The Singapore Grip

The island of Singapore lies on the southern tip of British Malaya.

This jewel of the empire produces 97% of the world's rubber.

And covenant Japanese eyes have turned on these riches.

Let the Japs try it!

With the formidable strength of it's British garrison,

Singapore is well equipped to hold it's ground in the far East.

Are you alright?

Do you have any water by any chance?

What have you done to your hands?

Firefighting.

I don't...some sort of explosion.

You better come with us. We can get you a dressing.

I'm looking for a girl.

You will able to do that better once your hands have been seen to.

There's a medic at the Airbase. Come.

The Japs could bomb us again anytime. Please.

Step on it, Bruce. For God sake!

Fan-chokes full of ammo. This goes up, we land in China.

Bloody Japs! Here we go again.

Can't begin to understand what this fellow think is he's doing.

There isn't a single bloody plane intact in this whole sodding aerodrome.

You see that beach over there?

We got hold of a boat. And hid it over there.

What for?

Everyone's saying the British army will have to surrender sometime today.

Really? - Hmm.

So we're going to try and get out and make it to Sumatra. 9:00 o'clock tonight.

Room for you if you'd like to join us.

We could probably squeeze in your girl as well. Of course, you'll have to find her first.

I'll find her.

We can't wait for you. - Don't worry.

I'll find her.

Someone's lying around, Joan. Isn't that surprising?

Give it back.

I will not!

Give it! Give it back this minute!

Oh! Oh! What have you done!?

Thank you Mohamed.

Kate!

Give it! Give it back! - Hello daddy!

Where you off to?

Nowhere in particular. Just making myself scarce.

Well you weren't writing to him, I think...

Okay. Who is it, may I ask?

I have...

She's been nosy...would you...my private...

And now...leave us Joan. Speak to you presently.

Told you before my dear, really mustn't upset yourself. Gets you absolutely nowhere.

She refused to tell me anything. Who he is. Where she met him?

I don't even know his name.

It appears....

his name is Barry.

Barry!?

I realize that at your age, flirtations are inevitable and on the whole,

I rely on you to use your good judgment.

What I do object to, is you upsetting you mother.

It's her fault, she...

All I ask...is in the future,

you hide your love letters a little more efficiently.

I don't know what's to become of Joan.

Uh...Joan will sort herself out. Don't you worry about Joan.

Monty you should be worried about.

Bone-idle. Drunk every night.

How is he going to run an enormous company?

Barely do up his shoes in the morning.

Has old Mr.Webb said anything about bringing his son Matthew out here?

Matthew? No.

I don't think they are seen each other since Mrs.Webb died.

Shame really.

He always used to say that Matthew would have made an ideal husband for Joan.

Sylvia and I were talking about your boy last night.

Matthew? - Yes.

Wondering if you had any plans to bring him out here?

I thought about it after the 'League of Nations' collapsed.

But I'm not sure if commerce is altogether his area of expertise.

You used to say how good it would be of him and Joan were to marry.

Ah...for the good of the firm of course.

Well...

for example this finagling you're doing with the Dutch

to get round the American rubber restrictions,

you'd have trouble getting him to agree to something like that.

He is a bit of an idealist. - Oh dear! That is bad luck.

No...

I rather approve.

By the way if you have a letter from the Chinese Protectorate.

A fellow from the Chinese protected said,

you promised this woman that if the need arose...

I vouch for her.

Really?

I don't remember.

Oh! Wait a minute. Yes! The Chinese girl. That was years ago.

When?

Do you remember when mummy and I took that holiday in Shanghai

and got caught up in an anti-Japanese riot?

Vaguely.

We would like twenty five yards.

What's going on?

Help!

I ran into her again on the boat on the way back.

This must be stygian.

Must say slightly dingy.

Terrible smell!

Oh! They must be cooking something ghastly.

Hello.

So you got away.

Yes I managed to do so. - Good.

My name is Miss Chiang.

Vera Chiang.

How do you do?

Joan Blackett.

Come to see how the other half lives, eh? - Something like that.

May I ask you a favor?

Of course.

Please don't tell anyone about that dreadful business with the Japanese officer.

It was...all a terrible misunderstanding.

I wouldn't like it to jeopardize my chances of getting a landing permit in Singapore.

I completely understand.

You speak such good English.

This is my father's business card Miss Chiang.

If you stay on in Singapore,

don't hesitate to get in touch if you need help finding work or anything like that.

Thank you so much Miss Blackett. You are most kind.

I haven't seen her from that day to this.

I see.

And she still here in Singapore?

Please don't feel you have to do anything for her on my account.

Well you say, you want me to vouch for her...

but I'm not what you might call a "natural vouch".

No...I don't want you to vouch for her.

We're be very happy to deport her back to China.

But you're not giving us very much detail.

Th...this Vera Chiang was the friend or a concubine

of a Communist we deported last year to Chongqing.

Since when she's been scraping a living as a taxi dancer.

We have no specific evidence but we suspect she may be a Communist.

Oh well in that case...

But you have no evidence.

Nothing specific. As I say, but the really suspicious thing about her

is that she speak such perfect English and is so well educated.

Oh I see. Don't like to see the Chinese educated? Is that it?

We generally find that a good education

tends to go hand in hand with Communist sympathies.

And you claim to be working for the Chinese Protectorate.

Is this how you protect them by keeping them poor and ignorant?

Well...

Well you wipe that smile off your face,

I've been in this colony since before you were born.

Yes well I think that's enough.

Take your hands out of your pockets when you're speaking to me.

I would be in good mind to report this impertinence to your superiors.

No need to...

I shall vouch for this woman if Mr.Blackett won't.

My name is Webb. There is my card.

Tell Miss Chiang she can come and stay with me.

Hello? Uh...Miss Chiang?

Yes?

Oh...allow me.

My name is Brendan Archer.

Most people call me 'The Major'.

Which I was once. Long time ago now.

I live in Mr.Webb's house.

Which was for some unknown reason has always been known as 'The Mayfair'.

Best space on the monopoly board.

Oh. Yeah! Quite right.

Well if you follow me I'll...I'll show you to your quarters.

Just...in here...uh...

Mr.Webb?

Ah...

You must be Miss Chiang.

Yes. - How do you do.

How do you do?

Major looking after you alright?

Yes. Very much so.

Good. He'll get you settled in and uh...we'll chat later.

I am most grateful to you sir.

What? Nonsense...not a bit of it.

If it hadn't been for your intervention, I'd have been sent back to China,

certainly tortured and very probably killed by the Japanese.

Well I'm glad we've been of service.

Uh...here...here.

Thank you.

Good evening, Mr.Webb.

Good evening Miss Chiang.

Well you seemed to have settled in all right these last few weeks.

My son, Matthew.

I sent him to a very progressive school in Suffolk.

Don't know that it suited him quite well.

He was a retinues boy,

but I thought it would do him good.

And I must say, he has turned out to be very high minded.

He's very handsome.

Chip off the old bloke then.

Oh! Yes.

Very much so.

Miss Blackett.

I was picking out something to wear to the party and I suddenly thought

these all dresses might be of use to you.

I'm certainly never going to wear them again.

Why thank you Miss Blackett. That's most considerate of you.

Not at all.