a heritage trail CONTENTS.

» northwest » city 01 Sarimbun Beach Landing ______p.3 27 Sook Ching Screening Centre 02 Lim Chu Kang Landing Site ______p.3 (Hong Lim Complex) ______p.23 03 Ama Keng Village ______p.4 28 Fort Canning Command Centre ___p.24 04 Tengah Airfield ______p.4 29 The Cathay ______p.25 05 Jurong-Kranji Defence Line ______p.5 30 Kempeitai Headquarters 06 Kranji Beach Battle ______p.6 (YMCA) ______p.26 07 Causeway ______p.7 31 Raffles Library & Museum 08 Kranji War Cemetery ______p.8 (National Museum of Singapore) __p.27 32 Former St. Joseph’s Institution (Singapore Art Museum) ______p.28 » northeast 33 Padang ______p.29 09 The Singapore Naval Base ______p.9 34 Municipal Building (City Hall) _____p.29 10 Sembawang Airfield ______p.11 35 St. Andrew’s Cathedral ______p.29 11 Seletar Airfield______p.11 36 Lim Bo Seng Memorial ______p.30 12 Punggol Beach Massacre Site _____p.12 37 Cenotaph ______p.30 13 Japanese Cemetery Park ______p.12 38 Indian National Army Monument _p.30 39 Civilian War Memorial ______p.31 40 Singapore Volunteer Corps » central Headquarters (Beach Road Camp) p.32 14 Battle for Bukit Timah ______p.13 41 Kallang Airfield ______p.32 15 Ford Factory (Memories at Old Ford Factory) ___p.14 16 Bukit Batok Memorial ______p.15 » east 17 Force 136 & 42. The Changi Museum ______p.35 Grave of Lim Bo Seng ______p.16 43. Changi Prison ______p.35 44. Johore Battery ______p.36 45. India Barracks ______p.37 » south 46. Selarang Barracks ______p.37 18 Pasir Panjang Pillbox ______p.17 47. Robert Barracks ______p.37 19 Kent Ridge Park ______p.17 48. Kitchener Barracks ______p.39 20 Reflections at Bukit Chandu ______p.18 49. Changi Beach Massacre Site ______p.39 21 Alexandra Military Hospital ______p.19 50. Pulau Ubin ______p.39 22 Labrador Battery ______p.20 23 Siloso Battery 24 Sentosa Beach Massacre ______p.20 Credits ______p.40 24 Sentosa Beach Massacre ______p.21 25 Keppel Harbour ______p.21 Map ______p.41 26 Rimau Commandos’ Execution Site ______p.22

cover image: Sarimbun Beach Landing: A party of Japanese troops land on Singapore. © MAINICHI SHIMBUN. Brewster Buffalos, 453 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Sembawang Airfield. © IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM. www.nhb.gov.sg

NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED, STORED IN A RETRIEVAL SYSTEM, OR TRANSMITTED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS, ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL, PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING OR OTHERWISE, WITHOUT THE PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER. FOR ALL COPYRIGHT MATTERS, PLEASE CONTACT THE NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD. EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS BROCHURE IS ACCURATE AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION. NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD SHALL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, LOSS, INJURY OR INCONVENIENCE ARISING IN CONNECTION WITH THE CONTENTS OF THIS BROCHURE. REPUBLISHED BY NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD IN JANUARY 2013. INTRODUCTION The Second World War came to Malaya and Singapore on 8 December 1941, more than two years after it broke out in Europe. After the Fall of Singapore on 15 February 1942, the island was renamed Syonan-To (Light of the South) and it spent the next 3 years and 7 months under the Japanese Occupation (1942–45). The war ended in the Asia-Pacific with the signing of the Instru- ment of Surrender in Singapore on 12 September 1945.

As part of the efforts to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, the National Heritage Board has launched a new World War II Trail. This brochure contains information about the historic sites and events associated with the Battle for Singapore and the Japanese Occupation. The brochure identifies 50 war sites all over the island. These sites are also shown in an islandwide map at the end of the brochure. The sites are further sub-divided into six regions with accompanying maps. Each site marks either a battle area, such as the invasion sites at Sarimbun beach, or commemo- rates a significant event during the Occupation, such as the Sook Ching massacre sites.

There are permanent plaques emplaced at 20 of the 50 sites. These plaques were installed by National Heritage Board to mark the significance of the sites in relation to the war. Fourteen of the plaques were unveiled in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war while the remaining six plaques were unveiled in February 2012 as part of a series of national events marking the 70th anniversary of the Fall of Singapore.

The sites in the brochure are organised into six regions with the following themes: › Efik_n\jk1@emXj`feXe[k_\=`ijk9Xkkc\j › Efik_\Xjk1K_\;\]\eZ\JkiXk\^pXe[`kj:fej\hl\eZ\j › :\ekiXc19Xkkc\]fik_\?\Xikf]J`e^Xgfi\ › Jflk_1=`eXc9Xkkc\jXe[k_\:fej\hl\eZ\j › :`kp1I\d\dY\i`e^k_\FZZlgXk`feP\Xij › lejf]J`e^Xgfi\Xe[:Xgk`m`kp

The information, while interesting, has been kept succinct. It is intended purely as an introductory guide highlighting significant war sites. We hope the brochure will be a useful guide as you explore these World War II sites on an island once feted as an “impregnable fortress”.

Top image: The Koneo Imperial Guards Division of the Japanese army under lieutenant-general Nishimura crossing the Johor Causeway into Singapore after completing repairs. © National Archives of Singapore 02

SARIMBUN BEACH LANDING: A party of Japanese troops land on Singapore. (February 1942) © Mainichi Shimbun

» northwest INVASION AND K?<=@IJK98KKC

=@IJK:FEK8:K¿8E;CFJJJanuary 1942. his troops would face less difficulties if they The retreating units were deployed along the invaded through this sector. entire coastline of Singapore in an all-round The Japanese 5th Division was to land at the perimeter defence of the island. Lim Chu Kang sector while the 18th Division Lieutenant-General (LG) Arthur Percival, was to attack further west (beyond Pulau General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Sarimbun). Malaya Command, was insistent that the Japa- The Japanese Imperial Guards Division was nese would invade Singapore from the east. to advance on the Causeway sector. Thus, his defence strategy allocated a bigger The Australian 8th Division, comprising the concentration of troops to eastern Singapore, 22nd and 27th Brigades, was the main force while the western half was assigned relatively defending this whole area. fewer troops. Northwestern Singapore therefore became Japanese field intelligence just before the the initial battleground between the Allied invasion revealed the lack of depth in the Army and the Japanese in the battle for Singa- defences of northwestern Singapore. This, pore. 03

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The planned Ama Keng-Sungei Berih defence line, February 1942

J8I@D9LE9<8:?C8E;@E>›N8IJ@K< C@D:?LB8E>C8E;@E>J@K<›N8IJ@K< The 22nd Australian Brigade had to cover the The Japanese 5th Division, an experienced coastline from Sungei Kranji to Sungei Berih. amphibious unit, was tasked to capture the Lim The brigade’s three battalions (2/18th, 2/19th Chu Kang roadhead in the invasion of Singa- and 2/20th) did not have sufficient troops to pore. This area was defended by the Australian defend this broad sector in depth and found 22nd Brigade. themselves overstretched. The gaps in their The Japanese prepared for the invasion of defences were to prove fatal during the inva- the sector by launching a massive 15-hour artil- sion. lery barrage of Singapore’s northwestern area. On the night of 8 February 1942 at around This resulted in significant damage to the 10:30pm, the Japanese launched their invasion defenders’ communication lines to the artillery from concealed positions up the Skudai and and searchlight units. Melayu Rivers of Johore. Under the cover of The Australians managed to cause heavy darkness and using assault boats and barges, damage to the first wave of Japanese troops the 5th Division crossed the Straits of Johore. who crossed on 8 February 1942. They sank They landed on the coastline between Lim Chu several barges. However, defence efforts by Kang Road and Sarimbun Beach. the Australians were hampered as communi- As the Australian artillery and searchlight cation lines were damaged. Japanese forces units failed to react, only the first wave of the enjoyed a seven to one numerical advantage invasion was repelled. against the Australians and the sheer numbers However, the numerical superiority of the eventually overwhelmed the defenders. Japanese forces soon overwhelmed the Despite being overstretched and outnumbered, Australians. the Australian Brigade fought valiantly and Within two hours of the attack, the suffered their highest number of casualties in Australian forces were either wiped out on the the entire Malayan Campaign. beaches or retreating to new defence lines. After they penetrated the Australian 04

defences, the Japanese headed down Lim Chu Kang Road to capture Tengah Airfield, their first objective. The advance of the Japanese was so rapid that LG Yamashita was able to come ashore at Lim Chu Kang Road before sunrise on 10 February 1942.

