The Battle of Singapore, which took place in 1942, saw the capture of Singapore by the Japanese and the largest British surrender in history. With an effective attack strategy and mastery over their arsenal, the Japanese forces triumphed on air and at sea, sinking both the HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse on 10 December 1941. The Imperial Japanese army also covered huge tracts of ground on bicycles, taking the British by surprise on land.
From 8 December 1941 onwards, 11 relentless air raids on mainland Singapore left thousands of civilian casualties in their wake. The British surrender, led by Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival, finally took place on 15 February 1942 at the Ford Motor Factory on Upper Bukit Timah Road.
Find out more about this period of our history and how it has shaped how we remember every 15 February since, with the National Archives of Singapore’s curated selection of photographs, audio visual clips and oral history interviews.
Audiovisual Recordings
1. Compilation Of World War II Footage 1941-1945 (Tape 1 of 3)
Date: 1942
Acc No. 2005004595
Footage Farm, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
This archival footage shows Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival leading a British delegation to the Ford Motor Factory on Upper Bukit Timah Road. It was in the factory’s boardroom where Percival surrendered Singapore unconditionally to Lieutenant-General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Imperial Japanese Army on 15 February 1942. Today, the historic Former Ford Factory houses a permanent gallery exhibition. Titled Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies, this World War Two exhibition which is presented by the National Archives of Singapore, documents the fall of Singapore and the experiences of those who lived during the dark days of the Japanese Occupation.
2. News (15/02/1992)
Date: 1992
Acc No. 1992000260
Mediacorp Pte Ltd, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
15 February 1992 marked the 50th anniversary of the fall of Singapore. This news report features the memorial services held at the Kranji War Memorial and the Cenotaph, which were attended by war veterans, ex-Prisoners-of-War, and family members of those who died during the war.
3. News 5 At Seven (15/02/1999)
Date: 1999
Acc No. 1999000091
Mediacorp Pte Ltd, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
Launched in 1984, ‘Total Defence’ drives home the message that every Singaporean has a part to play in the security and defence of the country – be it in the areas of Military, Economic, Civil, Social, Psychological or Digital defence. Total Defence Day is observed on 15 February every year, on the anniversary of Singapore’s surrender during World War II. This news report shows some of the activities held in schools to commemorate the occasion.
Photographs
1. Lieutenant General Percival (right) and other British officers on the way to Ford Factory at Bukit Timah to surrender, marking the beginning of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore.
Quah We Ho Collection, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
2. Group photograph of a Japanese language class during the Japanese Occupation. During this period, some schools were converted into Japanese language schools as the people of Syonan were encouraged to learn Japanese.
Soh Chuan Lam Collection, courtesy of the National Archives of Singapore
Oral History Interviews
1. Oral History Interview with Alias bin Osman, Former Malayan Heiho, Interviewed in 1984
Acc No. 498
The situation in Malacca at the Bukit Asahan Malacca Rubber Co. Ltd. estate, when the British surrendered
2. Oral History Interview with Dr Benjamin Chew, Former Doctor at the Singapore General Hospital, Interviewed in 1983
Acc No. 346
Patients who were treated at the Singapore General Hospital after the sinking of the HMS Repulse and the HMS Prince of Wales
3. Oral History Interview with Chu Shuen Choo, Former Teacher, Interviewed in 1984
Acc No. 462
The first air-raid by the Japanese over Singapore, and the description of air-raid shelters where she lived in Katong
Declassified Government Files
1. Food Control Reports
Period: 10/09/1945 - 25/01/1946
File Reference: BMA 12-45-2
Creating agency: British Military Administration file
This file reports on the food control situation after the Japanese Occupation, including a report on the foodstuffs that were controlled during the Japanese Occupation.
2. Black Market Action Trade In H.M. Goods Smuggling
Period: 09/11/1945 - 23/11/1945
File Reference: ChA 45-1945
Creating agency: British Military Administration file
This file describes the black market situation for essential items including food after the Japanese Occupation.