Tan Chong Tee

Tan Chong Tee (Template:Zh; 15 October 1916 – 24 November 2012) was a Chinese resistance fighter based in Singapore and Malaya during World War II.<ref name='infopedia'>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> An accomplished badminton player before the war, he joined Force 136 around 1942 after Singapore fell to the Japanese.<ref name="guerilla" /> In 1944, while on a mission, Tan, along with Lim Bo Seng and other Force 136 members, was captured by the Japanese. He was subjected to torture during his captivity.<ref name="patriots" /> After the war, he returned to playing badminton and later became a businessman.<ref name="loveofthegame" />

Early life

Tan was born in an ethnic Chinese family with ancestry from Fujian Province at his family residence along Shrewsbury Road in present-day Novena, Singapore. His father, Tan Kah Tek, worked in a carriage shop on Orchard Road while his mother, Lim Peng Tuan, owned a floral nursery.<ref name="loveofthegame">Template:Cite news</ref> Tan left Singapore to further his studies in China in 1930 and returned home in 1933.<ref name='infopedia' /> He helped his mother run Kheng Cheng School, which she established in 1927.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As a badminton player

Tan was a talented badminton player in his youth and represented the Marigold and Mayflower Badminton Parties at various tournaments in Singapore.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At just 17 years old, he made his senior debut in the 1934 Singapore Open and exceeded expectation by reaching the quarter-finals of the men's singles event.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His exceptional performance during the tournament, characterised by his impressive speed and powerful gameplay, propelled him to prominence in the local badminton circuit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1935, Tan was selected to represent Singapore at the All-Malayan Chinese Olympiad interstate badminton tournament.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Despite his best efforts, Singapore fell short in the semi-finals with a narrow defeat against the Penang team.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At his second Singapore Open, Tan continued to make a strong impression by advancing to the semi-finals of both the men's singles and doubles events.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later that year, he achieved his first senior success in the inter-club championship, where he won all his matches to help Mayflower to emerge as the inter-club champion.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

From 1936 onwards, Tan established himself as a dominant force in the regional badminton scene, achieving remarkable success in various tournaments. At the 1936 Singapore Open, he secured his first men's singles title by defeating the reigning champion, Leow Kim Fatt,<ref name="1936sgopen">Template:Cite news</ref> who had earlier emerged victorious in an exhibition match against former All-England champion Frank Devlin.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In addition to his singles triumph, he also teamed up with his clubmate, Seah Eng Hee, to clinch the men's doubles title.<ref name="1936sgopen2">Template:Cite news</ref> The following year, Tan repeated the same feat once again by winning both the men's singles and doubles titles at the 1937 Singapore Open.<ref name="1937sgopen">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="1937sgopen2">Template:Cite news</ref> His back-to-back victories in both disciplines made him the first player in the history of the tournament to claim consecutive titles in both events.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Tan's achievements were not limited to Singapore alone. At the 1937 All-Malayan Chinese Olympiad interstate badminton tournament, he played a pivotal role in leading Singapore to achieve its first success since the tournament inception in 1933, by beating their fierce rivals from Penang in a thrilling final.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1938, Tan claimed the men's singles title at the Malaysia Open,<ref name="1938myopen">Template:Cite news</ref> having made the quarter-finals the year before.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He made another final in 1939 but unfortunately, he was unable to secure the victory and ended up as the runner-up.<ref name="1939myopen">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1940, Tan regained his best form to win his third Singapore Open men's singles crown<ref name="1940sgopen">Template:Cite news</ref> and paired up with Lee Shao Meng, another Marigold player, to secure the mixed doubles title<ref name="1940sgopen2">Template:Cite news</ref> after falling short in the previous year.<ref name="1939sgopen">Template:Cite news</ref> He also reached yet another semi-finals at the Malaysia Open, his third in a row, which solidifying his status as one of the best player in the region.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

He was a contemporary of Wong Peng Soon and achieved the remarkable feat of defeating Wong in competitions, making him one of the few players to have achieved such a distinction.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Career in Force 136