8D8BM@CC8><›N8IJ@K< Ama Keng Village was just north of the 22nd Australian Brigade headquarters. The Brigade’s commander, Brigadier Harold Taylor, was dissatisfied with the long coastline his unit had to defend. He was forced to deploy all his battalions and had none in reserve. Anticipating Japanese success along the coast- line, Taylor planned for an organised retreat to a new defence line stretching from Ama Keng Village to Sungei Berih. This would have been only four kilometres long, making defence of the northwest more tenable. However, the speed of the Japanese advance shattered this plan. Rapid Japanese infiltration and high Australian losses on the coast made it impossible to have an orderly movement to the Ama Keng defence line. In addition, damaged communication lines made it difficult for Taylor to organise his frontline troops. Instead, he was forced to order an immediate retreat to Tengah Airfield.

K8?8@I=@Thailand in the early morning of 8 December 1941. These bombings intensified from 29 December onwards and the air cover over Singapore was inadequate to provide (Top): View of Lim Chu Kang landing Site. much protection. The airfield also lost its (Above): Bristol Blenheims, 62 Squadron RAF, flying in Station Commander, Group Captain Watts, formation over Tengah Airfield. who committed suicide near the end of January due to the stresses of the campaign. Tengah Airfield was LG Yamashita’s first prevented the defenders from regrouping main objective in the invasion of Singapore. He effectively once the Japanese broke through wanted to capture it within 12 hours of landing, the thinly held coastal lines, and Tengah was but this was delayed by the dogged resistance eventually captured on the afternoon of 9 of the Australian 22nd Brigade. Lack of February. Thereafter, the Japanese were able numbers, exacerbated by the inefficiencies to move their main forces, including their tanks and poor strategies of higher command, from Johore, down Lim Chu Kang Road. 05

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ALIFE>$BI8EA@;<=Serangoon Line, which stretched from the Serangoon River to the southeast coast. © Imperial War Museum War © Imperial However, there was a lack of preparation of the Jurong-Kranji Line, and the large area to be covered meant that troops had to be spread out very thinly along the Defence Line. Miscommunication and uncoordinated initi- atives at the senior commanding level on 10 February 1942 made the problems worse. Brig- adier Taylor of the 22nd Australian Brigade misinterpreted instructions and prematurely withdrew his units from the Line back to the Yamashita then directed the rest of the inva- last-ditch defensive perimeter around the city. sion from his new headquarters at Tengah. This set off other withdrawals along the Line, During the Occupation, the Japanese built a leaving the position largely undefended against new runway at Tengah Airfield. After the war, the advancing Japanese. the Royal Air Force (RAF) returned and oper- By the afternoon, the Line was in Japanese ated the airfield until its handover to Singapore hands. This forced the withdrawal of all allied authorities in 1971. forces in the North and East to the city perimeter. 06

after the loss of malaya BI8EA@9<8:?98KKC<›N8IJ@K< The Australian 22nd Brigade sector included a to the japanese, the causeway local unit, Dalforce, which defended the became a critical part of the western bank of the mouth of Sungei Kranji. singapore’s northern defences. The eastern bank of the river was defended by the 2/26th Battalion of the Australian 27th the last allied military unit, Brigade. the argylls and sutherland On the night of 9 February 1942, the Japa- highlanders, withdrew across nese Imperial Guards Division crossed the Johore Straits and attempted to infiltrate the it on 31 january 1942. indian 2/26th position. They encountered stiff resist- sappers then set charges and ance which impeded their advancement. Oil blew a 70-foot gap in the from petrol tanks located near Sungei Mandai Kechil was released and set alight. The blazing causeway in an attempt to inferno spilled into the Straits and Kranji coast- slow the japanese advance line, causing further casualties to the invading towards singapore. forces. Panicking at the heavy losses, LG Nishimura, the Commanding Officer of the Guards, wanted to withdraw his troops. However, due to an inexplicable decision by the Australian 27th Brigade commander to with- draw his troops from the coast, the Japanese were eventually able to establish a beachhead from Kranji to the Causeway.

Mouth of Sungei Kranji after it was dammed with the Johore Straits to the left of the photo. The arrow shows the Kranji coastline on the eastern bank of Sungei Kranji where the Imperial Guards Division landed. 07

;8C=FI:< the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, with- Dalforce was named after its chief instructor drew across it on 31 January 1942. Indian and commander, Lieutenant Colonel John sappers then set charges and blew a 70-foot Dalley of the Federated Malay States Police gap in the Causeway in an attempt to slow the Force. It was formed due to the severe man- Japanese advance towards Singapore. power shortage faced by the British military. The 27th Australian Brigade (comprising the Dalforce was made up of a total of 4,000 2/26th, 2/29th and 2/30th Battalions) was Chinese volunteers who came from all walks of tasked to defend the 4-km stretch of land life. Many Chinese organisations were repre- between Sungei Kranji and the Causeway. The sented, including the Malayan Communist 2/26th and 2/30th Battalions were deployed Party and the Kuomintang, all united by their along the coast. This was therefore a strong common anti-Japanese sentiments. position that overlooked the Causeway, Dalforce volunteers were put through a allowing for good fields of fire for anti-tank crash course and equipped with weapons not guns and machine guns. The 2/29th was held suitable for warfare, such as shotguns. Those in reserve. with experience in firearms were given proper On the night of 9 February 1942, the Japa- rifles but with limited ammunition, as little as nese Imperial Guards Division crossed the 3 bullets each. It was not intended to be a Straits to attack the Causeway sector. The fighting force, and members were meant to Australians put up a good fight and were able serve as sentries tasked with keeping military to repel the initial units informed of the Japanese progress. wave. As the Japanese troops advanced, Dalforce Unfortunately for the valiant defenders, their was forced to go to battle. They fought so commander, Brigadier Maxwell, had made bravely that they became known as “Dalley’s prior decisions to fall back. Unsettled by the Desperadoes”. Despite their resolve, they Japanese attacks on the northwestern coast suffered heavy casualties in fighting. They and fearing for his flanks, Maxwell ordered a were especially disadvantaged because of their unilateral withdrawal of the 27th Brigade. His inadequate training and weapons. actions compromised the defence of the Dalforce members who survived later joined Causeway and the northern coast irrevocably. the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese Army With the defence of the Causeway aban- (MPAJA) which carried out guerrilla activities doned, the Japanese managed to repair the against the Japanese during the Occupation. breach and more troops and equipment entered Singapore. By the close of 10 February :8LJMalay Peninsula. sion (CWGC). As it was difficult to maintain After the loss of Malaya to the Japanese, the war graves in various locations, Kranji became Causeway became a critical part of Singapore’s the consolidated cemetery for all Common- northern defences. The last Allied military unit, wealth war dead in Singapore from World War II. 08

Graves were transferred from areas such as Consultants History Singapore Buona Vista POW Camp, the Changi Camp and the Bidadari Christian Cemetery. Transfers were also made from overseas sites such as the Saigon Military Cemetery. Kranji War Cemetery was officially opened on 2 March 1957, with officials from Singapore, Britain and other Commonwealth countries in attendance. The cemetery contains almost 4,500 burials that are marked by headstones. The Singapore Memorial is also located within the cemetery and has the names of around 24,000 missing personnel inscribed on its walls. These are the war dead with no known graves. Significant locals who fought in the war are also commemorated. One such person is 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Saidi, the courageous Malay Regiment officer who was killed at Bukit Chandu. Also commemorated is Sim Chin Foo, a member of Dalforce, a Chinese volunteer battalion formed in 1941. Sim was caught by the Kempeitai after the Battle at Bukit Timah Present-day Kranji War Cemetery. (Below): Kranji War and tortured to death. Cemetery in 1949. His story came to light when his wife, also a Dalforce volunteer, wailed inconsolably at the cemetery’s opening in 1957. Her name was rials for Commonwealth war dead all over the Cheng Seang Ho and she is known today as the world. Major commemorative ceremonies that ‘Granny Who Went to War’ as she was 66 are held annually at Kranji War Cemetery years old in 1942. today include Remembrance Sunday, which Other memorials that stand within the takes place on the Sunday closest to Remem- cemetery include the Singapore Cremation brance Day (11 November), and ANZAC Day Memorial - commemorating those who were (25 April). cremated due to religious beliefs - and the Singapore Civil Hospital Grave Memorial at its eastern end. This commemorates more than Singapore of Archives National 400 servicemen and civilians who died at the hospital. They had been buried in a mass grave on the hospital grounds that had been previ- ously dug out to serve as an emergency water tank. The cemetery is still maintained by the CWGC. Founded during World War One, it maintains numerous cemeteries and memo- 09

» northeast K?<;<=P AND ITS CONSEQUENCES © Imperial War Museum War © Imperial

HMS Prince of Wales in Singapore in December 1941.

