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The park overlooks Orchard Road and is set in the heart of the Civic and Cultural District of Singapore, and it now offers a variety of recreational activities as well as historical, educational, entertainment and cultural experiences, and is also used as a place for social events. The park also serves as an important green lung for Singapore's downtown city area.

In around 1330, the Chinese traveller Wang Dayuan visited the island of Singapore, then called Temasek. Ban Zu, located on a hill behind Long Ya Men, is thought to be today's Fort Canning Hill. In contrast to the inhabitants of Long Ya Men who were described as being prone to acts of piracy, the people of Ban Zu were described as honest. The people were said to "wear their hair short, with turban of gold-brocaded satin", and they also wore red-coloured cloths and had a leader. It is now believed that the Fort Canning Hill area was once occupied by a palace with various buildings of political, religious and commercial significance.

Historical sources also indicate that around the end of the 14th century, Singapura was attacked by either the Majapahit or the Siamese, forcing its ruler Parameswara to move on to Melaka where he founded the Sultanate of Malacca. Archaeological evidence suggests that the settlement on Fort Canning was abandoned around this time, although a small trading settlement continued in Singapore for some time afterwards. Ruins of the settlement on Fort Canning Hill were still visible in the early 19th century and described by the Resident John Crawfurd who also found shards of pottery and Chinese coins, the earliest of which dating to 10th century Song Dynasty. Crawfurd described the ruins of a square terrace of 40 feet (12 m) square that may have been a temple near the top of the hill, with another terrace almost as big on the northern slope of the hill said to the tombs of a Malay king, Iskandar Shah. In 1928, a cache of Javanese-style gold ornaments dating to the mid-14th century were discovered at Fort Canning Hill while workers were excavating for a reservoir.
Fast forwarding to 1961, a new fort was built due to security concerns and after the old fort was destroyed.

The area became known as Central Park in 1972 when the land previously used by the British armed forces was combined with King George V Park. The park was then renamed Fort Canning Park on 1 November 1981 by Lee Kuan Yew, and converted into an historical park.

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Background
Sentosa is currently a resort island off the south coast of Singapore. It was previously a fishing village, the site of a military installation with artillery batteries and a prisoner-of-war camp during the Japanese Occupation (1942–1945). Developed as a resort from the 1970s, Sentosa now features attractions such as theme parks and a casino, as well as hotels and residences.

History
Sentosa was historically known as Pulau Blakang Mati (Directly translated to: Island of Behind Death). Originally, due to the island's strategic location, it was a location for protection of shipping into Keppel Harbour and was included in defence plans as early as 1827. 3 forts were built in the 1800s - Fort Serapong, Connaught and Siloso - and the Mount Imbiah Battery was also constructed. By 1930s, the island was significantly fortified and served as the base for Royal Artillery units in Singapore.

WW2 - 1942 - 1945
Despite the well fortified base, the British fell to the Japanese and now the Japanese occupies the island. It was used during Operation Sook Ching.

Operation Sook Ching
Shortly after the Japanese occupy Singapore, Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita issued orders to take in Chinese Citizen who are:
1.) Member of the volunteer force;
2.)Communist;
3.)Looters;
4.)Possessing arms; and
5.)Have names appeared in lists of anti-Japanese suspects maintained by Japanese intelligence.

Those who were taken in are brought to places like Blakang Mati where they are executed from behind and tossed to see.

Aftermath
After the world war, Blakang Mati became the base of the 1st Singapore Regiment of the Royal Artillery (1st SRRA), a unit of local enlistee, and also served as a base for basic military training for other enlisted men. In the year 1966, a team of researchers researched potential uses of the island in a S$1.2-million study. In 1970s-1980s, the government invested S$11.5-million to develop Sentosa into a resort as a tourist attractor. From 1990s onwards, Sentosa went through a lot of refining and upgrades through activities like reclamation of land and improving past mistakes and accidents that occured until what it is today. Not many knew the past of the Island of Sentosa for now, it is the most successful Resort in the whole South East Asia and how it has helped Singapore to be the richest country in the world today.

Sources:
National Library Board

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Former Ford Factory
351 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588192

Some background history about the place:
The Ford Motor Company of Malaya (also known as Ford Malaya) was established in Singapore in 1926. Its factory was relocated from Anson Road to a site on Upper Bukit Timah Road in 1941,  and the new Ford Factory became the first motorcar assembly plant in Southeast Asia. The building was designed by Emile Brizay, a French structural engineer who was also involved in the construction of the Church of St Teresa on Kampong Bahru Road.

