On 15 February 1942, the British surrendered Singapore to the Imperial Japanese Army, marking the start of the darkest chapter in Singapore’s history.
This gallery shines the spotlight on how the people of Singapore coped with daily life and responded with grit and tenacity to the Japanese Occupation. It celebrates their resilience, resourcefulness, and self-reliance – values that still underpin the core of Singapore’s society today. Snapshots of these memories are presented in an immersive setting of crumbling walls, evocative of the uncertain and shattered world our war survivors endured.
Nevertheless, amid the desperation, hope remained. As you walk through the backroom of the gallery, you will find stories and artifacts that bear testament to courage, hope, and love in a period marked by fear, hardship and oppression.