K?<=C8N<;GC8E This meant that no major fleet would After the First World War, Japan became a be stationed in Singapore during peacetime. major military player and was demonstrating Therefore, if the enemy attacked, the defend- an aggressive expansionist policy. Britain saw ers of Singapore had to hold out until the main this as a serious threat to its empire in the Asia- fleet arrived, which could be anything between Pacific. However, due to economic reasons, six weeks to several months. This requirement Britain could not maintain a massive battle grew to dominate all aspects of defence plan- fleet in the region. ning and decision-making in Singapore and The British came to a strategic compromise: Malaya throughout the 1920s and 1930s, up till the Royal Navy’s main fleet would remain in the outbreak of war in 1941. the Atlantic, but swing to the Asia-Pacific in the event of a threat to British interests. This K?<J@E>8GFI<E8M8C98J<›N8IJ@K< required the building of a first-class naval base Construction of the Singapore Naval Base somewhere in the region to house the fleet started in 1928 and was a massive project, when it arrived. As a result, a huge naval base involving reclamation works and the building was built at Sembawang in Singapore. This was of docks, an armaments depot, wharfs, work- called the Singapore Strategy. shops and storehouses. It cost £60 million and 10 © Imperial War Museum War © Imperial

Brewster Buffalos, 453 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), Sembawang Airfield.

was officially opened on 14 February 1938. stroyed to prevent the Japanese from using it. Its presence led to Singapore being referred After the war, the Base was rebuilt and to as the “Gibraltar of the East”, an “impreg- became the Royal Navy’s Far East headquar- nable fortress” protected by the might of the ters once again in the 1950s. Today, it is partly Royal Navy. a commercial shipyard (Sembawang Shipyard), However, the Singapore Naval Base never as well as a naval facility for foreign vessels that hosted the main fleet as it was needed more call there for diplomatic visits, military exer- urgently in other theatres of war. Just before cises, and repairs. the Japanese invasion, the Base only received the much smaller Force Z, comprising the K?<9IFBcruiser HMS Repulse and a few destroyers. operates the most advanced variant of the F15 It arrived in Singapore on 2 December 1941 Strike Eagle and is deemed by some as the amidst much fanfare and local media reported most formidable air force in the region today. that it would easily derail Japanese ambitions. Such achievements stem from the painful This was not to be the case. Force Z left Singa- lessons drawn during the Fall of Singapore. pore on 8 December 1941 to attack the Japa- It was estimated that 336 modern front-line nese landing forces off the coast of Thailand, aircraft were needed to defend Singapore and but the Prince of Wales and the Repulse never Malaya against a Japanese invasion. However, returned. The pair was sunk off the coast of by December 1941, the Royal Air Force (RAF) Kuantan on 10 December 1941 after being could only muster 181 serviceable front-line attacked by 85 Japanese aircraft. This marked aircraft. the failure of the Singapore Strategy. Parts of these meagre resources were sta- Later in the invasion, the oil dumps at the tioned at 3 military airfields (Tengah, Sem- Naval Base were set ablaze by Japanese bawang and Seletar) and the civilian airport at bombing. The Base was then partially de- Kallang. 11

J8@I=@D8JJ8:I< Maintenance and Supply Unit who were tasked During the Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s, to restore the Seletar Airfield. many Chinese in Malaya and Singapore Today, Sembawang is home to the RSAF’s supported the war effort in China. They either helicopter squadrons. volunteered to fight the Japanese or they raised funds through campaigns such as the JSoutheast Asia. works that spanned Southeast Asia and this It also had seaplane facilities and it was a presented a threat to the Japanese. Therefore, Catalina Flying Boat of the 205 Squadron Operation Sook Ching was carried out by the based at Seletar that tracked the Japanese Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) to screen convoy in the South China Sea on its way to and eliminate anti-Japanese elements in Singa- Malaya on 7 December 1941. It was shot down pore during the Occupation. On 18 February before it could file a report, becoming the first 1942, all Chinese males between 18 and 50 casualty of the Pacific War. At the onset of the years old were ordered to report to registration war, Seletar operated three squadrons centres set up around Singapore. Thousands comprising Vildebeeste biplanes and Catalinas. of Chinese civilians who turned up were un- In January 1942, Seletar was hit by five heavy aware of their impending fates. Many even bombing raids and in February, it endured daily thought they were being enlisted for jobs. The raids. On 26 January, fighters and bombers uncertainty of the situation was made worse from Sembawang and Seletar carried out a raid by the indiscriminate and arbitrary selection on a Japanese troop convoy heading towards criteria the Kempeitai adopted in seeking out Endau in Johore. They failed to stop the Japa- anti-Japanese conspirators. nese landing there and wound up suffering Those who failed the screening process heavy losses instead. became victims of horrifying massacres at Almost all RAF personnel were pulled out of various sites around Singapore. While Japa- Singapore by 11 February and the Japanese nese estimates numbered the victims at about took control of the Seletar airfield on 14 6,000, local estimates believe the civilian February. death toll for this operation could have been as When the tide of battle turned later in the high as 50,000. In the midst of these atrocities, war, the Allies started to hit back. In October Mamoru Shinozaki stood out. He was a Japa- 1944, American B-29 Bombers attacked nese civilian administrator who used his posi- Seletar. tion and influence to save more than 2,000 The airfield was returned to the British Chinese civilians during Sook Ching. By lever- afterthe war. In 1968, it was handed over to the aging on his official position and liberties, Department of Civil Aviation. Today, various Shinozaki managed to release many from flight schools operate from Seletar. Kempeitai prisons and registration centres. 12

GLE>>FC9<8:? Altogether, the Japanese Cemetery Park has D8JJ8:I<J@K<›N8IJ@K< about 1,000 graves, mostly from the pre-war This area is known to be one of three main sites years. It also has the ashes of thousands of in Singapore where the Sook Ching massacres Japanese soldiers, marines and airmen who took place. The killings were done on a large died during the invasion of Malaya in 1941-42. scale and the victims who perished were These remains were mainly from the Syonan hastily discarded either into the seas or left Chureito at Bukit Batok, and were transferred abandoned on the foreshore. The remains of when that memorial was destroyed by the some victims were discovered by beachgoers Japanese before the British returned at the end and fishermen. In March 1977, a man found a of the war. Also located within the cemetery skull while he was digging a hole in the sand. In are the remains of 135 Japanese war criminals December 1997, a beachgoer’s attention was who were executed at Changi Prison. caught as a gold tooth belonging to a victim’s One of the most noteworthy ‘occupants’ of skull glistened in the sun near the shore. the Cemetery Park is Field Marshal Count Hisaichi Terauchi, Supreme Commander of A8G8EYio Chu Kang is located in the midst right of the Park. Due to ill health, he was of a quiet private residential estate, landscaped unable to surrender personally to Lord Louis with lush greenery in a serene environment. At Mountbatten and failed to attend the 29,359 square metres, it is the largest Japa- surrender ceremony which took place on 12 nese cemetery in Southeast Asia. September 1945 in the Municipal Building It was founded in 1891 by Tagajiro Futaki, a (later renamed the City Hall). He died in Johore plantation owner and philanthropist, to house Bahru in early 1946 while he was under house the graves of the karayuki-san. These were arrest pending war-crimes investigations and Japanese women brought here for prostitution some of his ashes were subsequently interred and were some of the first Japanese to arrive in in the Park. Singapore starting from 1871. The cemetery This Cemetery Park served as a burial began as a burial ground for these young ground until 1947 and it was designated as a Japanese women who died destitute and memorial park in 1987, with the Japanese subsequently also became a resting ground Association of Singapore overseeing its up- for other members of Singapore’s early Japa- keep. It now serves as an important legacy of nese community. the history of the Japanese in Singapore. Singapore History Consultants History Singapore

Grave of Terauchi, Supreme Commander of Japanese Expeditionary Forces, at the Japanese Cemetery Park 13

» central 98KKC<=FI K?<?<8IK OF SINGAPORE National Archives of Singapore of Archives National