Past:
On 15 February 1942(Now Total Defence Day), the British uncondittionally surrendered to the British in this factory because of the various strategic blunders the British made in protecting Singapore. Which includes the dispatch of wrong information and the underestimation of the Japanese Army. During the Malayan Campaign, the factory's modern assembly equipment was used by the Royal Air Force to assemble fighter planes. The planes came in parts that were shipped to Singapore in crates. However, most of these aircraft never fulfilled their purpose of defending Malaya. They were flown out of Singapore towards the end of January 1942, when the chances of winning were almost zero.   Many battles were fought around the areas of the Ford Factory in Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Batok and Bukit Timah. The factory was subsequently taken over by the Imperial Japanese Army and used as its military headquarters. Following the British surrender, Japanese forces relocated its headquarters to Raffles College along Bukit Timah Road.
During the Japanese occupation of Singapore, the factory was also designated as Japanese facility(Also known as Butai)

The Board room or the Surrender room is left intact in the Factory. the table which both the Japanese and British sat on is now at the Austrailian war memorial in Caneberra . Nissan, which was then a prominent Japanese multinational company(It was a zaibatsu that had a lot of control over the politics and government in Japan) , took over the plant to assemble trucks and other vehicles for the Japanese military.These trucks were used to transport weaponry and soliders
Now:
In 2005, $10 million was pumped to make this place a museum. On 2017, after another year long revamp, the place was officially re-re-opned(YES. IT WAS REOPENED TWICE) on Total Defence Day.

The  exhibition is called
Syonan Gallery: War and its Legacies

Sources: Me and Infopedia

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Background:

Town Hall was built from 1855 to 1862. Town Hall not only had a theatre but also had offices and meeting room above it. However, due to the demand of space needed, in 1893 offices had to moved out. The memorial hall for Queen Victoria was built and connected to Town Hall by a clock tower.

During WW2

Victoria Memorial Hall was used as a makeshift hospital for the injured and to be use as a safe shelter for survivors of the bombings before the fall of Singapore. Victoria Theatre still continued as a place were public performances are held at even when Singapore was under the Japanese Occupation.

After WW2

Victoria Memorial Hall was used for war crime trials from 1946 to 1947. From 1978 onwards, it was a venue for members of the public to cast their votes for elections. The newly formed People’s Action Party used the Victoria Hall as a meeting place on 21 November 1954. Victoria Memorial Hall was also a place for many exhibitions, including an exhibition in 1962 that shows the different designs and proposal for the Civilian War Memorial. On 15 February 1963, Television Singapura, Singapore’s pilot television broadcasting service, was launched at Victoria Theatre and Memorial hall.

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Background

From as early as the 13th century, the waterway in Keppel Bay had been used as a passage for ships sailing from the Straits of Malacca to the South China Sea. The first English references to the waterway appeared in the 17th century although their small number suggests infrequent use of it.

History

In September 1819, William Farquhar, whom Sir Stamford Raffles appointed as the first Resident of Singapore, reported that he discovered a ‘new harbour’ to the west of the settlement.

In 1848, Captain Henry Keppel discovered the sheltered, deep water harbour onboard the vessel, Meander. Repairs on the Meander were the first carried out in the harbour, known as New Harbour, where the Tanjong Pagar wharves would later be built. That name remained until 1900, when Keppel, then the Admiral, visited Singapore again. To honour him, the acting Governor, Sir Alexander Swettenham, renamed the harbour Keppel.

The development of the harbour in mid-19th century in Singapore led to the prosperity of the island.

With independence in 1963, the Port of Singapore Authority (PSA) was formed. The Singapore Drydocks and Engineering Company was set up in 1968 to take over the Dockyard Department of the PSA. On 23 August 1968, the name of the company was changed to Keppel Shipyard (Private) Limited.

Keppel Shipyard’s first yard in Telok Blangah occupied what is now Caribbean at Keppel Bay, Reflections at Keppel Bay and the Keppel Island across the bridge. The shipyard operations have since been relocated to Keppel’s facilities in Tuas, Jurong.

Keppel Shipyard is today part of Keppel Offshore & Marine, one of the world’s leading offshore and marine groups with a global network of 20 yards and offices.

Current Day

Keppel Bay is well-poised to transform Singapore’s southern shoreline into a world-class waterfront precinct. When fully-developed, it will comprise of more than 2,600 homes, among them is Reflections at Keppel Bay, iconic waterfront residential development designed by the world renowned architect, Daniel Libeskind and the FIABCI award-winning Caribbean at Keppel Bay. With a blend of residential, shopping, leisure, entertainment, offices and dedicated marina amenities, Keppel Bay is envisaged to be a vibrant, integrated waterfront hub for live, work and play.

Keppel Bay enjoys the rare confluence of location strengths – of being near the city yet within one of Singapore’s best-loved nature and recreation enclaves. Combining the best in waterfront and urban lifestyles, Keppel Bay redefines premier waterfront living befitting Singapore’s position as a vibrant global city.

History of Keppel Bay | Marina at Keppel Bay, Singapore. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2017, from http://www.marinakeppelbay.com/about-us/history-of-keppel-bay/

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Background
Sailing aboard HMS Meander, Admiral Sir Henry Keppel is said to have ‘discovered’ the western entrance to the sheltered harbour between Blakang Mati and Singapore Island in 1848. However, it is evident that this entrance was known of by the seamen of the east for a significant period of time before Admiral Keppel came on the scene.

