Changi Museum and Chapel - Remembering WWII and POWs

On 15 February 1942, Singapore came under a new master, Japan. The city was named Syonan-To meaning the Light of the South. Life on the island changed dramatically. Many people feared Japanese brutality and suffered from a lack of food and other supplies. Most Europeans, like the Allied soldiers were interred as Prisoners-of-War (POW).

This is a small and free museum (free for the local residents, small fee applies for foreign visitors) in the eastern corner of Singapore that depicts the darkest days in Singapore history when Singapore fell on 15th February 1942, and this museum is a tribute to those who fought for Singapore. Inside the museum are remnants of Changi goal, photos, letters and personal artefacts of the POWs, and highlight the imprisonment, suffering and life of the POWs and how human spirit triumph it all.

During the Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945, the greater Changi area all the way towards Changi Village and Changi Point, was transformed into a massive POW camp. More than 50,000 POW are known to be incarcerated at Changi, mostly British and Australians.

Changi museum

There are two separate parts of the museum, one housing the photos and memorabilia of the POW and the other showing coats-of-arms of the various army units from the different countries that had served during world war two and paintings drawn by some POWs, among them Ray Parkin who drew Two Malarias with a Cholera, a poignant sketch that you can find at the start of the museum showing hardship endured while building the Thai-Burma Railway also known as the 'Death Railway' as thousands of POW and civilians died while building it. Many POWs are transferred from Changi to other parts of South-East Asia.

The storyboard of Changi Murals

You can find the names of the soldiers that were held at Changi in the files at the small library and gift store. And replicas of the chapel and the Changi murals. The original Changi murals are at Roberts Barrack, now part of Changi Air base, which is not open to the public.

A series of five wall murals were painted by a POW, Stanley Warren, a bombardier of the 15 Field Regiment Royal Artillery at the former St. Luke's Chapel at Robert Barracks. Robert Barracks was turned into POW Hospital during WWII. The murals are titled the Last Supper, the Nativity, the Ascension, St. Luke in Prison and the Crucifixion. The chapel was modelled after St. Georges Church. The Changi Cross at the chapel is on loan from the family of Reverend Eric Cordingly.

Two Malarias with a Cholera by Ray Parkin

Other things that you can find in the museum are layouts of the cell of the Changi Gaol, which the prison is known then, and also an entertainment corner called Kokonut Grove where POW find some reliefs and staged drama and variety shows which came to play a critical role in sustaining the will to live from hardships endured.

There are also replicas of the Changi quilts made by the women POW. Today only three of the Quilts have survived, namely the the Australian Quilt, the British Quilt and the Japanese Quilt. There are also fifteen original pieces of arts of Angela Bateman, a civilian internee at Changi at the arts section remembering some artists who find arts as an inspiration during the darkest days of their lives.

For those who wish to take public transport, if you are coming from town you can take bus #2 from Tanah Merah MRT station or bus #29 from Tampines MRT station. With the newer blue line, the fastest way is to take bus #2 from in front of Upper Changi MRT Station Exit A. The bus stops right in front of the museum.

Replica chapel

Since the bus is en-route to the idyllic and laid-back Changi Village and Changi Beach, and to Changi Point Ferry Terminal for bumboats Pulau Ubin, if you are heading that way, you can stop by the museum and perhaps pay tribute to those who died fighting for Singapore. At Changi Beach east of Changi Point closer to Nicol Drive, there is a plaque commemorating the Sook Ching massacre by the Japanese on February 1942.

Apart from Changi Beach, another Sook Ching Massacre also took place at Punggol Point where hundreds of civilians including those who have been rounded up during house-to-house search along Upper Serangoon Road, were killed on 28 February 1942. There is a plaque at Punggol Jetty, Punggol Point, describing this horrific event.

Sook Ching massacre site at Changi Beach

Since the museum is pretty small you will unlikely take more than 45 minutes to view all the exhibits. It is free but you can rent an audio at $8 each. There are also guided tours at certain times of the day at $12 per person. Which is kind of pricey and strange when most museums in Singapore give free guided tours. The museum opens from 9:30am to 5:30pm, the last admission is at 5pm. It closes every Monday except public holidays.

At the entrance of the museum you can find a row of hibiscus trees. Due to lack fo food and vitamins, the POWs ate hibiscus that they can find along the roadsides as it is high in vitamin C and therefore useful for maintaining health. It is also used as treatment for scabies which was a common disease suffered by POWs, apart from malnutrition. Imagine common plants as a source of vitamins and we know hibiscus is edible and good for making tea . They also ate beetles and other insects for proteins.

Hopea Sangal (Chengal Pasir)

Incidentally Changi probably got its name from a tree called Hopea Sangal, or known locally as Changel Pasir or Chengal Mata Kuching. Once common in the area, this valued hardwood was believed to be extinct until a surviving tree was discovered in 2002. For 150 years, that tree withstood the forces of nature, witnessed the tragedies of World War II and the birth of the nation only to be illegally cut down by developers in November 2002, just few months after it was discovered.

Fortunately before the illegal felling, seeds were collected from the tree. Some of the seedlings was planted here outside the museum, producing the new Hopea Sangal. A sapling was also presented to the Singapore Zoo, and you can find this valuable heritage tree outside the entrance of the zoo at Mandai. This hopea sangal tree is the only one left in Changi.

Hopea Sangal or the Chengal tree is not to be confused with the tall Changi tree (Sindora wallichia) that was blown away by the British in February 1942 who were afraid that may be easily spotted by the Japanese. At 50 metres (164 ft.) tall the tree easily towered above everything else making it a convenient landmark for passing ships. You can see the story and the photo of Changi tree near the entrance of the museum.

