The National Heritage Board (NHB)’s annual Battle for Singapore invites participants to explore the sites and stories of Singapore’s war-time past. In commemoration of the 82nd anniversary of the Fall of Singapore, this year’s line-up features special access programmes including guided tours, theatrical experiences, talks, film screenings and exhibitions. Sites featured include one which witnessed some of the first landings of the invading Japanese forces, and the bunker where the decision to surrender to the Japanese was made.

Mr Goh Chour Thong, Director of International & Museum Relations, NHB, said: “Stories of human resilience, hope and perseverance through the toughest of times never grow old. We are delighted to be working again with our Museum Roundtable partners and partner agencies to present yet another edition of Battle for Singapore. Through our programme offerings, many of which are new, participants can appreciate the situation and context which residents of Singapore found themselves in more than 80 years ago, in novel and engaging ways. We are also always excited to help Singaporeans rediscover physical vestiges of Singapore’s World War II (WWII) history which still remain amidst our changing urban landscape. As with previous years, it is our sincere hope that all Battle for Singapore participants will gain a deeper sense of how our WWII experiences helped shape Singapore’s nationhood and future lives.”

Off the beaten track exploration

This year’s Battle for Singapore will take place from 17 February to 3 March 2024. One of the key programmes is the Cycling Buona Vista tours led by historian Dr John Kwok and heritage researcher and writer Mr Lee Kok Leong down the Buona Vista defence line. Participants will learn of the strategies employed by both the invading Japanese forces and the defending Allied forces as they trace the final battles for Singapore that erupted in the southwestern region spanning Pasir Panjang, Gillman Barracks, Alexandra Military Hospital and other military sites.

Another programme highlight will be the tours to Cashin House at Lim Chu Kang Nature Park. Built on a pier overlooking the Johor Strait, it witnessed some of the first landings of the invading Japanese forces during the initial wave of attacks launched by the Japanese army on 8 February 1942. The site is only accessible through the National Parks Board’s (NParks) specially curated programmes and activities, covering topics such as heritage and nature appreciation.

Other Battle for Singapore 2024 programmes

There will also be a diverse line-up of programmes in collaboration with NHB’s Museum Roundtable (MR) members. A 110-minute immersive theatrical experience titled NO QUESTION OF SURRENDER: Three Days Before the Fall will premiere at the official opening of Battlebox, an educational tourist destination which used to be the Fort Canning Bunker where Lieutenant-General Arthur E. Percival and the Allied forces made the decision to surrender to the invading Japanese forces. Other new offerings which are part of Battle for Singapore include food-related programmes at the National Museum of Singapore, such as a special WWII edition of Makan with Seniors and an opportunity to taste and learn the recipes of wartime cooks.

The Singapore Art Museum (SAM) will also be coming on board with an artist tour and conversation with Ho Tzu Nyen and Dr Ma Jung-Yeon. The tour and conversation will centre on Ho’s Hotel Aporia video installation currently on display at SAM (part of the ongoing exhibition Ho Tzu Nyen: Time and the Tiger) which confronts the complex ideological and historical backdrops that plagued the 1940s – giving participants an opportunity to delve deeper into the role of art in unpacking complex histories. Other collaborating MR partners this year include Changi Chapel and Museum, Former Ford Factory, Fort Siloso, MINT Museum of Toys, Navy Museum and Reflections at Bukit Chandu. 

Overall, this year’s entire programme line-up will feature more than 25 programmes and over 70 tour runs covering various formats and collaborations, including those offered by MR members, academics, heritage enthusiasts and interest groups. The new programmes for Battle for Singapore 2024 are as summarised in the table below:

Cashin House: Witness to Invasion Join heritage veteran Mr Jerome Lim on a trip to the sensitively reconstructed Cashin House. Located at Lim Chu Kang Nature Park, the site witnessed some of the first landings of the invading Japanese forces. Learn about the perspectives of men on the opposing sides as they engaged in battle, and about the area’s historical landscape. This programme is presented in collaboration with NParks and Mr Jerome Lim. Note: Admission is free but registration is required

Cycling Buona Vista  Explore the Buona Vista defence line on bicycle and learn more about the final days of the Battle of Singapore in this part of Singapore. Cycle past landmarks familiar and new, led by our volunteer guides – Dr John Kwok or Mr Lee Kok Leong – and appreciate the strategies employed by both the invading Japanese forces and defending Allied forces in the southwestern region of Singapore.  This programme is led by volunteer guides Dr John Kwok and Mr Lee Kok Leong. Note: A charge of $35 applies for this tour

NO QUESTION OF SURRENDER: Three Days Before the Fall  NO QUESTION OF SURRENDER: Three Days Before the Fall transports audiences to the final days before the fall of Singapore in February 1942 in a new 110-minute immersive theatrical experience written and directed by Mr Jonathan Lim. Feel the pulse of WWII as you immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and smells of the Battlebox. NO QUESTION OF SURRENDER challenges the traditional theatrical experience by offering a unique opportunity to live and breathe the past. This programme is presented by Battlebox. Note: A charge of $48 applies for this programme