Lt. H.E. McCallum, Royal Engineers and a workforce comprising of local people began preparing the site for Fort Siloso in 1878. Mount Siloso which is the name of the hill at Siloso Point required levelling to create a suitable flat area for a gun platform. 19,000 pounds of gun powder to level the area for an engine shed to provide power for the guns. Fort Siloso play a role in the mutiny of Indian troops which occurred during 1915. Searchlights situated on Blakang Mati were used to illuminate parts of Singapore Island to aid loyal troops in quelling the mutiny. During World War l, Singapore Harbour also played host to Japanese warships which provided convoy escort vessels in the Mediterranean Sea for allied forces during the First World War.

During WW2
On the 8th December 1941, the Japanese landed at Kota Bahru in northern Malaya at 0215 Tokyo time, 1 hour 10min before the attack on Pearl Harbour, Oahu, Hawaii. Singapore had a powerful coastal artillery defence system, under the command of Brigadier A.D. Curtis, the Commander Fixed Defences, to deter sea borne attacks.

Twelve Coastal Batteries were on Singapore, Pulau Brani, Blakang Mati and Pulau Tekong. On the Malayan mainland at Pengerang to the south east of Pulau Tekong, was another 6-Inch Battery.

7th Coast Artillery Regiment controlled the Pasir Laba, Buona Vista, Labrador, Siloso, Connaught, Serapong, and Silingsing Batteries. 9th Coast Artillery Regiment controlled Johore, Beting Kusah, Changi, Sphinx, Tekong and Pengerang Batteries.

The gun batteries were backed-up by four RAF airfields, RAF Kallang, RAF Seletar, RAF Sembawang, RAF Tengah, and infantry soldiers. Unfortunately, the RAF had precious few aircraft, and none of them modern front-line fighters, most of them being F2A Buffalos while the Japanese possessed some of the best aircrafts in the war A6M Zeros and Ki43 Hayabusa, allied code name Oscar. More advanced British fighters like the world famous Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricanes were all stationed in Great British to defend the English Channel ,which at its narrowest point was just 20.7 miles wide near the Dover Radar Station in the Strait of Dover, against bombers, V1, V2 rockets. The infantry were desperately lacking in numbers and training, and there were no tanks. Most of the tanks were left behind as the British strongly believed that the Japanese tanks won't be able to advance through the thick forested areas. However, most of the Japanese tanks passed through without problems as due to the geography of Japan, most of their tanks had to be light and thus they had no problem getting through the forested areas. The coastal batteries of Singapore were poorly equipped with HE rounds and most of them were forced to fire AP rounds at the advancing Japanese capturing RAF Tengah. In 1942, with the exception of the Buona Vista 15-inch Battery and the southern-most (No.1 Gun) 15-Inch gun of the Johore Battery at Changi, all the guns were capable of near all-round or all-round traverse. However when the war with Japan broke out, with the exception of Changi and Sphinx Batteries, concrete overhead splinter covers had been constructed at the Singapore 6-Inch Batteries to provide additional shelter for the gunners. The concrete overhead covers had the effect of reducing the arc of fire of the guns. Sphinx Battery, with its Mark 24 Guns had a steel shield completely covering the guns and Changi Battery, which apart from its gun shield were left uncovered. The Changi Battery was due to have splinter covers installed, but when war broke out, the installation was postponed. Covers were also constructed at the Pengerang Battery. There were no impediments to the traverse of the 9.2-Inch Guns at Connaught and Tekong. All of which had been recommended more than once to bolster the defences of Singapore and Malaya. To cap it all, the north of Singapore Island had very little in the way of defensive works. Successive British Governments and the War Office in London, had for years ignored recommendations for strong defences in the north of the island and in Malaya to be built up. They had a blinkered outlook on defence, and would not accept that any attack could come from the north. It was used as a POW Camp during the occupation. The Japanese managed to salvage two 6 inch bottle cannons while the rest of the cannons got ‘spiked’ by the Allied gunners before the Japanese took control.

Post WW2

Following the Japanese surrender, Fort Siloso returned to British occupancy. In September that year, it was initially re-occupied by men of the Royal Navy. Japanese soldiers themselves now found themselves prisoners of war at the Fort (right). Their conditions of imprisonment being a lot more pleasant, and the food being more plentiful, than when they were in charge. On the disbandment of the Coastal Artillery by the British Army in May 1956, The guns were sold to local scrap dealers. Gurkha detachments manned the Fort until its return to the Singapore authorities in 1967. In that year, with the withdrawal of the British from the island, Blakang Mati was occupied by the Maritime Command of the Singapore Armed Forces. In 1972 Fort Siloso became a historical site when the Government of Singapore decided to develop Blakang Mati which was renamed as Sentosa (Island of Tranquility) for recreational purposes.

