Eleven hundred kilometres south of Singapore lies Christmas Island which was under the control of the British in 1942. Britain maintained a small force that employed Indian soldiers on the island.
From the beginning of World War II, Christmas Island was a target for Japanese occupation, because of its rich deposits of phosphates. During the night of 11th March 1942, a mutiny of the Indian troops, abetted by Sikh policemen, led to the murder of the five British soldiers and the imprisonment of the remaining Europeans on the island. This was known as the Christmas Island Mutiny.
Soon after, Japanese bombers launched an attack on the island, and a Japanese fleet, including cruiser Naka arrived. Because of the mutiny by Indian soldiers, Japanese troops were able to occupy Christmas Island without any resistance.
The mutiny did play a role in hastening Britain’s decision to withdraw from India, and give India its independence.