Unique is the word that best captures Singapore - a dynamic, cosmopolitan city-state that bridges the past and present, tradition and modernity. Smiles on creased, lined faces of the past generation belie a tumultuous past, one which this island remembers well. Old forts, underground bunkers and war memorials dot the landscape, recalling our military heritage.

Experience the sounds of battle, the pangs of defeat and the cries of victory, all in one day...

Peek into the everyday life of an artillery man from his cooking, training, dressing, resting to firing !...

Lose yourself in a World War II underground command centre while the sirens sound above you ...

Look out from an old observation post into miles of open sea and discover the workings of an aged 19th century fort...

Find out about the trials and tribulations of the Prisoners-of-War in Changi and the will that kept them going...

Remember the men and the women who fought and died, who struggled to survive the Occupation, and who dedicated their lives to the cause of liberation...

Singapore - truly a city like no other. Behind the modernity lies a rich interplay of memories from our past. Come and discover the military heritage that is Uniquely Singapore.

In Memory of All Who Lived and Died in World War II Singapore

 

Once heralded as the "impregnable fortress" and "the strongest British bastion east of the Suez", Fortress Singapore fell swiftly into the hands of the Japanese after only 70 days of battle.

Through a series of unfortunate miscalculations and miscommunications, the British and Allied forces watched in horror as Singapore was wrested away from their control into enemy hands.

The British and Allied armies underestimated the war-hardiness of their enemy and were unprepared in many aspects of war which eventually led to their downfall.

The Battle on Pasir Panjang Ridge was one of the last valiant attempts at fending off the Japanese. The Malay Regiment stubbornly held their ground in this epic 48-hour battle and refused to surrender until their numbers had thinned to a minimum. (http://www.s1942.org.sg/bukit_chandu/homepage.htm)

Finally on 15th February 1942, Lt. Gen. A. E. Percival (General Officer Commanding, Malaya) conceded defeat from his underground command centre at Fort Canning.

At 6.10pm on the same day, Percival gave in to Lt. Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita's demand for the unconditional surrender of Singapore and signed the surrender document at Ford Motor Factory in Bukit Timah.


The Japanese Occupation in Singapore was a time of great uncertainty, one of living in constant fear and trepidation of the new rulers of the land.

On 17th February 1942, just 2 days after the fall of Singapore, the entire European population was assembled at the Padang and thereafter made to march to their new homes in either the Selarang Barracks or Changi Prison.

Little did they expect the unimaginable pain and suffering, trials and tribulations that awaited them in the years that followed as internees and prisoners-of-war. Many never saw the end of the war and those who did, will never forget.

 
It is with gratitude and honour to our war heroes that Singapore commemorates the 60th Anniversary of the end of World War II. We pay tribute to all who selflessly fought to defend our land, who suffered the indignities of war in silence and who ultimately sacrificed their lives for the cause of freedom.
 
Text has been adapted from "Fortress Singapore: The Battlefield Guide" by Major Yap Siang Yong, Romen Bose, Angeline Pang

The End of the War
Singapore's Liberation and the Aftermath of the Second World War
by Romen Bose

ISBN: 981 261 066 9
Imprint: Times Editions - Marshall Cavendish
Retail Price: S$19.00 (before GST)
Available at major bookstores from August onwards.
Also available on www.amazon.com and www.marshallcavendish.com/genref from August onwards.

About the book:
The End of the War commemorates the end of the Second World War in Singapore and Malaya against the backdrop of the Japanese surrender on 12 September 1945.

A fascinating read, this book unveils much of the mystery shrouding some of the lesser-known but crucial facts and events leading up to the final days of the Japanese Occupation and the end of the war in Singapore and Malaya. The book also examines the fate of the Japanese and of local resistance movements as well as how the locals reacted to the return of the British and freedom from years of Japanese rule. Key places that are of great significance to the end of the war and the liberation in Singapore are also highlighted and featured in the book.

Containing information derived from extensive research on recently declassified archives in the United Kingdom and Singapore - The End of the War provides an insight into what it was like to be liberated in Singapore at the end of the Second World War.

Secrets of the Battlebox
The History and Role of Britain's Command HQ in the Malayan Campaign
by Romen Bose

ISBN: 981 261 064 2
Imprint: Times Editions - Marshall Cavendish
Retail Price: S$17.00 (before GST)
Available at major bookstores from August onwards.
Also available on www.amazon.com and www.marshallcavendish.com/genref from August onwards.

About the book:
The contents of this book are the result of 17 years of careful research into an area of Singapore's War-time history that still has not been investigated fully. With most documents on the subject highly-classified and only recently open for research, there has been no opportunity till now to put forward the true story of the Battlebox.

A revealing read - readers will gain an insight to the key role played by the Battlebox during the Second World War in Malaya and Singapore and learn what the Battlebox was about - its history, uses and final role in the Malayan Campaign. The book also attempts to address the gap in knowledge on one of the most crucial aspects of the Second World War in Malaya and Singapore, i.e. the role of the command headquarters, in the campaign.

   
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