Source: Stubbs, P. W. (2017). Fort Siloso: A Coast Artillery Fort in Singapore. Retrieved June 24, 2017, from http://www.fortsiloso.com/

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The Cathay, 2 Handy Rd, Singapore 229233

Background

The 16-storey Cathay Building was designed by British architect Frank W Brewer in the 1930s. The building was the first and tallest skyscraper in Singapore and in Southeast Asia. The Cathay Building was the island's first air-conditioned cinema and public building, and where one could sit in an arm chair  a rare amenity during that time. The building was also used as a landmark for final landing approach at Singapore's first purpose-built civilian airport, Kallang Airport.

During WW2

At the beginning of World War II in 1942, the building was converted to a Red Cross casualty station. When Singapore fell to the Japanese, it was used to house the Japanese Broadcasting Department, the Military Propaganda Department, the Military Information Bureau and the broadcast department of the Indian National Army's Provisional Government of Free India during the occupation period. The Japanese utilised the building to broadcast propaganda in the Japanese language. It was also the residence of film director Yasujirō Ozu from 1944 till the end of the war.

Post War

When the war ended in 1945, it served as the headquarters for Admiral Lord Mountbatten while serving as the Supreme Allied Commander South East Asia Theatre of the South East Asia Command (SEAC). When the SEAC was disbanded a year later, the building was converted back to a cinema and a hotel. The cinema was the first to show American and British films in Singapore. A new air-conditioning plant was installed in the building in 1948.

Current Usage

The Cathay Hotel was converted into apartments in the 1950s. The building was refaced in 1978 with a new look by STS Leong. The original design was shadowed by the new facade. The main Cathay cinema was then converted into a two-hall cineplex during that period. Cathay Building and the Picturehouse showed its last movie in 2000 before closing for redevelopment.

Today, The Cathay is a protected national monument that embraces both linear Art-Deco design and modernism with a rich history. The youth-oriented shopping mall boasts a myriad of retail, dining, leisure and entertainment options. A long-time fixture in Singapore’s urban entertainment landscape, Cathay Cineplexes’ nine cinema halls, including The Grand Cathay and Platinum Movie Suites, makes it the definitive entertainment hub for young adults.

Citations

Cathay Building. (2017, June 14). Retrieved June 23, 2017, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay_Building

About. (n.d.). Retrieved June 23, 2017, from http://thecathay.com.sg/about

Hong Yih :3

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Background
Singapore Naval Base, also known as HMNB Sembawang was the main Naval Base in Singapore. It had the largest existing dry dock in the world then, and two other floating docks within the naval base.

Construction
The naval base only began rapid construction in 1931, but was stalled by the British forces before as they were confident that they could rely on China to prevent the Japanese from advancing into Asia. However, when Manchuria, a part of Northeast China was captured, the British gave the go-ahead to build the large naval base at a cost of 60 million pounds; around 2.5 billion in today's money.

Defense
It was defended by many artillery guns such as the ones at Buona Vista Battery, Changi and Johore Battery. The Johore Battery, contradictory to its name, is located along the coast of Changi and it was used heavily in defending Singapore.

Air defence relied on the RAF Tengah and RAF Sembawang.

During WW2
During the war, it was one of the first places in Singapore to come under fire by the Japanese. This was due to the close proximity of the base to Japanese-occupied Johor, Malaysia and the base's close proximity to the causeway. These two factors allowed it to come under fire and get captured easily as it was very easy for Japanese troops to travel there.

Usage in WW2
It was highly used in WW2 by the Japanese due to the facilities there. Ships were often repaired in the dry dock which was one of the largest in the world at that point in time and had leftover oil from the British Navy. Ships were often sent there after battle so that they can be repaired and whisked of to battle again.

Allied Bombing of Singapore (1944-1945)
The Americans bombed the dock to prevent the Japanese from using it further. They were somewhat successful in their attempts, with them damaging one of the dry docks, effectively reducing the base's capability by 1/3. It continued to be bombed, as well as a few other military installations on the island.

The Japanese had attempted to turn this into propaganda, but it had failed drastically. The locals' morale was raised as they had viewed the bombing as a sign that the allies were winning and they would be free from Japanese control and suppression soon.

Post-War
The base was handed over to the British upon surrender of Singapore. When Singapore became independent from British rule and the troops were slowly withdrawn, the base was handed to the Singapore government and was subsequently converted into a shipyard, known as Sembawang shipyard, belonging to Sembcorp Marine.

Location: Entrances and exits are staggered along Admiralty Road West, depending on the service that the company requires.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Naval_Base
AND
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Singapore_(1944%E2%80%9345)

Done By: Keanric

The above post is protected by Copyright. As it is an Academic post for School Work, it may be re-published without any form of quotation.

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The Old Hill Street Police Station  is a historic building in Singapore, and is located at Hill Street in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.

