Battle For Singapore – Once Fallen But Not Forgotten

15 February 2020 will mark the 78th anniversary of Singapore’s fall to the Japanese in 1942. This year, the National Heritage Board (NHB) will partner with Singapore Land Authority, Museum Roundtable (MR) members, and heritage groups to bring you the Battle for Singapore, a programme that encourages Singaporeans to explore different perspectives on Singapore’s World War II (WWII) history.

While the Japanese Occupation is a thing of the past, it is important and integral that we familiarise ourselves on the journey of how our country got to where it is today. There are many well-known sites associated with the occupation such as Former Ford Factory and Fort Canning, but did you know that the Civic District played a part during the occupation as well?

The main objective of Battle for Singapore is to educate Singaporeans on the lesser-known WWII related sites with guided-tours hosted by NHB, soapbox tours at National Museum of Singapore, and more. Members of the public can also look forward to a myriad of public talks on different topics such as Prisoner-of-War art and the Nanyang Mechanics.

Some highlights of this programme include Former Admiralty House & Bunker, a special access tour of Former Admiralty House and how it’s strategic position played an integral role during WWII. Not only that, but tour-goers will also be treated to an experience of an underground bunker that was used during the war.

Another special access tour would be of the Former View Road Hospital, in which once housed the British Naval Police Force. This tour will look at the building’s history, focusing on the role the building played during WWII and the Japanese defence of Singapore during the Japanese Occupation.

Special access tours are tours of buildings that are typically not open to the public outside of this programme. Be sure to catch the special tours that have piqued your interest during Battle for Singapore 2020.

Battle for Singapore 2020 will run from 8 to 29 February 2020, with registrations starting on 3 February 2020.

You can register for the tours here.

Date: 8 – 29 February 2020
Price: Free
Location: Various Locations 

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