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 <Xjk1K_\>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<J =@IJK:FEK8:K¿8E;CFJJ<J combined with the potential ease of crossing Following the loss of Malaya to the Japanese, here, convinced LG Tomoyuki Yamashita, the the last Allied army unit withdrew into Singa- com-mander of the Japanese 25th Army, that pore across the Causeway on 31 January 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 S. Skudai LEFT WING 3 BNS ST RA IT S RIGHT WING OF JO H O R E 6 BNS P. Sarimbun DALFORCE LEFT WING 3 BNS S. Sarimbun 30th BTY 60th BTY RIGHT WING 2/18th W 4 BNS o o S. Murai d l Tg. Murai AMA KENG a n d HQ s LIM CHU KANG R o 29th BTY a ROAD d 2/19th Tengah Airfield S. Berih S. Pendas Bt. Panjang E HQ R CHOA CHU KANG O H Pasir Laba ROAD Bt. Timah O J 8th AUSTRALIAN F O HQ S T I A R T S 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.