Past
From 1915 to 1935, the Singapore Police Force went through a reorganization and several police stations were built to deal with increasing Chinese secret society activities. This led to the construction of the Hill Street Police Station building, which was completed in 1934. The building was designed by Frank Dorrington Ward, then chief architect of the Public Works Department (1930–1939). It occupied the site of Singapore's first prison, and the old Assembly Rooms of the Town Hall It became the second police station in the pre-war years, other than Pearl’s Hill Police Station, to have living quarters for police personnel. In 1935, on the 25th anniversary of the reign of King George V, the building was briefly renamed the Silver Jubilee Building to commemorate the occasion.

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Background
The area around kranji was primarily mangrove swamps and tropical forest intersected by streams and inlets. The shorline between the kranji river and johor nearly four kilometers long was defended bu the Australian 27th Brigade which was led by Australian Brigadier Duncan Maxwell.
Past

In order to breach the Jurong-Kranji defence line as part of the japanese soldiers' southward thrust towards the heart of Singapore, they had to secure a second beachhead after their successful assault at Sarimbun Beach on 8th February. Hence, they assaulted the north-western front of the British colony of Singapore. During the early hours on 10th February, the Japanese forces suffered their heaviest losses. While moving up the kranji river, they were under heavy fire from Australian machine gunners and mortar teams. They were also surrounded by oil slicks which were set alight by Allied small arms fire, causing many of the japanese soldiers to be burnt alive. Maxwell who had limited communication with his division headquarters and constantly retreated from the seafront which allowed the japanese to land in and take control of kranji village.

Current day

Kranji is now a reservoir in the northern part of Singapore, near the straits of Johor. It is now a historical site, a war memorial which tells visitors of the historical and violent past.

Source :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kranji

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85 Sultan Gate, Singapore 198501

Istana Kampong Glam, is a former Malay Palace in Singapore. It is located near Masjid Sultan in Kampong Glam. The palace and compounds were refurbished into the Malay Heritage Centre in 2004. The palace is gazetted as a national monument on the eve of Singapore's Golden Jubilee, on 6 August 2015.

Some attribute the design of the Istana to George D. Coleman as the architectural style seemed reflective of his work. The building is painted a strong yellow, the colour of Malay royalty. The entrance to Istana Kampong Glam is by Sultan Gate, off Beach Road.

In 1896, Sultan Ali's three wives settled in court their dispute over the rights to the Istana Kampong Glam estate. In 1897, the court repealed this privilege of land ownership and ruled that no one could claim to be a successor. Hence, the estate belonged to the colony of Singapore and not to the sultan's descendants, although they were allowed to continue living there. In accordance with Section 2 of the 1904 Sultan Hussain Ordinance (Cap. 382), the land at Kampong Glam reverted to the state and became state property on 1 January 1905. It is administered by the land office in the same manner as other state land in Singapore.

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istana_Kampong_Glam

http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_101_2004-12-24.html

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351 Upper Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 588192

Background History
The Former Ford Factory was owned by Ford Motor Company of Malaya, which was a subsidiary of the Ford Motor Company of Canada.
It moved to the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah from a railway warehouse on Prince Edward Road. The new factory had good access to means of transportation via the main road that lead from south to north of Singapore and also a railway, allowing products to be exported to other parts of the region easily.

War Efforts during WW2
Ford Factory started producing military vehicles in 1940 to help support the British in the war efforts against the invading Japanese. The British Royal Air Force (RAF) also used the Ford Factory to assemble their fighter aircraft in the wake of the Malayan Campaign, where Japanese made an offensive in Kota Bahru, north of the former Malayan Peninsula. However, the aircraft never got into action against the Japanese as Singapore was doomed for capitulation, therefore they were flown out of the region to escape the Japanese takeover of Singapore. Just before Singapore fell to the Japanese, General Tomoyuki Yamashita, Commander of the 25th Japanese army, made Ford Factory as the Japanese military headquarters for future production of military vehicles which would be used by the Japanese.

Singapore's Surrender
The defending forces were unable to cope with the Japanese rampage. Supplies, ammunition and manpower were running out and LG Percival held a commanders' conference in the Malaya Command's Headquarters at Fort Canning Hill. After discussion that their troops could no longer sustain the fight, they decided to surrender. On the ill fated day, 15 February 1942, at 11:30am, a British deputation with a Union Jack and a white flag sought out to invite LG Yamashita to Fort Canning Hill to discuss surrender terms. However, the Japanese refused and demanded that LG Percival meet at their headquarters at 4:30pm.
The British arrived at the Japanese headquarters half an hour late due to war along the way. Percival tried to negotiate the terms of surrender. One of them was to leave 1000 armed men from the British army to keep order in the city. However, LG Yamashita gave no signs of giving in and demanded unconditional surrender, where failure to comply would result in an immediate night attack. At 6:10pm, Percival had no choice but to sign the surrender document, decreeing that he agrees to the terms set by the Japanese. It was the largest capitulation for the British and the worst loss for the Australians.

Japanese Occupation
During the three years and seven months of Japanese ruling, Nissan was designated at the plant to assemble trucks and military vehicles for use by Japanese.

