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World War II Sites and
Memorials |
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Singapore fell to the
Japanese in February 1942, during World War II. On 15 February,
Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival signed the truce agreement in the
boardroom of the Ford Factory at Bukit Timah, thus surrendering
Singapore to the Japanese forces.
Thousands of civilians and
Allied troops were killed or wounded during the war and the 31/2 years
of Japanese Occupation. These harrowing years remained deeply etched
in the minds and hearts of the civilians, Allied troops and their
families who were taken as prisoners-of-war. Yet their collective
spirit strengthened their determination to live and survive.
The Japanese surrender in Singapore took place on 12 September 1945 in
City Hall, where thousands of Singaporeans and Allied soldiers crowded
The Padang to witness the event. This marked the end of the Japanese
Occupation and closed the chapter of World War II in Singapore. The
heroics and poignant memories of the people who served the Allied
forces and resisted the Japanese domination have not been forgotten.
These historic World War II sites and memorials serve to remind later
generations of the battles fought and the hardships that the people
suffered during the war years. |
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Battle Box |
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Tucked into the
hillside of
Fort Canning
is The Battle Box, the largest underground command centre of the
British Malaya Command Headquarters during World War II. Comprising 22
rooms linked by a corridor, this complex is bomb-proof and was also
capable of recycling its own air supply. The Battle Box has undergone
extensive restoration and through the use of special audio-visual
effects, and high-quality animatronics, visitors are able to relive
the morning of 15 February 1942 when Singapore fell to the Japanese.
Open: 10am - 6pm (Tue - Sun and public holidays). Last entry is at
5pm.
Admission: SGD 8 adults, SGD 5 children (under 12 years)
Approximate Touring Time: 1 hour
Location: 51 Canning Rise Singapore 179872
Tel: (65) 6333 0510
Fax: (65) 6333 0590
Getting There: Take the MRT to Dhoby Ghaut Station (NS24) and
walk uphill past Park Mall and towards Fort Canning Road. |
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Changi Chapel and Museum |
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The
Changi Museum was relocated to its new home on 15 February 2001. It
replaces the former Changi Prison Chapel and Museum (built in 1988)
that had to make way for the expansion of the Changi Prison. In
honouring the spirit and commitment of those who rose from the depths
of adversity, the Museum inspires future generations to come and
deepen their appreciation of the heroic and inspirational stories that
took place in Changi. The Changi Museum is dedicated to all those who
lived and died in Singapore, in particular the Changi area, during the
dark years of World War II.
Through documentation of significant events of the Japanese
Occupation, the Museum functions as an important educational
institution and resource centre. As for the Prisoners-of-War (POWs)
and their families, it is a site that allows closure of the many
emotional scars of the war years. The Changi Chapel, housed within the
open-air courtyard of the new museum, is a representative replica of
the many chapels that were built during World War II. Today, it stands
as a monument for those who would not buckle under Japanese rule, and
who kept their faith and dignity in the face of seemingly hopeless
odds.
Letters, photographs, drawings and personal effects in the museum tell
a horrific story of over three years of war and imprisonment for more
than 50,000 civilians and soldiers in Changi. From the fall of
Singapore on 15 February 1942 till the Japanese surrender in September
1945, life was a daily struggle against humiliation, loss of freedom,
hunger and disease. Yet it was here, where conditions were at their
worst, that we hear of stories that were heroic, touching, and most of
all, inspirational. The highlight within is a series of magnificent
wall paintings called The Changi Murals, painstakingly recreated from
the originals painted by Bombardier Stanley Warren. Visitors are also
able to view screenings of videos such as 'Changi Through The Eyes of
Haxworth' and 'Elizabeth Choy'. Tucked in a quiet corner of the museum
is 'The Changi University', a research area that houses a collection
of rare books and literature depicting life during the war years.
Next to the museum is 'The Bark Cafe', an open-air restaurant where
one can relax, unwind and enjoy fine dining with family and friends.
The restaurant offers a range of food based on cosmopolitan cuisine;
ala carte menus and a good range of beverages are available. There are
Sunday services conducted by various church groups at the Changi
Chapel every Sunday at 9.30am and 5.30pm. Visitors are welcome to join
these services.
Open:9.30am to 4.30pm (daily unless otherwise advised)
Admission:Free.
Approximate Touring Time: 1 hour
Location: 1000 Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507707
Tel: (65) 6214 2451
Fax: (65) 6214 1179
Email:
changi_museum@pacific.net.sg
Website:
http://www.changimuseum.com
Getting there:
Take SBS bus 2 from Tanah Merah MRT station (EW4). Alight at the bus
stop right in front of Changi Chapel and Museum (after Changi Women's
Prison/Drug Rehabilitation Centre).
Click here
to view MRT route map.
(Visitors wishing to view the Changi Murals at nearby Changi Camp have
to write in to the Public Affairs Department, MINDEF at fax: (65) 6764
6119 for approval.)
More information: In-house tours are available to visitors (at
SGD$6.00 and SGD$3.00 per adult and child respectively) with the first
tour from 10.00am and the last tour at 3.45pm. Group tours/bookings
can also be arranged by contacting The Changi Museum Pte Ltd at tel:
(65) 6214 2451. |
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Civilian War Memorial |
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Also known as
the "chopsticks", this structure was built to honour the civilians
killed during the Japanese Occupation. The four white pillars measure
10 metres in height and symbolise the Chinese, Eurasians, Indians and
Malays who died in the war. A memorial service is held at this site on
15 February every year to commemorate the Anniversary of the Fall of
Singapore to the Japanese in 1942.
