Penang Free School: The war years

I've always been fascinated by what happened to Penang Free School during the Second World War. Unfortunately, I couldn't uncover much beyond what I had included in my 2016 book, Let the Aisles Proclaim. So, it's always exciting when a new narrative surfaces about the war years, especially when I'm able to connect it to Penang Free School. 

Recently, I was alerted by a friend, Roy Chai from The Old Frees' Association, to a story by Muskaan Ahmed in The Times of India, which I believe is a valuable addition to the limited knowledge we have about that dark period. The exclusive story, called The spy next door, can be read directly from The Times of India news portal (click here to read) but here is my own summary.

In 1942, during the Quit India movement, Penang Free School became an unexpected centre for covert training in a mission to overthrow British rule in India. When the Japanese occupied Malaya from December 1941, their military established an administrative base at the Free School by repurposing it from its original educational function to a strategic training ground for espionage. The Japanese saw the British presence in India as a threat to their ambitions in South-east Asia and sought to undermine it by converting disillusioned Indian soldiers in their cause. These soldiers were recruited into the Indian National Army (INA) by the founder, Mohan Singh, who persuaded them to join forces with the Japanese against the British.

Penang Free School played a pivotal role in this strategy. It was a training centre for the cadets who were prepared for guerrilla warfare and subversive activities. These cadets were trained in a range of espionage techniques, including deciphering coded messages, writing with invisible ink, identifying British aircraft and evading surveillance. The Japanese also provided training in reconnaissance missions, operating in hostile territories and propaganda to spread anti-British sentiment. Thus, the school became a vital base of operations for those seeking to weaken British influence in the region.

The Indian disillusionment with British colonial rule could be traced back to the First World War. Britain had promised dominion status for India in exchange for its support, prompting Indian leaders to encourage thousands of soldiers (jawans) to join the British forces. However, when Britain failed to honour its promise, many of these soldiers felt betrayed. Seeking new avenues to fight for Indian independence, they found themselves recruited for training at Penang Free School.

One such recruit was TP Kumaran Nair who had served with the Malabar Special Force, a British police unit established to suppress uprisings in India. Dissatisfied with British orders to disperse a group of women rallying for India’s freedom in Madras, Nair refused to comply and left for Singapore. There, he met KP Kesava Menon, a prominent activist who had led the Vaikom Satyagraha in 1924. Menon persuaded Nair to join the spy school where later, Nair became an instructor, passing on his paramilitary skills to the 34 cadets at the Free School.

The cadets, including 18-year-old Ramu Thevar from Ramanathapuram who was the youngest among them, were trained rigorously. According to Vijay Balan, Nair's grandnephew and author of Swaraj Spy, they were taught to navigate rubber boats to shorelines after submarine missions, handle firearms and endure the physical challenges of guerrilla warfare. The Japanese also trained them to cross British checkpoints on foot, using real-life scenarios to test their ability to evade detection. Out of the 34 cadets, only two, including Nair, managed to pass these tests successfully.

The training at Penang Free School also involved uncovering worker grievances in British-run factories in India and organising strikes to disrupt British economic interests and sow discontent. However, the mission faced significant setbacks. In 1942, Japanese Colonel Hideo Iwakuro deployed the cadets across India without consulting the INA, leading to operational failure. The Japanese had underestimated the complexity of India’s linguistic diversity: South Indian cadets were sent to the North and vice versa, which resulted in communication breakdowns. A double agent exposed the plan to the British, leading to the capture of all the cadets and a collapse in trust between the Japanese and their Indian allies.

Following this failure, the spy school at Penang Free School closed in 1942. Many of the cadets were arrested and executed under the Enemy Agent Act of 1943. Among them were Nair and young Ramu, who were hanged in 1944. Their sacrifice remained largely unrecognised until a recent commemoration event in Malaysia which was organised by the Death Railway Interest Group. This group had raised awareness of the contributions of these cadets who were buried in unmarked graves.

Penang Free School's transformation into a centre for espionage training highlights its unique role in the fight for Indian independence. While its cadets’ mission ultimately failed, the school remains a significant yet overlooked chapter in the complex history of wartime alliances in South-east Asia. The story of these cadets reflects both the global dimensions of India’s independence struggle and the little-known contributions of a colonial-era school in Penang to that cause.