Post War Usage
When Singapore was handed back to the British following the bombing of Japan, the British Army used the Ford Factory to repair engine parts and carry out precision tasks. It was handed back to the Ford Motor Company of Malaya, and occupied it until 1980, where the company moved out of Singapore.

Current Usage
The building was transferred to the state in 1997. The factory houses a permanent exhibition and is also conferred a National Monument on the 15 February 2006. It underwent a revamp in 2016, and then reopened on the 15 February 2017 as the Syonan Gallery: War and Its Legacies.

Sources:

https://roots.sg/Content/Places/national-monuments/former-ford-factory

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/world-war-ii-exhibition-to-reopen-on-feb-16-at-former-ford-factory

https://roots.sg/~/media/Roots/Files/world-war-2/world-war-2-trail-booklet.pdf?la=en

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27 Cosford Rd, Singapore 499549

Background History:
The Johore Battery was a fort for three large naval guns installed by the British government during the 1930s as an effort to defend Singapore's Naval Base.

Preparation.
In preparation of World War 2 (WW2), the British government knew that Japan had a strong and powerful Naval force, and thus installed five huge naval guns around Singapore, two of which were located in Bouna Vista, and the remaining three were installed in Changi, which formed the Johore Battery. This was the largest Naval guns ever installed outside of Britain during 1939 in order to protect Singapore's Naval Base at that time, located in Sembawang. The tunnel consists of many tunnels and was also used to store armour-piercing ammunition for the guns. In order to achieve this, the British government used  £400,000 worth of donations that the Sultan of Johore, Sultan Ibrahim I, gave to King George V, and as a result, the battery was named after him.

WW2.
Although built for the usage of Naval defence, the naval guns were used in the bombardment of Johor Bahru, which was held by the Japanese at that time after British Troops were forced to retreat back into Singapore. However, they were destroyed even before the official surrender of the British Army on 15th February 1942 and the tunnels were sealed up.

Discovery and Aftermath.
The Johore Battery was left undiscovered, up till April 1991, when the Singapore Prisons Department re-discovered them by chance. As conservation efforts, a replica of the large gun and a dummy 15-inch shell is located at the former site of the Johore Battery.

Source(s).
http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1073_2010-05-07.html

~Enzo

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30 Kranji Way, Singapore 739440
Background History:
The modern Kranji Reservoir Park is right next to Sungei Buloh wetland reserve. In 1942, it was one of the sites of the battle between the British and the Japanese. This battle is now commonly known as the Battle of Kranji. A memorial now stands in the center of the park to commemorate the battle.

The Battle of Kranji
On the morning of 10 February 1942, troops from the 4th regiment of the Japanese Imperial Guards landed when the tide was low. As the Allied troops had emptied the oil from the nearby Woodlands Oil Depot onto the swampland, they were stuck in the mud and oil. The Allied troops set fire to the oil subsequently, burning the first waves of Japanese troops alive.

However, for fear of being cut off by the Japanese landing from the west at Sarimbun and Jurong, the Australian troops and the DALFORCE volunteers were ordered to withdraw south, allowing the Japanese to take over, resulting in an overall Japanese victory.
Sources:
The memorial
https://www.nparks.gov.sg/gardens-parks-and-nature/parks-and-nature-reserves/kranji-reservoir-park

Modern day

Kranji Reservoir Park is now a small park right next to the Kranji Tidal Gates and the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve. Most evidences of the battle have been wiped out, although a memorial stands in the center of the park. There are also two fishing ponds, and a panoramic view across the sea to Malaysia.

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Alexander Hospital/British Military Hospital 

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Alexander Hospital/British Military Hospital 

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3778 Alexandra Road, 159964
History:
The British Military Hospital (BMH) was established in 1938 by the British Armed Forces, serving as the principal hospital for the British in the Far East during World War II. At the time of its opening, it was considered “the most up-to-date and one of the largest military hospitals outside Great Britain”, with 356 beds and accompanying medical, surgical and officer wards. The 32nd Company of the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) and 30 Queen Alexandra Nursing Sisters served as hospital staff. (Quoted by http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_568_2005-01-24.html?s=Events%3E%3EHistorical%20Periods%3E%3EWorld%20War%20II%20and%20Japanese%20Occupation%20(1939-1945))
Past/Japanese Occupation:
The British Military Hospital had a normal capacity for 550 patients but the battle for Singapore had increased the numbers to 900 patients.[4] The men of the 32nd Company of the Royal Army Medical Corps were toiling in the hospital under the harsh conditions. Water was rationed, torches and lights were used only for medical procedures, and corpses wrapped in blankets remained unburied.

The hospital had been under heavy Japanese shelling since the morning of 14 February 1942. At 1:00 in the afternoon the first Japanese soldier came into sight and started approaching the hospital. A British officer walked out to meet him while gesturing towards his Red Cross arm band as an internationally recognised symbol to protect military medical personnel during armed conflicts.The Japanese soldier ignored this and fired at the officer but failed to hit him. The officer ran back inside but by then more Japanese soldiers had surrounded the hospital.

