Valentine Cawley played a real historical person, Stanley Warren who was a British prison-of-war, who was famed for painting five murals in the prison chapel at Changi Prison, Singapore. Valentine was seen painting one of the murals, in War Diary, which he had been taught to do by Valeriu Sepi, the artist. Valeriu was impressed by Valentine's ability to trace out the right lines and remarked: "I am watching you!"
The weapons used in the set are made from plastic mold, in other words fake. Sparks from firecrackers were used to depict them firing.
Due to a lack of Caucasian extras, Eurasians (most of Malay ethnicity) had their hairs dyed blond to depict them as Commonwealth soldiers. Japanese troops were also portrayed by mostly Chinese extras.