There were long-lasting consequences for the British Empire too. As Farrell writes: “The fall of Singapore reinforced [Britain’s] intention to withdraw from India, [and while] the end of the Raj in India did not end the British Empire, [it] certainly marked the beginning of the end.” Singapore would return under British control after WW2, but as its grip loosened, the island gained self-governance in 1959 – a first step towards the full independence it would eventually gain in 1965.
As Singapore’s revered first premier, Lee Kuan Yew, who had lived under both British and Japanese rule, reflected: “The old mechanisms had gone and the old habits of obedience and respect [for the British] had also gone because people had seen them run away [from the Japanese].”
Singapore’s WW2 sites
Today, visitors can explore a Heritage Trail containing more than 50 World War Two-era sites alongside guided historical walks. Popular attractions include Battlebox, an underground network of tunnels and bunkers in Fort Canning Park used by the British as a command centre. Life-size wax replicas of British soldiers and multimedia exhibits give key insights into the desperate days leading up to Britain’s 1942 defeat, along with a recreation of the room where Lieutenant General Arthur Percival made the decision to surrender his forces on 15 February 1942.
A 20-minute drive from Battlebox, the Former Ford Factory is known for its Art Deco-style facade and preserves the boardroom where the British surrender took place, which marks the start of the occupation. Exhibits include oral accounts by Sook Ching survivors and stories from Singaporeans about what life was like under Japanese occupation.
AlamyInside the bunkers and tunnels of Battlebox, replicas of soldiers reveal the desperate final days before Britain’s surrender (Credit: Alamy)
On the island’s eastern edge, the Changi Chapel and Museum is a memorial to the thousands of POWs and civilians imprisoned in the infamous Changi Prison. From 1942 until 1945, more than 90,000 Allied POWs and civilians – most of whom were from the UK, Australia and Singapore – endured grim conditions as they hoped for liberation, with many drawing religious murals on its walls. Replicas of these murals are on display today.