Makan with Seniors: World War II edition  Makan with Seniors celebrates seniors’ stories, breaks down stereotypes and creates friendships over food. This special edition, organised for Battle for Singapore 2024, will focus on second-generation war memories and the legacy of WWII in Singapore. Participants will be paired up or grouped together to converse while having a meal together. This programme is presented by the National Museum of Singapore, in partnership with Ms Eleanor Yap, the founder of Ageless Online. Note: Admission is free but registration is required

Hotel Aporia: Artist Tour and Conversation with Ho Tzu Nyen and Dr Ma Jung-Yeon Why did the Japanese call it “The Pacific War” while in Singapore we call it “World War II”? First presented at the Kirakutei Inn in Toyota City, artist Ho Tzu Nyen’s Hotel Aporia confronts the complex ideological and historical backdrops that plagued the 1940s. Through characters that include WWII Kamikaze pilots, Kyoto School philosophers and filmmakers Yasujiro Ozu and Ryuichi Yokoyama, experience the conflicting contexts, diverging narratives and new insights gathered within Hotel Aporia, which reveals different perspectives about the past. In this session, get firsthand accounts from the artist on the installation and development of the work, and the research that went into its production. Thereafter, Ho Tzu Nyen will be joined by Dr Ma Jung-Yeon in conversation to delve deeper into the role of art in unpacking complex histories. This programme is presented by Singapore Art Museum. Note: Admission is free but registration is required.

Twinned Tours: Singapore Navy Museum and Changi Chapel and Museum  Start your journey at the Singapore Navy Museum and learn about how a band of volunteers stepped up to defend Singapore at sea during the Malayan Campaign in 1942. Discover how they laid the foundation for today’s modern and capable Navy. Continue your experience at the Changi Chapel & Museum, where you will hear stories about prisoners of war in Singapore, including local volunteers, and their courage and resilience during WWII.  The programme is co-presented by Changi Chapel and Museum and Singapore Navy Museum. Note: A charge of $21.80 applies for this tour

Gallant (Film Screening)  Experience a time of war and anguish through a short film that recounts a scene of the Japanese invasion of Singapore back in 1942, where love and family bond triumphed over fear and turned cowardice into heroism, amid terror and panic. This programme is presented by Singapore Discovery Centre. Note: Admission is free, no registration required

Second World War Vintage Toys Guided Tour and Fighter Plane Making  Ever wondered about the warplanes or ships that battled during WWII? This programme, in collaboration with MINT Museum of Toys, examines how toys were used to normalise war, encourage war efforts and celebrate war achievements across Allied Forces (Britain, France, USSR & USA) and the Axis Powers (Germany, Italy & Japan).  Visitors will also learn about and assemble their own WWII Flying Glider Plane, a nostalgic toy produced in the 1950s and designed to represent iconic fighter planes such as Spitfire and Mitsubishi Zero – both of which also have original toy models displayed in the museum.  This programme is presented by MINT Museum of Toys. Note: A charge of $35 for adults, and $25 for children and seniors apply for this tour

Peacetime Kitchen: Talk and Cooking Demonstration  Taste and learn about the creativity and ingenuity of wartime cooks from their recipes, with dishes such as banana marmalade and coconut biscuits brought to new life for contemporary kitchens.  Award-winning food writer, culinary instructor and photographer, Mr Christopher Tan, will share tales and tid-bits in this talk and live demonstration of heritage dishes from popular cookbooks and personal notebooks written and used during WWII. This programme is presented by National Museum of Singapore. Note: A charge of $21.80 applies for this programme

We Shall Remember: The Story of Singapore at War – Children’s Tour Join us on an exciting afternoon’s discovery at the Battlebox through a curator’s tour and author talk, specially designed for curious participants aged 9-14 years old! Uncover bite-sized secrets and stories of the Battlebox with curator and historian Tan Teng Teng.  After the tour, participants can enjoy an author’s talk and conversation with Sim Ee Waun – the author of We Shall Remember: The Story of Singapore at War, and be regaled with little-known stories about the war in Singapore, and learn about the intricacies, conundrums and surprises that came with writing the book. This programme is presented by Battlebox. Note: A charge of $15 applies for this programme

Peace Blossoms Display at Fort Siloso  Fort Siloso, Singapore’s best-preserved 19th century fort, was officially gazetted on the Total Defence Day (15 February 2022) as a National Monument, and is home to the remains of fortified military structures, guns and tunnels that were used during WWII.  As we commemorate the Battle of Singapore from 15 to 19 February 2024, we remember the crucial role that Fort Siloso had played in defending Singapore. The muzzles of eight guns at Fort Siloso will be decorated with flowers in a symbolic gesture of peace, called the Sentosa Peace Blossoms. Flowers of peace, such as Peace Lily, Gerbera, Eustoma, Lavender and Chrysanthemum, will be arranged into beautiful floral bouquets to “silence the guns” as our message for peace. This programme is presented by Fort Siloso. Note: Free. No pre-registration is required for visiting this display.