"Ford" Works - "Ford" Motor Works Factory

8;M8E:<KFK?<:Bukit Timah Hill was lery support and constant attacks by Japanese crucial high ground that could grant the Japa- low-flying aircraft, the brigade fought stoutly nese a military advantage. and destroyed a few tanks. However, the Japa- nese troops eventually overwhelmed the 98KKC<=FI9LB@KK@D8?›N8IJ@K< Allied forces. Forced to abandon the counter- At dusk on 10 February 1942, the Japanese attack, the Allied troops withdrew to the Race- launched simultaneous attacks towards Bukit course at night. Timah. The 5th Division advanced from Choa This withdrawal allowed the Japanese troops Chu Kang Road while the 18th Division ad- and tanks to advance down Bukit Panjang junc- vanced from Jurong Road. On the same day, LG tion towards Bukit Timah Village. By midnight Percival launched a counter-attack, led by the of 10 February 1942, the Japanese had cap- 14

tured the village. The next target was Bukit Yamashita demanded unconditional surrender, Timah Hill and Japanese troops wasted no time failing which he threatened an immediate night advancing towards it. On 11 February 1942, attack. At this point, Percival capitulated and Bukit Timah Hill was taken. at 6.10 pm signed the surrender document. Allied counter attacks were crushed by Japa- This unconditional surrender was the largest nese tanks, guns, mortars and powerful air capitulation of British forces in their military support. The Allied troops were forced to with- history. draw again and the whole of Bukit Timah was After just seven days of fighting, Singapore now firmly under Japanese hands. had fallen. This marked the beginning of the That very day (11 February 1942), Yamashita Japanese Occupation that lasted for 3 years invited the British to surrender but LG Percival and 7 months. chose to ignore it. Instead, he withdrew his During the Occupation years, the Japanese forces to a new 28-mile long perimeter line used the Ford Factory to manufacture motor enclosing the outer limits of the town area, vehicles for the Japanese army. setting the stage for the desperate final battle After the war, Ford Motor Works reused the for Singapore. factory until 1980. The Hong Leong Group later purchased the land to build a condominium. =FI;=8:KFIP DTanjong Pagar. During the war, the factory played a key role 9LB@K98KFBD

straits of johore causeway Map of Bukit Timah

woodlands road sungei kranji

mandai road

bukit mandai seletar reservoir

choa chu kang road peirce bukit reservoir panjang

bukit jurong gombak road bukit bukit timah batok

sungei jurong bukit timah road

Map of Bukit Timah

and the ‘liberation’ of Southeast Asia. The cross. Returning British forces blew up the Japanese monument was unveiled first, fol- concrete foundation. lowed by the unveiling of the British monument The ashes of the Japanese soldiers were by a British commander with a speech thanking subsequently transferred to the Japanese the Japanese army. On the night of the Cemetery Park at Chuan Hoe Avenue. unveiling, a special ceremony was held where Today, a television transmission tower occu- the ashes of the Japanese dead were brought pies the site where the memorials used to up the torch-lit stairs leading to the monu- stand. ments and placed at the Syonan Chureito. All that remains is the flight of steps that led With the surrender of Japan, local Japanese to the memorials. forces destroyed the Chureito and removed the 16 Tham Sien Yen, National Archives of Singapore of Archives National Yen, Sien Tham

Force 136 member Lim Bo Seng’s funeral service at Macritchie Reservoir. Mrs Lim Bo Seng (Nee Gan Choo Neo) can be seen on the far right in black. Pall bearers include Force 136 members Tan Chong Tee (with back to the camera) and Tham Sien Yen on his right. Yi Tian Song can be seen carefully laying the coffin down.

=FI:<(*->I8M<F= Beacon. C@D9FJ›N8IJ@K< Some of the Force 136 agents involved in the Force 136 was a clandestine military unit that insertions into Malaya later became the existed from 1941 to 1946. It gathered intelli- pioneers of the post-war Malayan Armed gence and conducted operations behind Forces. enemy lines in Malaya during the Japanese SOE established its training school, 101 Occupation. Special Training School (101 STS), for its agents The unit was part of the Special Operations at Tanjong Balai, near the mouth of the Jurong Executive (SOE). The SOE was formed in River. It trained local Malayans – Indians, Chi- Britain in July 1940 to organise sabotage nese and Malays – in sabotage, small arms, missions behind enemy lines in Europe. The explosives, spreading anti-Japanese propa- SOE formed a Malaya Country Section in India ganda, etc. and this was renamed ‘Force 136’ in 1944. A number of the Chinese agents were Eventually headquartered in Kandy, Ceylon Communists who had been incarcerated (Sri Lanka), Force 136 was further organised earlier by the British. After the fall of Singapore, into three Groups to conduct covert operations these men went on to form a guerrilla force in different parts of Asia. Group A took charge called the Malayan People’s Anti-Japanese of Burma and French Indo-China. Group B Army. oversaw Malaya and the East Indies. And Group C was responsible for China. C@D9FJ Force 136 recruited both local Chinese and One of the operatives from Singapore who Malays, who had escaped to China and India, trained in India was Lim Bo Seng. He later led as agents. Their local knowledge was critical as the Gustavus V Operation in October 1943. He covert operatives in Malaya. was betrayed and captured by the Japanese Force 136 teams infiltrated Japanese- occu- and died in captivity at Batu Gajah Prison in pied Malayainitially by sea, aided by Dutch and Perak in 1944. British submarines. These operations were After the war, his remains were brought back codenamed Gustavus. to Singapore. Hailed as a war hero, a special Airborne infiltrations followed later and funeral service was conducted on the steps of these had various codenames such as Op- the Municipal Building. He was then laid to rest erations Carpenter, Oatmeal, Hebrides and at MacRitchie Reservoir. 17

» south =@E8C98KKC

Pasir Panjang Pillbox

JFLK?8GFI< positioned at strategic intervals so that their The southern sector held key installations, fields of fire would overlap, thereby reinforcing such as ammunition depots and the British each other and covering almost the entire Military Hospital (today’s Alexandra Hospital). coast. Land mines and barbed wire accompa- It also included Pasir Panjang Ridge which was nied the pillbox defences. aligned to roads leading to the city. The Pasir Panjang pillbox lies within the area After the fall of Malaya, LG PercivaI estab- that was defended by the Malay Regiment. lished an all-round perimeter defence plan for They may have used it in their fierce resistance Singapore. against the Japanese 18th Division in February The southern sector was assigned to local 1942. military units, such as the Malay Regiment and the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force. B<G8IB›N8IJ@K< Kent Ridge Park is part of what was formerly G8J@IG8EA8E>G@CC9FO›N8IJ@K< known as Pasir Panjang Ridge. The southern sector was one of the most Fighting broke out in Pasir Panjang as the heavily fortified areas of Singapore. Japanese 18th Division attempted to advance Concrete pillboxes were built along the towards the city via Reformatory Road (today’s southern coastline as part of the defence of the Clementi Road), Ayer Rajah Road and Pasir island. Equipped with machine guns, they were Panjang Road. 18

The Malay Regiment was deployed on Pasir I<=C<:K@FEJ8K9LB@K:?8E;L›N8IJ@K< Panjang Ridge, which overlooks these key Located in a restored colonial bungalow, roads. Reflections at Bukit Chandu is a World War II The intent was to deny the enemy the use Interpretative Centre that commemorates of these roads. The ensuing Battle of Pasir and celebrates the history and spirit of the Panjang Ridge witnessed some of the most Malay Regiment, and its defence of Pasir ferocious fighting in Singapore. Panjang Ridge. The Japanese had numerical superiority in In particular, Reflections pays homage to the both troops and weapons. However, in the heroism of ‘C’ Company, 1st Battalion in their face of a determined, well-trained and highly battles against the Japanese at Bukit Chandu. disciplined Malay Regiment, the Japanese The story of 2nd Lieutenant Adnan Saidi is also faced strong resistance and suffered many highlighted. casualties. Adnan foiled Japanese attempts to disguise Under continuous pressure and facing a themselves as Punjabi troops and inspired his shortage of ammunition, this was one of the men to fight to the very end. Their courageous sectors that held out as all the other fronts defence of Bukit Chandu cost the Japanese were collapsing in the face of the relentless many lives. Japanese onslaught. The final assault on Bukit Chandu resulted in The Japanese attacked the ridge in full force desperate hand-to-hand fighting and only few on 13 February 1942. Assisted by continuous members of the regiment managed to escape. mortar and artillery fire and provided with air In the Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge, the and armour support, they managed to push Malay Regiment lost 159 men (6 British offi- back most of the Malay Regiment’s frontlines cers, 7 Malay officers and 146 other ranks) and on the ridge. One of the exceptions was ‘C’ suffered a large number of wounded. Company of the 1st Battalion. They defended LG Percival paid the Malay Regiment this Pasir Panjang ViIlage and engaged the Japa- stirring tribute: “These young and untried nese stubbornly. soldiers acquitted themselves in a way which The battered but resilient company eventu- bore comparison with the very best troops in ally withdrew to a new defence position near Malaya”, setting “an example for steadfastness the eastern edge of the ridge. The new position and endurance which will become a great was on a low hill called Bukit Chandu (Malay tradition in the Regiment and an inspiration for for ‘Opium Hill’), named in reference to the future generations”. nearby Government Opium Factory.

Map of Pasir Panjang Ridge 19 Singapore History Consultants History Singapore

Reflections at Bukit Chandu

as a hospital, the Japanese troops engaged on a murderous rampage. They claimed that Allied troops had earlier fired at them from the hospital area. The Japanese soldiers rushed into the wards and bayoneted about 50 unarmed patients and medical personnel. They even broke into an operating theatre and killed everyone, includ- ing the patient undergoing surgery. Some of those attacked escaped by pretending to be dead. After the initial rampage, some 200 patients and staff were then locked up overnight in the Painting of the Malay Regiment by Hoessein Enas nearby servants’ quarters. They were deprived at Reflections of Bukit Chandu of food and water and many men died that night. The survivors were brought out and shot the next day. Only a few managed to escape to 8CK?<98KKC< tinued to use Alexandra Military Hospital. It On 14 February 1942, after the Battle of Pasir was handed over to the Singapore government Panjang, Japanese troops swept down Alex- by the British forces when they pulled out from andra Road and were at the gates of the Mili- Singapore on 15 September 1971, and it was tary Hospital. This medical facility was over- renamed Alexandra Hospital. crowded, with almost twice as many patients Today, the architecture of Alexandra as beds. Hospital evokes a sense of its rich history and Ignoring the fact that it was clearly marked heritage. 20

Modern photo of remake of Siloso six inch guns.