For about one hour, three large groups of Japanese soldiers attacked the hospital. They went from room to room shooting, bayoneting and beating up doctors, orderlies and patients indiscriminately. They even slaughtered an anaesthetised patient who was still lying on the operating table. 50 men were annihilated at the first round.Around 3:30 p.m., 200 men were rounded up, tied into groups of eight and forced to march toward a row of buildings some distance from the hospital. The gravely injured were not spared and were killed if they fell along the way.

Upon reaching their destination, which was a row of outhouses, the men were divided into groups of 50 to 70 people they were divided into three extremely tiny rooms. There was no ventilation and there was an extreme shortage of water. They had neither space to sit nor lie down. Under these terrible conditions, some men died during the night. The following morning, the remaining men were told that they would receive water. By 11:00 a.m. the Japanese captors pretended to allow the prisoners to leave the rooms in groups of two to fetch drinking water. However, the true intents of the Japanese was to execute the prisoners as they left the rooms, it became clear that the Japanese were executing the prisoners when they left the rooms. 100 prisoners died during the executions.

Out of the blue, Japanese shelling resumed and a shell struck the building where the prisoners were being held. This interrupted the executions and allowed some of the men to flee. (Quoted by http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2014-04-07_090735.html)
Now:

After the Japanese Surrender in 1945, a book was kept in the Hospital. It contained the names of the victims who were massacred by the Japanese. The present location of the book is not known.

After World War II up to the 1970s, the Alexandra remained as one of the most modern hospitals in Singapore right to the 1970s, and is now a part of the National University of Singapore Medical School.

(Quoted by https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Military_Hospital,_Singapore

- Glenn

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http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_875_2004-12-10.html
Author:
Wong Heng

History:
As trade flourished in Singapore with the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it was deemed necessary to protect Singapore’s port. Although the 1827 report by Captain Edward Lake of the Bengal Engineers had considered building a fort on Pulau Blakang Mati, the construction of a fort on the island take place until 1878. Two years earlier, William Jervois, then governor of the Straits Settlements, had expanded upon Singapore’s defence plans. His successor, William Robinson, further developed the defence strategy and saw to the construction of new forts.

Japanese Occupation:
Although built to defend the land against sea invasion from the south, the guns were used ultimately to defend against land invasion during World War II. When the Japanese army invaded Singapore from the west, the guns at Fort Siloso were turned 180 degrees inland and fired at Japanese positions and troops who were advancing towards the city from the Tengah Air Base. Unfortunately, the guns were also used to fire against compatriots who were mistaken for the enemy, as they were attempting to retreat from the overrun Pasir Laba Battery back to British lines via sea.
The fort’s guns were also used to destroy the oil tanks in Pulau Bukom and Pulau Sebarok with the impending fall of Singapore.17 During the Occupation, the fort was used as a prisoner-of-war camp.

Postwar Development:
After the Japanese surrender, the Royal Navy occupied the fort in 1946, and its guns were manned by the 1st Malay Coast Battery and the Royal Artillery. Gurkha detachments took over manning the guns when the 1st Malay Coast Battery and the Royal Artillery were disbanded.
Fort Siloso was manned by the 10th Gurkha Rifles to prevent Indonesian saboteurs from landing on Sentosa and Keppel Harbour during the Indonesia–Malaysia Confrontation (1963–66), when Indonesia launched a series of attacks to obstruct the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.Later, Fort Siloso became a Catholic retreat centre for British forces until 1967, when Sentosa was handed over to the Singapore government with the withdrawal of British forces. Fort Siloso then came under the command of the Singapore Armed Forces. Today, Fort Siloso has been converted into a military museum, displaying its history and guns. Other coastal guns from different parts of Singapore have been brought here for display.

-Noah

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Important Points to Remember:
1.Pasir Panjang beach is the place where Pasir Panjang fort is located at.
2. It is one of the easier places for the Japanese Navy to invade Singapore.
3. It was at the South of Singapore.

Past
It was during the 1930s. Japan was heavily militarising its Navy and was expressing interest in taking over Asia, beginning with China(The second Sino-Japanese War). Which caused distress and worry to the British, which occupied much of the area in Asia, saw that Singapore was extremely vulnerable of being invaded through Pasir Panjang beach. Therefore they started heavily fortifying Fort Pasir Panjang adding machine-gun emplacements, artillery-gun casemates, barbed-wire entanglements were built and set up along with a fence running along the entire length of the beach and the artillery and coastal-defence guns were also upgraded, such as the installation of two six-inch naval guns, which individually weighed 37 tonnes and not to mention the installation of lighting fixtures to spot enemies in the dark.
They thought that there would be no chance for the Japanese to invade Singapore, since the South was heavily fortified and would be difficult to invade, while the Northern side was protected by the thick jungle in Malaysia, which was thought to be a natural barrier.
However, during the invasion of Malaya, the Japanese Army invaded the entire British Malaya, before crossing the Straits of Johore and invading Singapore from the North which was a big surprise for the British which had allocated the bulk of their resources into the Southern Beach, which meant that they were already under-prepared for this battle, and was in chaos, allowing the Japanese to make an amphibious landing onto Sarimbun beach and attack the last stronghold on Pasir Panjang Ridge, which lead to the eventual surrender of the British Forces. In the end the only thing that Fort Pasir Panjang was used for was as weapon storage and shelter, while its many cannons and guns was left wasted and unused.
However, before the Japanese took over, Fort Pasir Panjang was dismantled and destroyed by the remaining British soldiers and was closed down, and was left unused throughout the Japanese occupation.