File:TanChongTee-LimBoSeng.jpg

Tan (left) and Lim Bo Seng

When the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out in 1937, Tan participated in anti-Japanese activities such as boycotting Japanese goods and fund-raising to support the war effort in China.<ref name='infopedia' /> On 31 January 1941, he embarked on a journey to Chongqing, China, with the intention of joining the Chinese armed forces in their fight against the Japanese invaders.<ref name='infopedia' /> However, Tan was denied entry into the army due to his young age and was advised to stay in Chongqing to pursue his studies instead.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He later enrolled at the University of Hunan to study fine arts.<ref name="underground">Template:Cite news</ref>

Tan lost touch with his family in 1942 after the Japanese invaded and occupied Singapore. After facing disappointment in his attempt to join the Chinese Air Forces due to exceeding the age limit, he took an alternative approach by organising an art exhibition to raise funds for overseas Chinese refugees. It was during this exhibition that he caught the attention of the Kuomintang government of China, and was recruited to contribute to the resistance effort in Malaya.<ref name="underground" /> He then went to India for training and joined Force 136, a branch of the Allied Special Operations Executive, where he met and befriended Lim Bo Seng.<ref name="guerilla">Template:Cite news</ref>

Tan participated in Operation Gustavus, a mission aimed at establishing an espionage network in Malaya and Singapore to gather intelligence about Japanese activities, and thereby aid the British in Operation Zipper – the code name for their plan to take back Singapore from the Japanese.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> The team embarked on a journey from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Malaya, utilising a submarine as their means of transportation. By 2 August 1943, the submarine had successfully reached Malayan waters near Pangkor Island, located off the coast of Perak. The team executed a covert landing at Tanjong Hantu and subsequently rendezvoused with a contingent of guerrillas affiliated with the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA).<ref name='infopedia' /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Tan was subsequently assigned to undertake infiltration and intelligence tasks, adopting the persona of Tan Tien Soong or Lim Shu, a wealthy businessman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This guise provided him with the necessary cover to establish and manage spy networks in the regions of Lumut and Ipoh. Leveraging his background in art, Tan utilised his sketching skills to visually capture crucial information for the group's espionage operations.<ref name="guerilla" /> He was captured in 1944 by the Japanese when the operation failed.<ref name="patriots">Template:Cite news</ref> He spent the next 18 months in captivity,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> during which he was tortured by the Japanese, who attempted to force him to reveal the identities of other Force 136 members but he refused.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was released after the Japanese surrender in 1945.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Upon returning to Singapore, Tan found out that his brother, Chong Mao, had been executed by the Japanese in the Sook Ching massacre and that his mother had been beaten up by the Japanese when she tried to sought information about her missing son. Her injuries left her bedridden and she died in December of the same year.<ref name='infopedia' />

Postwar life

After the war, Tan participated in badminton tournaments again and continued to excel, reaching two more men's doubles finals with partners Ong Poh Lim and Kon Kong Min in the 1948 and 1952 Singapore Open respectively.<ref name="1948sgopen">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="1952sgopen">Template:Cite news</ref> In 1952, he finished as runner-up in the Foong Seong Cup, a notable interstate badminton tournament in Malaya, while representing Singapore.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Adding to his accomplishments, Tan also secured another inter-club championship that year, this time as the member of the Marigold Badminton Party.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Transitioning from competitive play, Tan dedicated himself to coaching the sport of badminton for the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA), where he mentored and trained the next generation of players.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 1959, he won the veteran men's doubles title with Ismail Marjan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In addition to his pursuits in badminton, Tan also ventured into property development and advertising where he established himself as a successful businessman.<ref name="loveofthegame" /><ref name="patriots" /> After many years of hard work and dedication, he eventually retired from his business endeavors in 1985.<ref name='infopedia' /> In 1994, he wrote a Chinese-language memoir, FORCE 136: Story Of A WWII Resistance Fighter (Template:ISBN), which recounts his experiences with Force 136.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The memoir was translated into English a year later by Lee Watt Sim and Clara Show,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and published in 2001 by Asiapac Books as a comic book. In 2001, Tan was part of a group selected to recite the National Pledge during the National Day Parade.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2002, Tan published another book named Upholding The Legacy: Singapore Badminton (Template:ISBN), which covers the history of badminton in Singapore.<ref name="loveofthegame" />

