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Source:
www.publicistpr.com |
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National Monument Old Ford
Motor Factory Reopens as Newest World War II Attraction |
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64 years after the British surrendered to
the Japanese forces at the old Ford Motor Factory, the national monument
will now reopen as a new World War II exhibition gallery. |
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Adding to the eight institutions under the
National Heritage Board (NHB), Memories at Old Ford Factory provides
unique insights into the heroic struggle of our forefathers, the tragedy
and drama of their life during the Japanese Occupation. |
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Many of the archival photographs, oral
history interviews, maps and artefacts from the National Archives of
Singapore will be showcased for the first time. |
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To mark its new lease of life, Minister for
Defence Mr Teo Chee Hean officially opened the gallery on Thursday, 16
February at 7 pm |
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History was made on 15 February 1942 when
Lieutenant General A.E. Percival of the British Army surrendered to
Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita of the Japanese Forces at the
Board Room of the Ford Factory. |
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This historically significant room together
with the art deco styled building has been specially preserved. |
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The winding driveway leading to the building
- hailed as the ¡°ceremonial route that the British Forces took on the
day of the surrender¡± ¨C will also be preserved as prescribed by the
Preservation of Monuments Board |
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Measuring 420 square metres, the gallery
comprises the Board Room, 10 thematic sections and a state-of-the-art
audio-visual theatre that seats 70. |
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The restoration work and building of a new
repository block on the premise took 24 months and cost S$10.32 million
to complete. |
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The opening sections ¨C ¡°The Malayan
Campaign¡± (located outdoors), ¡±Terrifying Last Days¡±, ¡±The Surrender:
Fall Of The Impregnable Fortress¡±, ¡°The Rise Of A New Imperialism: The
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere¡±, and ¡°Resisting The Rising Sun¡±
examine the various aspects leading to the Japanese domination of Asia. |
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¡°Living Under The Rising Sun¡± recounts the
various facets of life during the Occupation years. These include the
mass screenings, the restructuring of the economy, ¡¯Japanisation¡¯, the
grave shortage of food as well as critical health problems faced during
the Japanese administration. |
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Section Seven ¡°Riding the Japanese Tiger¡±
explores the establishment of the Indian National Army or INA and the
role it had in India¡¯s fight for independence. |
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The rise of resistance groups and operations
such as Force 136 and ¡®Operation Rimau¡¯ will be featured in section
Eight ¨C ¡°The Empire Strikes Back¡±: With the formal surrender of the
Japanese in Singapore on 12 September 1945, section Nine, ¡°The
Surrender: The Rising Sun Sets¡± looks at the return of the British.
Finally, the exhibition will end with ¡°A New Beginning¡±, which looks at
the various war crimes trials conducted in Asia, and how those who
perished during the war are remembered. |
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¡°With multi-faceted and innovative
story-telling, Memories at Old Ford Factory offers visitors a
different and more personal perspective of the war and its impact on
the various ethnic communities. The intimate accounts from the
extensive oral history collection will tug at the heartstrings of
both local and foreign visitors,¡± says Mrs Lim Siok Peng, Chief
Executive Officer of NHB. |
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Hundreds of rare oral history recordings
and several specially commissioned documentaries will also recreate
life during the Japanese Occupation. |
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One of these documentaries features the
noble community spirit demonstrated by various ethnic groups during
the Occupation. One example was when the Chinese families had to
give away their babies to Malay families to help ensure the survival
of their offspring when they were singled out for mass execution. |
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The other videos will trace the
advancement of the Japanese forces, major milestones and photo
essays of the battle leading to the final surrender by the British
Military (attached is the list of synopses for the documentaries).
These will be rotated and screened at the audio-visual theatre. |
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¡°The commissioned documentary videos
will shed light on the resilience and valor of our people during the
days of the war. As we explore the origins of our patriotic history
and the pivoting moments which gave rise to our eventual
independence, we wish to pay tribute to the heroism and sacrifices
made by our forefathers,¡± elaborates Mr. Pitt Kuan Wah, Director of
the National Archives of Singapore.¡± |
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To enhance the experience, a garden plot
behind the building has been planted with wartime crops such as
tapioca, sugarcane and pineapples. These crops, which are watered by
a new rainwater harvest system, serve to highlight the ingenious
survival skills adopted by those who lived through the Syonan years. |
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The public will be able to visit
Memories at Old Ford Factory from 20 February 2006. Admission to the
gallery is free. |
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Located at 351 Upper Bukit Timah Road,
the gallery will be open from 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday, and
9am to 1.30pm on Saturday. |
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Content Contributor:
www.publicistpr.com |
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Related Article: |
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Old Ford Motor Factory gazetted as a national
monument |
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FrontPage Edition: Sun 26 Mar 2006
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