memories at old ford factory
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first photography outing in 2010 – a little bit of singapore history
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it was in the factory that the meeting between Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival and General Tomoyuki Yamashitawas held and the surrender document signed, on January 15 1942. the island was renamed to Syonan-to (light of the south island) and under the japanese occupation for 3 years 8 months. during the japanese occupation, the factory was designated as a japanese facility to assembly military trucks and other vehicles for the japanese occupying forces. after the war, the ford factory resumed its operations and finally shutdown in june 1980.
the factory was gazetted as a national monument on the 64th anniversary of the surrender on January 15 2006. the national archives of singapore converted the building to house a World War II gallery called memories at old ford factory.
how to get there:
Chinese calligraphy sculpture, “He Ping” (Peace in English) erected in front of the factory.
taking history as a lesson – a granite stone inscribed in Chinese.
the entrance fee is $3 per adult and the first portion of the gallery will lead you to a tunnel with newspaper clippings and warfare equipment used during World War II. one can find artefacts that lined along the walls during the occupation and the boardroom where the surrender took place has been preserved in its original state.
when you are there, do catch a short video (30 minutes) in the auditorium before you leave the premises.