Plaques installed in the garden (in front of Together with Siloso Battery, it sank a Japa- the main entrance) commemorate the infa- nese ammunition vessel travelling west on 12 mous massacre and its unfortunate victims. February 1942. The next day, it fired on Japa- nese soldiers coming from West Coast Road K?<>LEJF=J@E>8GFI< and Jurong River, and also aided the Malay The Singapore Naval Base at Sembawang was Regiment in its heroic fight on Pasir Panjang protected against enemy attacks from the sea Ridge. The guns of the battery were later de- by 29 long-range coastal artillery guns. stroyed to deny their use by the Japanese. Comprising 6-inch, 9.2-inch and 15-inch guns, they were organised into two fire com- J@CFJF98KKPulau Bukom was under Faber Fire Command. It had a pair of and Pulau Sebarok even after the destruction 6-inch guns and was manned by gunners from of Labrador’s guns. the 7th Coast Artillery Regiment. This was a The guns destroyed the oil installations on multi-ethnic unit. Local Malays operated the Bukom as part of the policy to deny the Japa- searchlights, Indians operated the guns, and nese the use of these facilities. The fires that British artillery regulars served as the Non- ensued contributed to the pall of black smoke Commissioned Officers (NCOs) and officers. that hung over the war-torn island. The Indians and British were from the Hong Today, both Labrador and Siloso retain their Kong and Singapore Battalion, Royal Artillery military heritage, educating tourists and locals (HKSRA). alike on the guns of Singapore. 21 National Archives of Singapore of Archives National

Keppel Harbour Overlooking Pulau Brani in the late 1920 1942-45 (Australia: Sally Milner Publishing Pte Ltd, 2010), p.315 2010), Ltd, Pte Publishing Milner Sally (Australia: 1942-45 Raids Singapore The Secrets: Deadly Silver, Ramsay Lynette J

B

Calm before the Storm In the lead up to the Pacific War, the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse sailed into the harbour amidst much fanfare on 2 De- cember 1941 before making their way to the Naval Base at Sembawang in the north of Singapore. 22

The Japanese Invasion I@D8L:FDD8E;FJË During the invasion of Malaya, Keppel Harbour Operation Rimau. This was desperation for the island at war. Large num- a daring raid undertaken by 23 British and bers of soldiers arrived to bolster the defence Australian commandos from Z Special Unit. of Malaya and Singapore. This increased the The team was led by the newly-promoted Lieu- number of troops dramatically from 88,000 in tenant-Colonel Ivan Lyon, who had led the December 1941 to 137,000 in February 1942. earlier successful raid, Operation Jaywick, in One such group was the last section of the September 1943. British 18th Division which arrived on 29 The team left Australia for Singapore on 11 January 1942, shortly before the surrender. September 1944 on board the submarine HMS On the other hand, the harbour also wit- Porpoise. Sailing into heavily patrolled enemy nessed the desperate evacuation of thousands, waters, they commandeered a Malay prahu, particularly in the last few days of the Battle of Mustika, on 28 September 1944 and continued Singapore. Many of the ships were sunk while the rest of the journey posing as local sailors. escaping. The mission was aborted when the men were discovered by local auxiliary forces just Under Japanese Rule off Kasu Island near Batam on 10 October 1944. During the Japanese Occupation, Keppel Har- The commandos were forced to engage them. bour was the target of Operation Jaywick on 27 However, Lyon along with six other men con- September 1943, one of the most successful tinued with the mission to Keppel Harbour commando raids in the Second World War. on four submersible canoes. The seven men The raid was led by Major Ivan Lyon of the were successful in destroying three merchant Gordon Highlanders. The men from Jaywick vessels. sank 37,000 tonnes of Japanese shipping in However, over the next few days, the com- one night. mandos were hunted down by the Japanese. Jaywick’s success spawned the ill-fated Ten out of the 23 men were captured and trans- Operation Rimau in 1944 which sought to ferred back to Singapore. The remaining com- cause damage similar to the earlier operation. mandos were killed while attempting to escape Although three large merchant ships were sunk, back to Australia. it also resulted in the deaths of all the com- The captured commandos were imprisoned mandos involved, including Lyon and five at Outram Prison, infamous for its dire condi- others from Jaywick. tions and use of corporal punishment. The 10 men were put on trial on charges of Japanese Surrender irregular warfare and spying on 3 July 1945. All On 4 September 1945, HMS Sussex and the were sentenced to death. lead elements of the 5th Indian Division On 7 July 1945, they were driven to their became the first Allied forces to return to execution site from Outram Prison. They were Keppel Harbour after the defeat of Japan. to be executed by samurai sword. The young- Senior Japanese officials went onboard to est member was Lance Corporal Jon Hardy, coordinate the landing of Allied troops on the who was only 23 years old. These men faced docks and begin the reoccupation of Singapore. their deaths bravely, even refusing to be blind- folded. Today All 10 were buried nearby in three graves. While a section of Keppel Harbour remains In November 1945, their remains were ex- part of one of the world’s busiest ports, most humed and eventually transferred to Kranji of it has been transformed for recreational use. War Cemetery. Today, 17 of the 23 commandos are interred at the cemetery. The remains of the other six have never been found. 23

» city REMEMBERING K?<F::LG8K@FE P<8IJ

The Japanese Occupation in Singapore lasted JFFB:?@E>J:I<:C@D:FDGC

The Battle Box 24

instructed to discern 5 main categories of pri- ority suspects: those whose names were listed by military intelligence authorities as anti-Japa- nese suspects, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (SSVF) members, communists, agents of social unrest such as secret society members and looters, and those who pos- sessed arms. Hong Lim Complex stood at the epicentre of a large cordoned area where the Sook Ching screenings took place. Barbed wire stretched from South Bridge Road to New Bridge Road, and the peripheries of Elgin Bridge, North Bridge Road and Kreta Ayer were also bound by this enclosure. This was to ensure that anti- Japanese suspects could not escape. Those who “passed” the screenings were released while those who “failed” were loaded into trucks and transported to remote areas for execution.

=FIK:8EE@E> :FDD8E;:Fort Canning Hill. It included an office building that housed the headquarters, with barracks sited on the other side of the hill. An underground complex, also known as the Entrance to the Battle Box Battle Box or Fort Canning Bunker, was located

Singapore History Consultants History Singapore between both buildings. The Battle Box was a bomb-proof underground bunker. At the time of completion, the Fort Canning Command Centre was the largest military operations complex in Singapore. It served as the headquarters (HQ) of Malaya Command and had an area of responsibility that covered many regions including Singapore, Malaya, North Borneo and Hong Kong. Just before the outbreak of war, the HQ was shifted to Sime Road Camp where a unified command headquarters was established with the Royal Air Force.

The Battle LG Percival was forced to shift his command centre from Sime Road back to Fort Canning on 11 February 1942. This was because of the increased heavy machinegun fire near Sime Road Camp during the battle for Singapore. From the Battle Box at Fort Canning, Percival continued to plan military operations until the British surrender. 25 National Archives of Singapore of Archives National

