Lim Bo Seng

Soldier / World War II Figure

Lim Bo Seng is a national hero in Singapore for his resistance to Japanese forces during World War II. A native Chinese who moved to Singapore as a child, Lim led efforts to raise funds to help China fight Japanese invasion in the late 1930s. When the Japanese captured Singapore, Lim escaped to India and joined Force 136, a group of resistance fighters organized by the British. He was captured after infiltrating Japanese territory in 1944; despite punishment and torture, he refused to reveal the names of other resistance fighters. He died in captivity, becoming a martyr to the cause of Singapore.

Extra credit: Other famous Singaporeans include prime ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong and hospital builder Tan Tock Seng.