2 
half a mile from the hardens boundary. Part 
of the Gardens was occupied by defending 
troops, and a considerable number of small 
shells were fired by the Japanese into the 
Gardens. Most of these exploded in tree- 
tops, and caused some casualties later 
among the trees. A few small trees were 
damaged owing to the digging of trenches 
and other operations, but on the whole the 
woody plants of the Gardens suffered little 
serious damage. The Directors house had 
a direct hit from a shell, and the Gardens 
Store was slightly damaged by a bomb which 
exploded 20 yards away. The offices and 
herbarium were undamaged. The local Gar¬ 
dens staff nearly ail remained at their 
quarters, where they had good shelters; 
three or four of them suffered minor 
injuries. 
Three days after the Japanese occupa¬ 
tion, Professor Hidezo Tanakadate, of 
Tohoku Imperial University, assumed control 
of the Gardens. He asked Mr. Holttum to 
remain in executive charge, and to resume 
all normal horticultural work. The Japan¬ 
ese military required the supply of some 
ornamental plants, but only such as were 
easily propagated. Professor Tanakadate 
and his successors took energetic steps to 
see that the Gardens were not in any way 
despoiled by the Japanese military; and 
the same action was also taken with regard 
to the Nature Reserves in Singapore Island 
under the control of the Gardens. Prof. 
Tanakadate arranged for the Botanic Gardens 
and Raffles Museum to form a single Depart¬ 
ment under the Municipality of Singapore, 
with head office at the Museum. In Sept. 
1942 the Marquis Yoshichika Tokugawa assumed 
the office of Honorary President of the 
Museum and Gardens; this he held until his 
departure for Japan in the middle of 1944# 
In December 1942 Professor Kwan Koriba, 
Professor of Botany at the Imperial Univer¬ 
sity of Kyoto, was appointed Director of 
the Gardens. Thereafter Mr. Holttum ceased 
to have responsibility for garden work, 
but unofficially both he and Mr. Corner 
remained in constant touch with the local 