A Photo of the Cathay Building during the Japanese Occupation

Decision for Surrender K?<:8K?8P›N8IJ@K< The decision to surrender in Singapore was The flagship Cathay cinema with 1,300 seats first made by the Allied commanders in the was housed in the Cathay Building on Handy Battle Box. They gathered at the Battle Box on Road. It was designed by architect Frank the morning of 15 February to re-assess their Brewer and inaugurated on 3 October 1939 by ability to withstand the Japanese. Surrender Loke Wan Tho. The 17-storey building was then seemed like the only option for Percival and his 79.5 metres in height, making it the first senior commanders in view of the depleting skyscraper in Singapore, and the tallest in supply of food, water and ammunition. Southeast Asia at that time. It used to house On the afternoon of 15 February, Percival and Singapore’s first air-conditioned cinema, lavish a delegation of senior officers left for the Ford apartments, a sophisticated restaurant and Motor Factory in Bukit Timah, HQ of LG a hotel. Yamashita. They signed the surrender docu- ment that marked the start of the Japanese N8IP<8IJ Occupation in Singapore. The Cathay also housed the British Malaya Broadcasting Corporation, from which it trans- Occupation mitted updates on the progress of the war. In The Japanese took over the Command Centre addition, the building’s ground floor was used converting it into the headquarters for Major- as a bomb shelter for nearby residents. General Saburo Kawamura. The underground Percival’s surrender deputation was first complex was largely abandoned with the required to fly a Japanese flag for 10 minutes possible exception of the signals room. on the Cathay Building to ensure safe passage to Ford Motor Factory. End of War The Indian Army’s 5th Division re-occupied the Occupation Years the Battle Box for the returning Allied forces. Despite being hit by an estimated 14 shells in Over time, the Battle Box was neglected and February 1942, the Cathay was subsequently forgotten. taken over by the Japanese. On 31 January 1992, the Battle Box was It housed the Japanese Broadcasting De- reopened to educate tourists and locals on the partment, the Japanese Military Propaganda events leading to the surrender of Singapore Department and the Japanese Military Infor- during World War II. mation Bureau. Syonan (Singapore) was subse- 26

quently declared the media centre for all During their imprisonment, they were newspapers in Syonan and Malai (Malaya). tortured by electric shock, beaten and starved. The cinema in The Cathay was renamed Elizabeth was imprisoned for 193 days, while Dai Toa Gekijo (Greater East Asian Theatre) Khun Heng was released only after the Japa- showcasing mainly Japanese movies and prop- nese surrender. During war crimes trials held aganda films. Chinese films were banned. after the war, many of the Kempeitai officers In addition, cinema-goers had to sit through defended their actions. They rationalised that propaganda clips showcasing Japan’s power they were compelled to carry out the orders of as well as newsreels of Japanese military their superiors, prompted by fear of the conse- forces in action and their victories in South- quences of failure, and did not hold personal east Asia. grudges or agendas against their victims. After the war ended, the fate of the YMCA South East Asia Command (SEAC) building became a subject of much discussion. With the Japanese surrender on 12 September The British wanted to demolish it and designate 1945, the building served as Admiral Lord Louis the open space as a memorial to those who had Mountbatten’s Southeast Asia Com-mand suffered under the Japanese. It was used for a (SEAC) headquarters in the postwar period. It while as a Forces Centre for the Salvation Army was returned to the Cathay Organisation in Services Welfare team from India. In November 1946. In February 2003, The Cathay December 1946, the YMCA reclaimed the was gazetted as a national monument. Exten- building and resumed operations there. In sive renovations headed by Paul Tange were 1981-82, they received approval and raised the completed in 2006 for the launch of the new required funds to have it demolished and to Cathay Cineplex and shopping mall. Today, a construct a new nine-storey building in its history gallery called The Cathay Gallery is place, which stands on the site today. located on the second floor of The Cathay. I8==C8GFI< ›N8IJ@K< PD:8 ›N8IJ@K< The National Museum of Singapore had its The Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police) was beginnings in 1849 as a small extension to the established in 1881 in Japan. It was responsible library reading room of the Singapore Institu- for maintaining internal security in occupied tion (later Raffles Institution) located at Beach Southeast Asia during World War II. Road. In Singapore, the Kempeitai came under the The museum started as a private collection jurisdiction of the Ministry of War and was with just two gold coins contributed by the headed by Lieutenant-Colonel Masayuki Oishi. Temenggong of Johore and later grew to house His headquarters was the Art Deco-styled a wide range of ethnographic and zoological former YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Asso- collections. ciation) building. Serving under him were 200 In 1887, the institution was officially estab- regular Kempeitai officers and 1,000 auxilia- lished under government management as the ries recruited from the army, deployed for Raffles Library and Museum at Stamford Road. operations in Singapore and Malaya. The Kempeitai were responsible for many of K?<N8IP<8IJ the atrocities during the Japanese Occupation After the fall of Singapore in 1942, Governor in Singapore and an unknown number of Shenton Thomas wrote a letter to the Japanese people died or suffered terribly at their hands. officials to propose the preservation of the The YMCA building was at the heart of much scientific collections of the museum. The offi- of this and came to be regarded with dread by cials were receptive to the idea as Emperor the general population. Among the numerous Hirohito had a personal regard for biological internees there were Elizabeth Choy and her studies and had called for the preservation of husband Choy Khun Heng. They were arrested museums, libraries and collections of scientific in October 1943 and accused of relaying interests in occupied lands. messages to Allied internees. Marquis Tokugawa, the advisor to the head 27 National Archives of Singapore of Archives National

Raffles statue unveiled in front of Victoria Memorial Hall in 1919 National Archives of Singapore of Archives National

Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Building

of the Japanese Military Administration in stood with the statue at Empress Place was Syonan (Singapore), became President of the destroyed while the bronze statue was kept in Gardens and Museum. Thus, the Raffles Mu- the newly-renamed Syonan Museum. seum and the Singapore Botanic Gardens were Although the Japanese forces had decided carefully managed and protected. British civi- to put away the statue to signify the liberation lian internees were even released to help main- of Asians from Western imperialism, the statue tain the gardens. The preservation work also was preserved in one piece whilst in storage. included the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles. The In 1946, the Raffles statue returned to its statue, sculpted by Thomas Woolner, was first previous site at Empress Place. After the war, unveiled in 1887 at the Padang to com-memo- the Raffles Museum regained its title and rate the Diamond Jubilee year of Queen was later renamed the National Museum Victoria. It was commissioned to preserve the of Singapore in 1969. The building was ga- memory of modern Singapore’s founder. Fol- zetted as a national monument in 1992. It lowing the surrender of Singapore in February was reopened in 2006 after an extensive 1942, the Japanese authorities ordered Indi- 3 year redevelopment. Today, it houses the an labourers to dislodge the statue from its 11 National Treasures of Singapore and fea- display compound in front of Victoria Memo- tures various historical and cultural exhibitions rial Hall. The Renaissance colonnade that once about Singapore. 28 Arshak C Galstaun, National Archives of Singapore of Archives National C Galstaun, Arshak

=FID8GFI<8IKDLJBras Basah Road. Six members of a French Catholic fellowship, the De La Salle Brothers, had founded the education institute to provide education opportunities for the poor. By 1922,

Australian War Memorial, National Archives of Singapore of Archives National Memorial, War Australian the number of students enrolled had grown to 1,600. As the war encroached on the island, all schools, including St Joseph’s Institution were closed down. Amidst the Japanese bombings of Singapore, the inner courtyard and a class- room at St Joseph’s Institution were hit. Although no casualties resulted from the blasts, the attacks did leave a noticeable crater in the school courtyard (still discernible until 1992). The Institution was later utilised by the Royal Army Medical Corps as a hospital to treat mili- (Top): St Joseph's Institution at Bras Basah Road, tary casualties. Classrooms were converted between Waterloo and Queen Streets. When it was opened in 1867, only the centre block was built; into wards while the Map Room was trans- the wings were added in 1900 by Father Charles formed into an operation theatre. In there, Benedict Nain who also designed the Chapel at soldiers who suffered life-threatening injuries Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ). Since 1995, it has been home to the Singapore Art Museum. had their arms and legs amputated just so they (Above): Lord Louis Mountbatten speaking at the could survive. Most survivors of the sunken Municipal Building after the Japanese surrender battleships, the HMS Prince of Wales and HMS (12 September 1945) Repulse, were wheeled in for treatment at St. Joseph’s Institution. Apart from serving as a 29

Red Cross Hospital during the war, the school F D Meadows, the building was completed in also housed the Air Raid Precautionary (ARP) 1929 and has an exterior consisting of 18 huge group. Corinthian columns. Once the Japanese had successfully cap- The building has been the site of various tured Singapore, St Joseph’s Institution was important events in Singapore’s history. One of turned into a temporary barracks for the Japa- the most significant was the Japanese nese soldiers. As the Japanese consolidated surrender ceremony of 1945. It became the last their rule in Singapore, the Brothers of SJI were major surrender ceremony of the Second made to leave. The school was later structured World War. On 12 September, General Itagaki along military lines and renamed the Bras signed the surrender document that formally Basah Boys’ School. Transformed into a pri- concluded the surrender of all Japanese mili- mary school, the students were separated into tary forces in the Southeast Asian theatre different classes according to their ethnicity. of war. Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, Su- Students were taught singing, gymnastics, preme Commander of the Southeast Asia gardening and Japanese language among many Command, conducted and accepted the sur- other subjects. render in a chamber inside the building before With the Japanese surrender in 1945, the addressing the people present from the steps Brothers returned to SJI and the school func- of the building. tioned as it did in pre-war times. Having The funeral ceremony of the World War II outgrown its capacity, the Institution moved to hero Lim Bo Seng, also took place at the steps a new campus at Malcolm Road in 1988 when of this building on 13 January 1946 before he it became an independent school. The building was buried at MacRitchie Reservoir. was preserved as a national monument in In 1951, the Municipal Building was renamed 1992. After several renovations and rounds of City Hall after Singapore was officially con- refurbishment, the old SJI building presently ferred the status of a city. Subsequently, the stands as the Singapore Art Museum. building housed many government offices, the last being the chambers of the High Court. The G8;8E>›N8IJ@K< building was gazetted as a national monument The Padang, which means ‘field’ in Malay, was in 1992. It is set to become the new National a hub of British colonial life in Singapore. It was Art Gallery which will be opened in 2015. used for sports and recreation. Most notably, the Singapore Cricket Club and Singapore JK%8E;I 1988, a memorial plaque was installed in :@KP?8CC ›N8IJ@K< remembrance of the Malayan Civil Service The Municipal Building was constructed to (MCS) officials who died during the war. house the various departments of the Munic- The cathedral was gazetted as a national ipal Commission in one building. Designed in a monument by the state in 1973. neoclassical style by the municipal architect 30 Ministry of Information, Communication and the Arts , Arts the and Communication Information, of Ministry

