In January 1942, the Japanese Army captured Singapore, the greatest British base in the Far East. Most of the British garrison never fired a single shot before being surrendered. 100,000 men went into the most horrifying captivity.
It’s generally accepted that the British commander, Arthur Percival, disgraced his command with the most incompetent and cowardly behaviour.
Whatever happened to Percival after the war? I can’t find any reference to his fate.
Among other things, Percival was present at the signing of the surrender documents aboard the Missouri in Tokyo Bay. He and General Wainwright (who surrendered to the Japanese at Corregidor) stood directly behind MacArthur at the signing.
According to a cached Google link which never works when I try to post it, Percival retired with pay the following year and held a number of honorary commands. He wrote a book on the Singapore campaign in 1949 and died in 1966.
