80th Anniversary of the
Fall of Singapore
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15 February 2022 - Exactly 80 years ago, on 15 February 1942, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival, General Officer Commanding of Malaya Command, the Allied army which defended Malaya and Singapore during World War II, made the decision to surrender to the Japanese 25th Army at the Battlebox in Fort Canning Hill. The surrender that took place at the Ford Factory in Bukit Timah came after 70 days of ferocious fighting in Malaya and Singapore. It heralded the start of three and a half years of military occupation.
This event is the fourth time since 2015 that representatives of former combatant nations – Singapore, Allied nations in the Commonwealth, and Japan – collaborated to organise a Commemoration Ceremony in the spirit of reconciliation and healing. Their collaboration acknowledges that all nations have suffered in World War II, and that after 80 years, former combatants are moving into the future as friends and firm partners in peace. The Committee comprises the High Commissions of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom; the Embassy of Japan; Commonwealth War Graves Commission; Singapore Civil Defence Force and Sport Singapore; the Battlebox and Singapore History Consultants Pte Ltd; Haw Par Villa and Journeys Pte Ltd. In compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, physical participation in the Ceremony was by invitation only. However, the ceremony was livestreamed for a global audience. |
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