Howarth described the Fall of Singapore as the end of one war and the beginning of another:
“On the 15th February 1942 the war was over as far as I was concerned, but a new one, a much more insidious affair, was about to begin — a war against boredom, starvation, pestilence, and death.”
Howarth was first confined at the Raffles Library and Museum before being moved to Changi, where new opportunities for collecting insects presented themselves:
“I remained in the Raffles Library for three or four days after the capitulation, then had to move to the huge P.O.W. camp at Changi, situated on the eastern tip of the island. Here we finally settled down and I began to collect once more. After a while I managed to get outside the perimeter several times a week on the pretext of helping the English Agricultural Officer who had permission to collect the natural food in the neighbourhood. This enabled me to explore and to collect whatever came my way.”