C@D9FJDLim Bo Seng Memorial Committee set up in 1946. Requests made by the Memorial Committee to have a Memorial Park around his tomb at MacRitchie Reservoir were rejected by the British Government. They instead gave permission for a Memorial to be set up at Esplanade Park, its current location. :cfZbn`j\]ifdkfgc\]k1›Lem\`c`e^F]C`d9fJ\e^ It was unveiled on 29 June 1954, on the 10th Memorial By The Commander-In-Chief, Far East Land =fiZ\jJ`i:_Xic\jCf\n\e%›Lem\`c`e^:\i\dfepf] anniversary of Lim Bo Seng’s death. the Civilian War Memorial, dedicated to the civilians who were victims of the Japanese Occupation. The :World War I but later commemorated the World War II war dead as well. This is done on the reverse side of the Cenotaph, which was inscribed with the words “They died so we might live” in the four official languages of Singapore. The steps were ex- have laid wreaths there in remembrance of the tended in 1951 to include the years of 1939 fallen. to 1945. Many famous individuals have stood at the @E;@8EE8K@FE8C8IDP Cenotaph. Georges Clemenceau, Premier of DFELD

:@M@C@8EN8IDSiglap area in February 1962. The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Com- merce carried out investigations and identified the area, which was given names such as the “Valley of Death” and “Valley of Tears”, as a site containing numerous war graves. The news reports generated on these graves brought attention to the ‘Sook Ching’ operation of 1942, an extermination exercise by Japanese authorities to eradicate potential threats in the Chinese civilian population. Estimates of the number of dead as a result of Sook Ching range S. R. Nathan, National Archives of Singapore of Archives National Nathan, R. S. from about 6,000 to 50,000. Following the discovery of three of these war graves, the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce requested for permission from the authorities to build a memorial for the civilian victims at Thomson Road. This eventually evolved to become the Civilian War Memorial that we see today at Beach Road. Construction of the memorial cost $750,000. The money was sourced from funds from the Singapore Government, from dona- tions made by Singaporeans and partially from the $25 million atonement fund paid by Japan. Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew unveiled the known Indian independence campaigner, monument on 15 February 1967 “to remember Subhas Chandra Bose. It was dissolved with the men and women who were the hapless the Japanese defeat in 1945. victims of one of the fires of history” and who The Indian National Army Monument was came from all races and religions. built at the Esplanade in August 1945 just Under the 222-foot high structure is a burial before the Japanese surrender. This monument chamber that contains the remains of many of was dedicated to the “unknown warrior” of the the unidentified victims. Every year on 15 INA and to the INA members who were killed February, which is also commemorated as in fighting in Burma. Total Defence Day in Singapore, ceremonies The memorial was demolished by British are held at the Memorial to remember and forces soon after their return. A marker is honour the lives lost during the war years. installed on the site of the former Indian Na- tional Army Monument to highlight the historic events that took place on the site. 32

J@E>8GFI<MFCLEK<Penang and Province Wellesley, and Malacca. By 1941, the 2,000-strong SSVF also had its headquarters at Beach Road Camp. Due to a lack of funds, the SSVF did not receive proper military training. During the Battle for Singapore, no units of the SVC were used in direct action against the Japanese. They were stationed in the southern sector of Singapore along with the Malay Regiment. They mainly performed guard and patrolling duties, manned observation posts and con- ducted improvements to the existing defences. Keng Swee, was a non-commissioned officer They had to endure constant Japanese aerial in the SVC. attacks. The 1st SSVF Battalion in particular The SVC was disbanded in 1946 but revived was deployed in defensive positions just before in 1949. It was merged with the fledgling Singa- Singapore’s surrender, in the area stretching pore Military Forces in 1954 and served during from Newton to the Ford Motor Factory. the Confrontation with Indonesia in the 1960s. The volunteers’ experiences during the Japa- Its veterans played an important role in devel- nese Occupation varied. Malay and some Eura- oping the young Singapore Armed Forces. sian volunteers were released while Beach Road Camp was sold for commercial some 200 Chinese volunteers were executed re-development in 2007 but several of its during the Sook Ching massacre. Many Euro- buildings are to be conserved. pean and Eurasian volunteers were also made POWs and sent to build the Thai-Burma Death B8CC8E>8@I=@

:cfZbn`j\]ifdkfgc\]k1›J`e^Xgfi\>fm\iefiJ`i=iXebc`e>`djfe fegcXk]fid [li`e^k_\J`e^Xgfi\Mfclek\\i Corps presentation award ceremony at the headquarters of the Singapore Volunteer Corps Liaison Regiment, Beach IfX[›AXgXe\j\Jfc[`\ijXkBXccXe^8`igfik%›8gfjkZXi[f]k_\gX`ek`e^k`kc\[È=`^_k\iGcXZ\N/(,,XkBXccXe^ Airfield”, by Saburo Miyamoto.

Once Japanese artillery from Johore started using Royal Australian Air Force Hudsons over shelling Seletar, Tengah and Sembawang in the course of 10 February which succeeded in early February, these three airfields had to be evacuating senior RAF personnel. However, Air abandoned. The majority of the surviving air- Marshal Conway Pulford, the commander of planes were ordered to evacuate to Sumatra, the RAF in the Far East, refused to leave the with the remaining airplanes heading to stricken island until 13 February 1942. His deci- Kallang from 4 February 1942. Kallang thus sion to later escape by sea cost him his life. became the last operational airfield with Al- During the Occupation, the Japanese re- lied airpower in Singapore, which had been placed Kallang’s grass runway with concrete. reduced to 6 Buffalo and 8 Hurricane fighter However, Kallang was not in operation as a civil planes. These fighters were launched to attack airport again until 1949. In its heyday between the Japanese forces landing on the west coast 1949 to 1954, as many as 149,000 passengers of Singapore. The airfield was soon badly dam- passed through the airport each year. The aged as its landing field and control tower were airport once again stopped operating in 1955. the targets of heavy Japanese bombing. By 7 The premises then served as the home for February, the last Buffalo plane was destroyed the People’s Association, a statutory board of at Kallang and the last Hurricane planes left for Singapore, until its move to new premises in Sumatra on 10 February. 2009. One of the airfield’s last actions before the surrender was the evacuation of high level personnel to Indonesia. Two trips were made 34 The Changi Museum Changi The

» east K?<>LEJF= J@E>8GFI< AND CAPTIVITY

@EKIF;L:K@FE The batteries were part of a gun-defence The name Changi may have been derived from system that protected the Naval Base at the local timber ‘chengal’ or ‘chengai’, which Sembawang. could refer to either the Hopea sangal or During the Japanese Occupation, the entire Neobalanocarpus heimii. area became a major POW camp where close The name was used to refer to the south- to 50,000 Allied POWs, mainly British and eastern tip of the island as early as 1824. Right Australian, were incarcerated. up to the early 1920s, Changi was a rural area, The Japanese forced POWs to construct the comprising mostly Malay villages, rubber plan- first military airfield in Changi. When the Allies tations and large tracts of mangrove swamps returned, the air base became RAF Changi. and forests. Singapore authorities took over the site in 1971 The area became militarised from the late when British forces ended their long military 1920s when the British constructed a massive presence here. The Republic of Singapore cantonment consisting of coastal gun batter- Airforce (RSAF) now operates part of the ies, barracks, a railway for transporting ammu- facility as Changi Air Base. The rest of the site nition to the guns and a road system. has become Changi International Airport. 35 Singapore History Consultants History Singapore

Left: Block 151 of Roberts Barracks, c.1950. Above: The Changi Museum.

