30 WWII tours to be launched to mark 74th anniversary of the Battle of Singapore

Reflections at Bukit Chandu, one of the stops at the Pasir Panjang Ridge tour to WWII sites organised for the public. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Volunteers guides Ms Lim Natasha Ann (second from left) and Mr Joshua Lim (third from left), both history students from NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences bring members of the media on tour at Reflections at Bukit Chandu. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Volunteers guide Mr Joshua Lim, a history student from NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences bring members of the media on tour at Pasir Panjang Ridge. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
The Singapore Surrender table on display at the National Museum of Singapore. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
Deputy director of collections and curation at National Museum of Singapore Mr Iskander Mydin (centre) talks to members of the media during a guided tour of the WWII History Gallery. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
A replica of the Type 95 Ha Go Japanese tank on display at the National Museum of Singapore. ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN

SINGAPORE - Tours of World War II sites and structures in Singapore will be conducted from Feb 12 to 28 to mark the 74th anniversary of the Battle of Singapore.

There will be 30 of these tours, to places such as Pasir Panjang Ridge, Tiong Bahru, and Mount Imbiah in Sentosa.

One of the tours, about the Battle of Pasir Panjang, will trace the march of the Japanese Imperial Forces and the heroic resistance they encountered from defence forces including the Malay Regiment, in one of the fiercest battles fought before the surrender.

These tours will be conducted in the evening to simulate the low-light conditions under which the actual battle took place.

Singapore fell to Japan following fighting that took place between Feb 8 and 15 in 1942.

The National Heritage Board (NHB) will be presenting these tours with heritage experts, community groups and its Museum Roundtable member-museums.

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Ms Norsaleen Salleh, deputy director of the Museum Roundtable unit at NHB, said the programmes are "valuable opportunities for Singaporeans to learn more about the war period in Singapore's history".

Other tours include one conducted by the Singapore Discovery Centre, which will cover sites such as the Army Museum, Reflections at Bukit Chandu and the Kranji War Memorial. This tour will be conducted by an army veteran.

The National Museum of Singapore will also be organising a tour of its newly revamped history gallery that will take visitors through a sombre recount of the experiences of prisoners of war, among other things.

The museum will also host a public lecture on Feb 28 called Voices from the Ground, which features four speakers who will present their personal experiences and research on the war.

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It will shed light on topics such as pre-war and post-war experiences of the small Japanese community in Singapore, the buried wartime secrets under the Adam Park estate - the last battle line before Singapore fell - and stories of Bukit Brown cemetery's war dead.

Sign up for the tours from 10am tomorrow (Feb 3) at www.museums.com.sg/programme-and-exhibitions/battle-for-Singapore.

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