibition. This was a nude sculpture of Choy, created in 1949 by renowned artist Dora Gordine
Dora Gordine
Dora Gordine, FRBS aka La Gordine, was a British sculptress.-Early career to 1939:Dora Gordine's childhood has not been well documented. There is confusion over her date of birth with various dates 1895 , 1898 and 1906 mentioned...
. It was also the first in a series of four sculptures by Gordine, and only five other copies of the sculpture remain in existence.
Choy was also noted for wearing traditional Chinese and Indian clothing, qipao
Qipao
The cheongsam is a body-hugging one-piece Chinese dress for women; the male version is the changshan. It is known in Mandarin Chinese as the qípáo Wade-Giles ch'i-p'ao, and is also known in English as a mandarin gown...
s and bangle
Bangle
Bangles or churi are traditional ornaments worn mostly by South Asian women in India and Bangladesh, especially Hindus. It is tradition that the bride will try to wear as many small glass bangles as possible at her wedding and the honeymoon will end when the last bangle breaks...
s, which earned her the nickname "Dayak Woman of Singapore".
Choy died at the age of 96 on 14 September 2006 from pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
.
List of honours
-
_ribbon.png)
Order of the British EmpireOrder of the British EmpireThe Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions... - Order of the Star of SarawakOrder of the Star of SarawakThe Most Excellent Order of the Star of Sarawak was the highest state order during the days of the Kingdom of Sarawak...
-
Pingat Bakti SetiaPingat Bakti SetiaThe Pingat Bakti Setia was instituted in 1962. The medal may be awarded to any person who has completed 25 years continuous service in the service of:* the Government.* any statutory authority ....
(Singapore)
Media
Choy's life story and experiences during the Japanese Occupation was adapted in the MediaCorpMediaCorp
Media Corporation of Singapore, better known as MediaCorp, is a group of commercial media companies in Singapore, with business interests in television and radio broadcasting, interactive media, and, to a lesser extent, print publishing and film-making....
production Life Stories.
External links
- Infopedia, Biography Abstract (National Library Board)
- Elizabeth Choy - Singapore's War Heroine, Politician and Teacher (1910 - 2006) (National Archives of Singapore)
- Obituary in The Daily Telegraph, 10 October 2006
- 200 Days In Hell - An account of Choy's Imprisonment
- One Must Not Be Prudish - An account of her nude modeling