K?<:?8E>@DLJMay 1944. pore during the Occupation. The civilian internees carried out many The Changi Museum opened on 15 February activities in spite of their difficult circum- 2001, the 59th Anniversary of the Fall of Singa- stances to maintain and improve morale. They pore. The Museum was built to replace the old took to gardening, boxing, organising concerts Prison Chapel and Museum, which was built in and cricket tournaments and even set up a 1988 by the then inmates of Changi Prison. school for the children in the camp. There are several significant exhibits housed However, death and suffering were constant within the Museum, including replicas of the possibilities, as was the case in the ‘Double ‘Changi Murals’ (currently conserved in Block Tenth Incident’. Suspecting the internees had 151, Changi Air Base) and the Changi Quilts. planned a raid that sunk seven Japanese ships The Museum also houses original works such in Keppel Harbour in September 1943, the as the paintings of Angela Bateman, a civilian Kempetai (Japanese Military Police) swooped internee in Changi Prison, and the Changi down on Changi Gaol on 10 October 1943 (thus Cross. The Changi Chapel is a place where the ‘double-tenth). Fifty-seven internees were commemoration ceremonies are sometimes taken to Kempetai cells for interrogation. The held, as a mark of respect and remembrance of harshness of the interrogation resulted in the the war dead. death of 15 internees. In May 1944, the civilian internees in Changi :?8E>@GI@JFE›N8IJ@K< Prison were transferred to Sime Road Camp Changi Prison, also known as Changi Gaol, is a while the POWs were transferred to Changi historically significant site in Changi. Built in Prison in May 1944. More than 10,000 pris- 36 Singapore History Consultants History Singapore

Johore Battery

oners were crowded in and around the Prison. Naval Base at Sembawang against Japanese Five thousand were incarcerated within the warships coming through the Straits of Johore. prison while the rest were accommodated in The guns in the eastern sector, comprising attap huts outside the prison walls. Many 6-, 9.2- and 15-inch calibre guns, came under POWs had already been transferred out of the Changi Fire Command. The batteries were Singapore as slave labour to several countries distributed from Changi to Pulau Tekong and in the region and to Japan. Pengerang in the southern tip of Johore. To- After the war, it was the turn of many Japa- gether they covered the eastern entrance into nese soldiers to be incarcerated at Changi. the Johore Straits. They were held there for up to 2 years because Johore Battery, one of several batteries of the lack of transport to send them home. under the Changi Fire Command, was armed Today, all that remains of the old Changi with three 15-inch guns. They had a maximum Prison is a 180 metre wall with watch-towers at range of 21 miles. both ends and the iconic gateway which was Construction work began in late 1933 and transferred to the centre of the wall. was completed in 1938. The battery was named ‘Johore Battery’ in 1935 in recognition AF?FI<98KK

The Johore Battery was extensively involved camp, also had its Officers Mess and one of its throughout the Battle for Singapore. On 5 barrack blocks transformed by the POWs into February 1942, two of its 15-inch guns fired an auxiliary hospital for 2,000 patients. This north towards Japanese targets in Johore was necessary as the primary POW hospital in Bahru and on the Causeway. On 8 February Changi, established at Roberts Barracks, was 1942, intensive fire was exchanged with Japa- overwhelmed by the large numbers who nese artillery on Pulau Ubin. The battery was required medical treatment. also heavily engaged in the battle at Pasir Selarang Barracks was also the site of the Panjang from 10 to 12 February. Its last contri- infamous ‘Selarang Incident’. In September bution was to provide cover for troops who 1942, the Japanese forced the Allied POWs in were retreating towards the city centre from Changi to relocate to Selarang Barracks after Bukit Timah Village on 12 February 1942. With they refused to accede to their demands to sign defeat looming, the soldiers withdrawing from a declaration giving up their right to escape. Johore Battery blew up the guns to prevent the Built to accommodate 800 soldiers, 15,400 battery’s use by the Japanese. POWs were forced into Selarang. Living condi- In the 1970s, airport facilities were built over tions were extremely bad. Only two water taps two of the gun positions. The magazine of the were available at Selarang Barracks and the remaining gun was rediscovered in 1991. In POWs had to dig holes to be used as latrines. remembrance of the battery’s significance to In the face of continued POW defiance, the Singapore’s history, a replica of a 15-inch gun Japanese threatened to transfer the sick POWs was mounted on this site. from Roberts Barracks to Selarang. Eventually, It was unveiled on 15 February 2002, during the POWs were ordered by their officers to sign a ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the declaration as they feared an outbreak of the fall of Singapore. It was officially marked as disease, and the ‘Selarang Incident’ came to an a historic site by the National Heritage Board in end. 2001. POWs at Selarang Barracks also organised concert parties to boost morale. Props were @E;@898II8:BJ›N8IJ@K< the result of the internees’ ingenuity as they India Barracks was one of four barracks built in improvised with the available resources. The Changi in the 1930s by the British. The four concerts also attracted regular attendance barracks formed a huge 2,000-acre military from Japanese officers, some of whom were base which included the coastal-gun batteries sympathetic and provided stage equipment for of Changi Fire Command. the POWs. India Barracks, built in 1934, accommodated Most of the original buildings of Selarang the Anti-Aircraft (AA) Regiments which oper- have been demolished following redevelop- ated the AA defences in the area. The barracks ment in 1980. The one exception is the old became known as the India Barracks because Officers Mess that is now home to a small the quarters were mostly occupied by Punjabi heritage centre. soldiers from the Hong Kong and Singapore Battalion, Royal Artillery (HKSRA). IF998II8:BJ›N8IJ@K< 1934 and 1936 to provide living quarters for the Constructed in 1936, Selarang Barracks was Coast Artillery Regiment of the Royal Artillery home to a British infantry unit, the 2nd who operated the gun batteries in Changi. Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, until 1941. Roberts Barracks was turned into a hospital Their location in Changi ensured that a full within two weeks of the British surrender. battalion of infantry soldiers was available to An operating theatre was sited at Block 126 defend the guns of Changi. while an isolation wing for diphtheria patients During the Japanese Occupation, the was situated at Block 128. Blocks 144 and 151 barracks in Changi became internment camps served as the dysentery wing and a mortuary for some 50,000 Allied POWs. was set up at a nearby temporary building. Selarang Barracks, besides being a POW In a bid to keep morale up, Reverend F H Stal- 38

Kitchener Barracks

lard convinced a Japanese officer to agree to murals. convert a room in Block 151 into a chapel. The After the war, the RAF took over Roberts chapel was named after Saint Luke, the patron Barracks and the chapel became a storeroom. saint of physicians. The chapel is one of several In 1958, the murals were rediscovered in the chapels and synagogues built by POWs in the room. A search began for the artist who had Changi area. drawn these paintings and Warren, who was St. Luke’s houses the original ‘Changi then living in England, was eventually identified. Murals’. A British POW named Stanley Warren The RAF invited Warren to restore the paint- painted these murals when he was hospitalised ings and he returned in 1963 and 1968. He also at Block 151. While recuperating in the Block, came back to Singapore in July 1982 and May Warren painted the murals. He was in an 1988 to continue work on the murals and extremely weak state when he painted them toparticipate in a documentary about POWs. but he persevered through the pain and The murals still stand today as significant completed five life-sized murals. legacies of POW suffering and bravery. Block However, in May 1944 the Japanese took 151 and the original murals have been over Block 151 as an office and painted over the conserved in Changi Air Base by the Ministry 39

:?8E>@9<8:?D8JJ8:I<J@K<›N8IJ@K< This serene beach was once the site of a Sook Ching massacre. Bound by ropes in rows of 8 to 12, victims at this site were instructed to walk towards the sea in batches. Japanese soldiers would then machine-gun them as they reached the shallow waters. While many died on-site, some managed to swim away or seek tempo- rary refuge underwater as the ropes binding them loosened in the waters. The ensuing bayoneting of the victims after the initial firing by the Japanese soldiers meant that there were few survivors. The bodies of the Sook Ching massacre victims on Changi Beach were buried within the area in mass graves dug by a work party of 100 British and Australian POWs from Changi Prison. POW accounts reveal that some of the victims were still alive. However, the Japanese soldiers ordered them to be drowned. As the soldiers threatened injury to those who diso- beyed, the POWs had little choice but to

Courtesy of HG Properties HG of Courtesy comply.

GLC8LL9@E›N8IJ@K< Pulau Ubin was the site of LG Yamashita’s deception plan. On 7 February 1942, 400 men from one of the three Japanese army divisions, the Imperial Guards Division, landed in collaps- ible boats on Pulau Ubin. These troops were sighted by a British patrol that had to retreat quickly. This attack in the east was a crafty of Defence. A replica was drawn at the Changi move to distract the defending forces from the Museum to ensure that the inspiring story of real invasion in the northwest. This diver- the POWs is shared with all visitors. sionary move was accompanied by heavy artil- lery bombardment to further reinforce the B@K:?Royal Engineers. During the Occupation, coast was based on successful Japanese troops of the former Singapore Garrison and a reconnaissance which revealed that north- few RAF men were incarcerated there. The western Singapore was thinly defended in this barracks was also known for a short time as the area. Southern Area College of the ‘Changi Univer- sity’. The ‘university’ referred to the informal education programme started by the Army Education Corps staff within the prison camps. They gathered lecturers from amongst the POWs to conduct classes on a variety of topics. 40

CREDITS+ We would like to thank the following for their assistance in the making of this brochure:

» project management team (national heritage board) K_Xe^XddXBXik_`^\jl#KXpDXpC`e^#Aljk`e?f

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