Battlebox

18/04/2023

We are proud to share that our Director, Mr Jeya Ayadurai MBE, has been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Singapore Ceylon Tamils Association. The noteworthy award was presented by Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law, at the Association's 115th Anniversary Luncheon held on 15 April 2023, coinciding with Puthandu (Tamil New Year).

Mr Ayadurai was honoured for his significant contributions in the research, preservation and education of Singapore's heritage and military history over the last three decades.

31/03/2023

Dear all,

Thank you for your amazing support of the Battlebox for the last nine years!

Singapore History Consultants' contract to manage this historic site will come to an end soon.

The Battlebox will be CLOSED for public access from 22 MAY 2023 onwards.

Up to 22 May 2023, please note the following changes to our operations:

1. The Battlebox will be open from Wednesdays to Sundays, 930am to 6pm.
Complimentary guided tours will NOT be available on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
They will be available Fridays - Sundays, until 30 April.

2. Complimentary guided tours will NOT be available from 1 May.

3. We are open during the following public holidays
a. 7 April (Good Friday)
b. 22 April (Hari Raya Puasa)

For further enquiries, please contact [email protected].

Thank you!

23/02/2023

The Battlebox and Haw Par Villa have jointly organised a two-part talk series on the Defence and Fall of Singapore in commemoration of the 81st Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore.

Join Mr Jeya Ayadurai MBE and Mr Gautam Hazarika for this talk. Receive new insights on the Battle for Singapore, and get a glimpse into the lives of Civilian Internees and POWs in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation from 1942 - 1945, through an examination of first-hand accounts.

🎟️: https://linktr.ee/battlebox

17/02/2023

17 February 1942.

Two days after the Surrender of Singapore to the Japanese, thousands of Australian and British prisoners-of-war, and European civilians, were ordered to march to Changi, in the east of Singapore Island.

The entire Changi area became the principal prisoner-of-war (POW) camp in Southeast Asia. This encompassed Changi Prison, and Kitchener, India, Roberts, and Selarang barracks. It also served as a transit camp for POWs who were transported to other parts of the region, like Thailand and Borneo.

Troops of the Indian Army, the largest force that had defended Singapore, assembled at Farrer Park. They were held prisoners at Seletar Camp in the north.

Find out more about the consequences of Singapore's Surrender on 24 February, 6.30pm.
🎟️: https://linktr.ee/battlebox

15/02/2023

in 1942, the British unconditionally surrender to the Imperial Japanese Army in Singapore.

Faced with depleting supplies of food, water and ammunition, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival and his senior staff officers of Malaya Command made the decision to surrender in the last Allied stronghold - the Battlebox.

They left the Battlebox in the afternoon and headed for the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah.

Upon surrender, Singapore came under Japanese military occupation, and was renamed Syonan-to, or "Light of the South".

Come to the Battlebox to learn how and why Singapore fell in just 70 days.

08/02/2023

The Battlebox and Haw Par Villa have jointly organised a two-part talk series on the Defence and Fall of Singapore in commemoration of the 81st Anniversary of the Fall of Singapore.

Why did the Singapore Strategy ultimately fail? Was the British defence strategy flawed from the beginning, or did other factors contribute? Join Professor Farrell as he delves into the topic and shares his invaluable insights on the Failure of the Singapore Strategy and its contribution to the ignominious Fall of Singapore.

🎟️: https://linktr.ee/battlebox

07/02/2023

Explore the importance of Fort Canning Hill in the defence and security of Singapore from the 14th Century until the end of World War II.

Learn about the historical signifiance of Fort Canning Hill and how its history is closely linked with the rise and fall of ancient Singapore. Gain access to the Battlebox, an authentic World War II underground bunker, where the fateful decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese was made on 15 February 1942.

🎟️: https://linktr.ee/battlebox

19/01/2023