Lest we forget: World War II sites & memorials
Reflect on the past and honour those who have fallen, by visiting Singapore's World War II sites and memorials.
The Old Changi Prison Chapel and Museum, built in 1988, was relocated to its new site on 15 February 2001 - coinciding with the 59th Anniversary of the 1942 fall of Singapore to the Japanese - to make way for the expansion of Changi Prison. Walk through living history and learn of the heroic and inspirational World War II stories which unfolded in the Republic.
Civilian War Memorial War Memorial Park, Beach Road. www.visitsingapore.com
Standing nearly 61 metres high, the Civilian War Memorial is dedicated to those who perished during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore during World War II. Every year, on February 15, a memorial service is held to remember the victims of the war. Four identical pillars rising more than 60 metres high symbolise the shared experiences of the four major races in Singapore at that time - Chinese, Malay, Indian and Caucasian. Pay your respects to the remains of unidentified war victims buried beneath the monument.
The Battle Box 51 Canning Rise. Tickets: $8-adults, $5-children. Open: Daily 10am-6pm. Tel: 6333 0510, www.legendsfortcanning.com/fortcanning/battlebox.htm
Located nine metres underground, in one of the bunkers of Fort Canning Park, The Battle Box was the largest military operations complex in Singapore and was part of the Malaya Command Headquarters during World War II. Listen to audio and video to experience the morning of February 15, 1942 when the British discussed surrendering to the Japanese. Guided tours walk you through the complex, allowing you to experience recreated events.
The Ford Motor Factory 351 Upper Bukit Timah Road. Tickets: $3-single, $8-family, $2.50-students. Open: Mon-Fri 9am-5:30pm, Sat 9am-1pm, closed Sun & Public Holidays. Tel: 6462 6724, www.s1942.org.sg/s1942/moff/
South-East Asia's first Ford vehicle assembly plant was where the British formally surrendered Singapore to Japan. Today, it's a museum where you can view the Syonan Years: Singapore Under Japanese Rule, 1942-1945 exhibition, which captures the recollections of war survivors. Learn about the food crops grown during the war and the route the Japanese took as they advanced through the Malay Peninsula into Singapore. Pause at the granite stone in Memories Green to reflect on Emperor Tang Taizong's inspiring words on the consequences of war.
Kranji War Memorial 9 Woodlands Road. Tickets: Free. Open: Daily 7am-6pm. www.visitsingapore.com
The marked graves of 4,000 servicemen who died during the Japanese Occupation stand in neat rows on manicured lawns, honouring the men from the allied forces of Britain, Australia, Canada, Sri Lanka, India, Malaya, the Netherlands and New Zealand. During the occupation, Kranji War Cemetery was used as a hospital burial ground. Confirmed as a military cemetery after the war ended, bodies of servicemen buried in other parts of Singapore were exhumed and reburied here.
Labrador Nature Reserve Labrador Villa Road, off Pasir Panjang Road. Tickets: $8-adults, $5-children. Tel: 6339 6833, www.nparks.gov.sg
Labrador Park's headland has always played a significant role in Singapore's history. Fort Pasir Panjang and the Labrador Battery were built during colonial times by the British, to defend the entrance to Keppel Harbour and Singapore's waters. During World War II, the Japanese army's surprise advance from the north rather from the sea to the south required the cannons to be reversed, however their flat trajectory rendered them next to useless. Follow the history trail and learn about this area's historical importance, or take a guided tour - conducted daily from 10am to 7pm - of the war tunnels used by the British Army.
Fort Siloso Sentosa Island. Tickets: $8-adults, $5-children. Open: Daily 10am-6pm. www.fortsiloso.com
Located on Sentosa's western tip, Fort Siloso is a coastal artillery battery and one of 12 coastal batteries which made up Fortress Singapore during World War II. Although there are remains of other batteries in Singapore, Fort Siloso is the only one to be fully restored. Visit The Gun Museum and view 18th century British naval muzzle-loading cannons, Malay cannons, Japanese guns, British coastal artillery guns and the classic British 25 Pounder Gun Howitzer.
Japanese Cemetery Park 22 Chuan Hoe Avenue. Tickets: Free. Open: Daily 8am-7pm. Tel: 6468 0066, www.visitsingapore.com/WWII/sites.htm
Founded in 1891, by Tagajiro Fukaki, a Japanese entrepreneur and brothel owner, the Japanese Cemetery Park was initially created as a burial ground for Singapore's early Japanese community. During World War II, many of the Japanese who died in battle or from illness joined the civilians and destitute women buried here. Surrounded by private residences, it remains a tranquil place for reflection and is maintained by the Japanese embassy and Association, as well as private benefactors.
In Memoriam
ANZAC Day Dawn Service Sat April 25, 6:15am Commemorate the 94th anniversary of the 1915 landing at Gallipoli and pay tribute to those who served their nations. Kranji War Memorial Cemetery, 9 Woodlands Road. Tel: 6839 3112, www.nzembassy.com, Email: nzdasing@pacific.net.sg
Remembrance Day Nov 11, 11am It was at the eleventh hour on November 11, 1918 that World War I came to an end. On this day, all nationalities are invited to purchase a red poppy and hold a two-minute silence, to remember soldiers who sacrificed their lives in both World Wars. www.mindef.gov.sg
Memorial Day May 25, 2009 Observed on the last Monday of every May, Memorial (Decoration) Day is when the American community pauses to commemorate fellow countrymen who have died in military service.
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Posted Apr 09
