Battlefield Wanderers

A collection of military history and battlefields by Midge Carter and Trish Woodman

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Singapore

The Battle Box, Canning

Nine metres below ground is what the remains of the subterranean command centre of the British Headquarters in the Malayan Campaign in World War Two

The museum commemorates and recreates the decision to surrender by General Percival on 15th February 1942, which resulted in the fall of Singapore to the Japanese.

The wax figures aided by animation and sound, paint a very good picture of the events of the Surrender and what it would have been like to live and work here.

The museum has just re-opened after renovation (2016), and Trish missed the official opening by a few days, but these photos – taken previously – indicate how fascinating it is and how life-like the figures are. Not to be missed.

In conference at Battlebox HQ Control
In conference at Battlebox HQ Control
The office
WW2 exhibit at Battlebox HQ Control, 12 January 2011
WW2 exhibit at Battlebox HQ Control, 12 January 2011
WW2 exhibit at Battlebox HQ Control
WW2 exhibit at Battlebox HQ Control
WW2 exhibit at the Battlebox
An excellent model of Brigadier Curtis at work
An excellent model of Brigadier Curtis at work
A serious situation
A serious situation
Position plotting
Position plotting
A photo of Brigadier Arthur Drury Curtis
A photo of Brigadier Arthur Drury Curtis
WW2 exhibit

Kranji War Memorial, Woodlands Road (Kranji Station)

Some of the following information is taken from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission information leaflet.

In this beautifully maintained cemetery, 14 miles from Singapore City, there are 4,500 graves of men of the Allied Forces who died here during the Japanese occupation.

(Australia, Britain, Canada, India, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore).

The Singapore Memorial bears the names of 24,000 casualties of the Commonwealth land and air forces who died during the Second World War but have no known grave.

These include prisoners-of-war from Changi, some who worked on the ‘Death Railway’, or in other campaigns, who died while being transported elsewhere.

The airmen died during operations over the whole of southern and eastern Asia and in surrounding seas.

Entrance to Kranji Military Cemetery, 11 January 2011
Entrance to Kranji Military Cemetery, 11 January 2011
Midge at Kranji Military Cemetery beside the distressing statistics
Midge at Kranji Military Cemetery beside the distressing statistics.
Inscription: On the walls of this memorial are recorded the names of twenty four thousand soldiers and airmen of many races, united in service to the British Crown, who gave their lives in Malaya and neighbouring lands and sea and in the air over southern and eastern Asia and the Pacific, but to whom the fortunes of war denied the customary rites accorded to their comrades in death. They died for all free men (in several languages).
Two 'Z Force STwo 'Z Force Special Unit men
The graves. Among those buried here, are men who were part of ‘Z’ Force (‘Z’Special Unit), the incredibly brave Australians who worked behind the Japanese lines. Some had been taken to Singapore in a small ex-fishing boat named the Krait, crept into Singapore Harbour in collapsible canoes and attached limpet mines to Japanese shipping. Many were captured and executed by the Japanese. Lt. WG Carey and Able Seaman WG Falls, DSO, both of ‘Z’ Special Unit.
Kranji's Memorial Cross
Kranji Memorial Cross
Kranji. War Commission plaque
War Commission plaque
Kranji Military Cemetery setting in 2011
Kranji Military Cemetery setting in 2011
Some Australian graves in 2011
Some Australian graves in 2011
An Australian sapper
An Australian sapper
An honour wall to those who perished in captivity
This wall honours the Chinese dead. The men whose names are recorded on these panels perished in captivity in February 1942, and are buried here in one grave with ten comrades whose names are not known.
An honour wall to the Indian soldiers
The Singapore Cremation Memorial commemorates almost 800 dead, cremated in accordance with their religious beliefs. The wall records the names of men from India. In honour of these officers and men who died in battle and whose mortal remains were committed to fire.
Board naming countries involved
Board naming countries involved

The Gurkha section

The Gurkha graves of 1942
The Gurkha graves of 1942
Gurkha officers and men and their wives and children buried elsewhere
In memory of Gurkha officers and soldiers of the Brigade of Gurkhas and their wives and children, formerly buried in Pasir Panjang and Ulu Pandan cemeteries, whose ashes now lie in this garden.
The setting for more recent Gurkha graves taken in 2011.
The Gurkha graves of the 1950s
These Gurkha graves are from 1953
These Gurkha graves are from 1953
The Indian honour wall
The Indian honour wall
The Gurkha Regiment headstones in beautiful surroundings
The Gurkha Regiment headstones in beautiful surroundings
The Gurkha plaque's position
The Gurkha plaque’s position
Ross Bastiaan's map
These excellent instructive panels are to be found in cemeteries and other military sites in many countries. They were designed and constructed by Ross Bastiaan, from Melbourne, Australia.

See also Singapore Naval and Maritime.