This year marks the 73rd Anniversary of the fall of Singapore. In February 1942, bloody battles were fought on all sides of Singapore. Through the various tours organised by Singapore's National Heritage Board (NHB), I had the opportunity to re-live some of these battles, starting with the Adam Park Tour led by the very animated and energetic Mr Jon Cooper, curator at the Changi Museum and founder of the Adam Park Project.
Jon had so many stories to tell that the entire tour truly came alive! We stopped at various houses of interest. The first bungalow we stopped at was a very prominent one - 7, Adam Park. Facing Adam Road, the bungalow was used as a British Command Centre. The 1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment 18th Division was tasked to prevent the Japanese advancement.
It was said that the Cambridgeshire fought with true distinction. Arriving in Singapore only on January 29, 1942, the soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel G. G. Carpenter, took up their defence around Adam Park on February 12, 1942. (1) Shortly after, the British soldiers came face-to-face with the Japanese opponents. The Cambridgeshire lost little ground in the ensuing battle and was said to be "the last to cease fire when Singapore surrendered". (1)
Jon, being an Archeologist, was able to pick up a large amount of British empty cartridges at 8, Adam Park. It was believed that the Cambridgeshire sand-bagged the base of the house and pointed their weapons towards the road. It must have been a fierce firefight between the two forces at Adam Road.
We were then brought to 19 and 20 Adam Park. It was said that a bloody battle was fought between these two bungalows. The British had occupied 19 Adam Park in the night. With 20 Adam Park unoccupied, the Japanese moved into it and by the morning, all of them had new neighbours. Both sides used whatever weapons they had to try and dislodge each other. After a good fight, the British finally forced the Japanese soldiers out of 20 Adam Park.
The house at the end of the road - 16 Adam Park. This property has its own golf course and that was where the Japanese had put in a sneak attack too. The fight was taken on the lawn of this bungalow.
When the British surrendered, the entire Adam Park was turned into a Prisoner-of-War (POWs) camp. As the POWs were locked in, they created their own chapel. Jon deduced that through his research and studying of aerial maps, the likelihood of where the chapel was located seems to point towards 11 Adam Park. There was even a canteen on the ground level of the bungalow that was managed by a folks.
This was indeed a very good tour of Adam Park; led by a very good guide in Jon; and at a very good time - in the lead-up to the commemoration of fall of Singapore on 15 Feb 1942.
References
1. Afflerbach, H., Strachan, H. (Eds). 2012. How Fighting Ends: A History of Surrender. Oxford University Press: Great Britain.
2. Regiment Gets Freedom. October 16, 1946. The Singapore Free Press. P3.
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