Post-Japanese Occupation
After the Japanese Occupation, Labrador Beach was not as popular as it is now, due to the large cliff which made it difficult to enter the rocky beach. However, some people still chose to go there. In 1951, the government designated that Labrador Beach would be one of five areas to become a nature reserve areas, which attracted many visitoes.

Conclusion
The mistake that the British made to reinforce Fort Pasir Panjang was a big player in the fall of Singapore, and was due to the lack of proper planning, false information and the trickery of the Japanese. Which caused them to believe that the Japanese would come through the South.

Sources
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/singapore/world_war_2_military_site/91/the_labrador_battery_now_the_labrador_park_pasir_panjang.php

http://www.pacificwaranimated.com/Malaysia.html

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2 Cox Terrace, Singapore 179622

Some background history about the place:

The Battlebox is a former WWII British underground command centre inside Fort Canning Hill in the heart of Singapore City.

Past:
The hill commanded a good view of the surrounding land and sea. At the time, the hill was known as Bukit Larangan, Malay for “Forbidden Hill” – commoners were forbidden from ascending it. The British arrive and set up a port. Because of its ideal location, Bukit Larangan is chosen as the site of the Governor’s house. Hence, Bukit Larangan is renamed Government Hill. With the construction of more forts along the southern coastline of Singapore, Fort Canning becomes redundant and is demolished in 1926. The British immediately replace it with new command headquarters and barracks. The headquarters are for Malaya Command, the army coordinating the defence of British Malaya and Singapore.

Japanese Occupation:
As war loomed in the 1930s, the British decide to construct an underground command centre under Fort Canning Hill to serve Malaya Command. This top-secret, self-sufficient, bombproof bunker is completed sometime between 1936 and 1941. Britain is forced to dedicate most of its resources to protecting its home islands, leaving precious little to defend its overseas colonies – including Singapore. After a few days, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival, General Officer Commanding of Malaya Command, moves his command into the Fort Canning bunker, known as the "Battlebox". It is in the Battlebox that Lieutenant-General Percival makes the decision to surrender Singapore and an army of 120,000 men to the Japanese.

Now:
Intrepid Straits Times journalist Romen Bose “rediscovers” the Battlebox through an exposé published in the broadsheet. Thereafter, the Battlebox is refurbished and reopened as a tourist attraction. But was soon closed.  Then, Singapore History Consultants opens the Battlebox Visitor Centre, the gateway to 700 years of history on Fort Canning Hill. The Battlebox finally reopens to the public. Singapore History Consultants will do its best to preserve this national treasure for future generations.
-Edison
http://www.battlebox.com.sg/

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24 Halton Rd, Singapore 506997

Some background about the place:

The old changi hospital was a military hospital used during ww2 to take care of the wounded, mainly japanese military personnel. However, it was also privately used by the Kempeitai (Japanese secret police) as a prison camp where they used it as a torture centre. It was later recaptured by the British after the war. However, it was never the same. Many paranormal reports and sightings were probably tied with what the secret police did during the war to the POWs.

Past
It was built in 1935 to serve the British Royal Air Force, during which time it was called the RAF Hospital. When the war broke out, the British withdrew from the hospital, leaving it unguarded, only to be taken over by the Japanese, where they took in injured Japanese and prisoners of war or anyone that was "anti Japanese". There, they would torture the prisoners of war until death, and sometimes, they would sever the heads of the prisoners and impale them on iron rods outside the hospital. After the war, the British took it back and in 1965 when Singapore became independent, it was renamed ANZUK hospital (Australian, New Zealand, United Kingdom). However, it was never the same. 10 years later it was handed over to the SAF. In 1997 it was shut downed and abandoned. Even when companies tried to buy over the land to rebuild it, plans fell due to the spectral inhabitants. From then on it has attained a reputation for its hauntings and unusual happenings

Now
The place is abandoned and still haunted by the apparitions of the Japanese. The hauntings are said to be more prominent in other areas of the hospital such as the emergency room and places where the Japanese supposedly tortured their victims. People who have explored the area have claimed to have seen bloody figures of the soldiers, hearing disembodied screams, and seeing shadow figures.

Sources: https://the-line-up.com/old-changi-hospital-haunted/