Location: Memorial Park, Beach Road
Getting There: A short walk from City Hall MRT Station
(EW13/NS25). |
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Fort Siloso |
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When the
British colonised Singapore in the 1870s, the new harbour (Keppel
Harbour) saw the expansion of activities that risked being rampaged by
invaders and pirates. It was decided that a fort would be sited at the
western end of a small island called Pulau Blakang Mati (now known as
Sentosa), so Fort Siloso, the first of such fortification, was born. A
series of forts were built in the following years. There was at a
time, when up to 12 coastal artillery batteries guarded Singapore’s
shores. Today, Fort Siloso remains as Singapore’s sole preserved
coastal fortification. During World War II, actual 6-inch guns were
deployed at Fort Siloso to defend the Singapore Harbour. However,
these failed to defend Singapore from Japanese invasion, as the
Japanese launched a full-force land attack, in contrary to a naval
invasion that the British had anticipated. The fort was used as a
Prisoners-of-War camp during the Japanese Occupation and later became
a transit camp for the Royal Naval and Marine personnel when Singapore
returned to British rule in September 1945.
In 1975, Fort Siloso was opened as a historical site-cum-gun museum.
It was restored and re-opened in 1993. It currently holds one of the
largest collections of real guns in Asia. Some of the guns on site
were originals which have been salvaged while others include those
found on other gun batteries in Singapore. Marvel at the amazing array
of guns and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of Fort
Siloso as you venture through the tunnels and lookout points,
featuring fibreglass soldiers in action in their barracks, cookhouse,
tailor shop and guard house, amongst others.
Open: 9am - 7pm (daily). Last admission at
6.30pm.
Admission: SGD 5 adults, SGD 3 children
Approximate Touring Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Location: 33 Allanbrooke Road, Sentosa
Singapore 099981
Tel: (65) 6275 0388
Fax: (65) 6275 0161
E-mail:
administrator@sentosa.com.sg
Website:
Fort Siloso
(http://www.sentosa.com.sg/a_fort.htm)
Getting There: Take Sentosa Bus from the
World Trade Centre Bus Terminal or Tiong Bahru MRT. On Sentosa, take
the monorail to Station M3 or by bus on Blue or Green Lines and
transfer to Fort Train.
Accessibility for the physically disabled at Fort Siloso:
Rental of wheelchairs are available free of charge. However, you are
advised to contact Customer Service at Tel: (65) 6275 8306 for prior
arrangements. A handicapped toilet is located near the entrance of the
Fort. |
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Johore Battery |
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The
Johore Battery is a gun emplacement site that consists of a labyrinth
of tunnels that was used to store ammunition to support three monster
guns that could fire 15-inch shells. Built by the British in 1939 for
the defence of Singapore, the guns were the largest installed outside
Britain during WWII. The guns were destroyed before the surrender of
the British army and the tunnels were sealed up after the war. Their
location remained a secret until the Singapore Prisons Department
rediscovered them in April 1991.
Today a replica of the monster gun and 15-inch shell sit at the Johore
Battery.
Open: 9am - 5pm (Mon to Fri)
Admission: Free
Approximate Touring Time: 30 minutes
Location: Cosford Road, off Upper Changi
Road North.
Tel: (65) 6546 9897
Getting There: Take SBS Bus 2 from Tanah
Merah MRT Station (EW4) and alight at the bus stop opposite Selarang
Camp. Alternatively, take a taxi. |
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Kranji War Memorial |
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Kranji
War Memorial honours the men from Britain, Australia, Canada, Sri
Lanka, India, Malaya, the Netherlands and New Zealand who gave their
lives for freedom in World War II. Marked graves of 4,000 servicemen
who died during the Japanese Occupation stand in neat rows on
manicured lawns. Another 24,000 names of soldiers and airforce men who
died but whose bodies were never recovered are inscribed on 12
columns.
Kranji War Cemetery began as a hospital burial ground during the
Japanese Occupation and became a military cemetery after the war.
Bodies of servicemen buried in other parts of Singapore were exhumed
and reburied here. The area is also the burial ground of Singapore's
first two presidents.
Open: 7am - 6pm (daily)
Location: 9 Woodlands Road
Getting There: Take SBS bus 170 from Rochor
Road or take the MRT to Kranji Station (NS7) and it is a 5-minute walk
away. |
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Reflections at Bukit
Chandu |
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Go back
in time to 1942 when 1,400 soldiers of the Malay Regiment made their
stand against 13,000 Japanese soldiers, choosing death over dishonour.
Allow Pepper's Ghost to bring you through the Battle of Pasir Panjang
and walk through the Galleries displaying exhibits of photographs,
maps, dates and information detailing the Defence of Malaya and life
in the Malay Regiment. Set amidst the lush greenery of Bukit Chandu
(Opium Hill), this interpretive centre is a memorial to the last
moments of these brave soldiers of WWII and a place to reflect on
their courage, the cost of war and the price of peace.
Open: 9am - 5pm (Tue - Sun)
Admission: Adult SGD2, Child (under 6 years old) SGD1, Family
(admits 5, max 2 adults) SGD5
Approximate Touring Time: 2 hours
Location: 31-K Pepys Road, Singapore 118458.
Tel: (65) 6338 7978
Fax: (65) 6339 3583
Getting There: Take SBS Bus 10, 30, 51, 143 or TIBS Bus 176, 188.
Alternatively, take a taxi from Buona Vista MRT Station (EW21) or
Redhill MRT Station (EW18).
Website:
www.s1942.org.sg/bukit_chandu/directory.htm |
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 Information
provided by
Singapore Tourism Board. |
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