Personal life

In 1946, Tan married Lee Shao Meng, his teammate at Marigold Badminton Party, who he teamed up for various mixed doubles events. They had a daughter together.<ref name="loveofthegame" />

Death

Tan died in Singapore on 24 November 2012 at the age of 96. He was cremated at the Mandai Crematorium.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Honours and awards

On 3 October 1945, Tan was conferred the rank of Liaison Officer by Colonel John Davies, the commanding officer of Force 136 and invited to partake in negotiations regarding demobilisation. Following the demobilisation process, he was honored with a Force 136 service medal, a Burmese medal award certificate, a demobilisation certificate, and a certificate of service bestowed by the Order of the British Empire.<ref name='infopedia' /><ref>United Kingdom list: Template:London Gazette</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1947, Tan, along with 145 other Singaporeans, were each awarded with a certificate of commendation by the Governor of Singapore, Sir Franklin Gimson for their services to the community during the Malayan campaign, during the Japanese occupation and in the B.M.A period after the liberation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On 19 September 1995, Tan and eight other surviving members of Force 136 were each presented with a commemorative silver ingot to honour them for their resistance efforts.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Sporting achievements

Tournaments

Men's singles

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
1936	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Leow Kim Fatt	15–8, 14–18, 15–8	Template:Gold1 Winner	<ref name="1936sgopen"/>
1937	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Yap Chin Tee	5–15, 17–14, 15–12	Template:Gold1 Winner	<ref name="1937sgopen"/>
1938	Malaysia Open	Template:Flagicon Wong Peng Soon	15–2, 9–15, 15–11	Template:Gold1 Winner	<ref name="1938myopen"/>
1939	Malaysia Open	Template:Flagicon Seah Eng Hee	8–15, 15–17	Template:Silver2 Runner-up	<ref name="1939myopen"/>
1940	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Yap Chin Tee	15–8, 15–6	Template:Gold1 Winner	<ref name="1940sgopen" />

Men's doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
1936	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Seah Eng Hee	Template:Flagicon Chan Chim Bock Template:Flagicon Wong Peng Soon	16–21, 23–21, 21–13	Template:Gold1 Winner	<ref name="1936sgopen2"/>
1937	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Seah Eng Hee	Template:Flagicon Chan Chim Bock Template:Flagicon Wong Peng Soon	4–21, 23–22, 24–20	Template:Gold1 Winner	<ref name="1937sgopen2"/>
1940	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Low Seah Chuan	Template:Flagicon Chia Chin Soon Template:Flagicon Ahmad Mattar	21–18, 16–21, 22–24	Template:Silver2 Runner-up	<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
1948	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Ong Poh Lim	Template:Flagicon Teoh Peng Hooi Template:Flagicon Wong Peng Soon	8–15, 15–17	Template:Silver2 Runner-up	<ref name="1948sgopen"/>
1952	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Kon Kong Min	Template:Flagicon Ismail Marjan Template:Flagicon Ong Poh Lim	11–15, 12–15	Template:Silver2 Runner-up	<ref name="1952sgopen"/>

Mixed doubles

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponent	Score	Result	Ref
1939	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Lee Shao Meng	Template:Flagicon Wong Peng Soon Template:Flagicon Waileen Wong	12–21, 3–21	Template:Silver2 Runner-up	<ref name="1939sgopen"/>
1940	Singapore Open	Template:Flagicon Lee Shao Meng	Template:Flagicon S. A. Durai Template:Flagicon Yoong Sook Lian	15–21, 21–6, 21–3	Template:Gold1 Winner	<ref name="1940sgopen2"/>