Mr Tay Ah Soey was a war hero who saved 62 people during World War II. He was among a group of five who pulled 62 people out of the water when Japanese forces dropped bombs in the sea on Feb 13, 1942, sinking boats which were ferrying people away from Singapore.
The fisherman and his two brothers had gone out on his own fishing boat, braving bullets and bombs, to save civilians and military personnel who had fallen into the sea.
Among those he helped pull to safety were rubber and pineapple plantation magnate Lim Chong Pang and his brother. Mr Lim was the son of Mr Lim Nee Soon, one of the founders of Overseas-Chinese Bank, which merged with other banks to form OCBC Bank in the 1930s.
For his bravery, Mr Tay was awarded the King George V medal in 1952. His story of heroism was also used in Chinese textbooks for primary school pupils here. http://www.preshigh.edu.sg/teachers/laick/Singapore/Lists/Who/DispForm.aspx?ID=50
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