Changi Prison Door

Prior to the war life at Changi was vibrant and colourful which accompanied the military development of Changi from 1921 onwards as a defence site to protect the eastern approaches to the naval base in Sembawang in northern Singapore. Several barracks were constructed for the troops. Robert Barracks for the Royal Artillery, Kitchener Barracks for the Royal Engineers, Selarang Barracks, for the infantry and India Barracks for Indian gunners who provided anti-aircraft protection.

You can see Selarang Barracks about 5-minutes walk to the right of the museum. As it is an operational army barracks you cannot enter, but you can still look from the outside. You can get a good view of the barracks if you take bus #2 from the museum (from the bus-stop opposite the museum) heading towards Changi Village. #2 bus is a double-decker bus. Sit on the upper deck.

Southern coastal defence, Sentosa's Mt. Imbiah

The former Kitchener barracks can be found along Hendon Road and Halton Road near Changi Village near the Old Changi Hospital. Some are former barracks are abundant, just like the Old Changi Hospital, which is the former RAF Hospital, and while some have been reconverted to other uses such as to schools and nursing homes.

There were the guns of Changi designed to prevent hostile ships from entering the Straits of Johore. Amongst them were the massive 15-inch guns of the Johore Battery, a replica which is sited not too far from the museum along Cosford. This massive gun is located within a compound of a seafood Ikan Baker restaurant at 27 Cosford Road but you can enter to see the big gun. Cosford Road is now a street lined with coconut trees with a couple of laid-back village-style restaurants. Changi was famous with coconuts plantations in the 1800s and coconuts were once an economic crop.

Johore Battery along Cosford Road

There is also an underground bunker there next to Johore Battery that is closed and fenced up. The guns and bunker were part of the main artillery battery of the British coastal defence network built in the 1930s apparently positioned to stop enemy attacks at sea. However, when the Japanese invaded from the north through the Malay Peninsula, two guns were turned around and fired inland for the very first time.  

As you walked further up till the end of pleasant Cosford Street, you will see the runways of Changi Airport. You may spot a few plane watchers admiring planes landing and taking off. Though if prefer to see the jumbo jets flying just above you, then head to Changi Beach.

Life at Changi was leisurely and luxurious, offering the best the British empire could afford. There were sports facilities and air-conditioned cinemas. All this was to change with the coming of war. The barbed wire, the prison wall, cell and door shows it all. The Changi Chapel and Museum is dedicated to the memory of all civilians and prisoners of war who suffered incarceration during the Japanese Occupation of Singapore from 1942 to 1945.

Battery Command Post, Sentosa Island

Why did Japan invade Malaya and Singapore? By the turn of the 20th century, Japan had expanded its power in Asia by conquering Taiwan and South Korea. In the 1930s it had invaded China and established its foothold there. Its next target was Southeast Asia. The Japanese aimed to form a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere that would supply Japan with raw materials such as oil, tin and rubber needed for their domestic economy and war efforts.

In their propaganda, the Japanese positioned themselves as someone freeing the people of Asia from their colonial masters. So when they invaded Singapore the Japanese started "Nipponisation", efforts to make the people of Singapore more Japanese. A sad history not to be forgotten.

British surrender on 15th February 1942

The Japanese attack on Singapore actually began on the diversionary on Pulau Ubin on 7 February 1942. On the nights of 8 and 9 February, three Japanese divisions crossed the Straits of Johore and established footholds on the northern shore of Singapore. On 13 February, Lt. Gen. Yamashita, the commander of the Japanese 25th Army, ordered a two pronged assault on the 45 kilometre (28 mile) long defence perimeter around the city of Singapore. The British, Australian, Indian and Malay troops, commanded by Lt. Gen. Arthur Percival, were ill prepared for the ferocious onslaught on their positions. Within a week, on 15 February 1942, Singapore fell.

If you are into war history, there is another gallery called Surviving the Japanese Occupation: War and its Legacies. The exhibition is housed in the historic Old Ford Factory at Upper Bukit Timah, where the British formally surrendered to the Japanese 75 years ago. Previously known as Memories at Old Ford Factory, the exhibition has been renamed by National Archives of Singapore. The gallery features many archival materials, which were contributed by members of the public, ranging from personal artefacts, letters, diaries, photos and maps. The British surrender photo is from NLB.

Reenactment of Surrender Chamber at Sentosa

And not far from Old Ford Factory about 10 minutes' walk away is another World War II Memorial, Syonan Chureito, along the steps next to Bukit Batok Transmission Tower, which is part of Bukit Batok Nature Park. The 'giant book' in the middle of the steps telling the tragic history of the area which had seen one of the fiercest battles between the Japanese and Allied troops.

The Shinto shrine commemorate the Japanese soldiers who were killed in the battle of Singapore, and it was built in 1942, and a 3 metres (10 ft) wooden cross in memory of Allied soldiers was built a short distance behind. The Shinto Shrine was destroyed in 1945 and the Allied memorial was removed under unknown circumstances.

There is also a reenactment of surrender chamber at Fort Siloso, at Sentosa Island. It captures the drama in the Ford Factory Boardroom at Bukit Timah on the fateful day of 15th February 1942. The seats displayed there were the original seats used during the surrender ceremony.

Kranji War Memorial

The decision to surrender was made at 9:30 am at Fort Canning's Battle Box. At 5:15pm the British surrender party drove to Bukit Timah Ford Motor Factory. By 6.10pm the surrender was made, though till this day there are no official records of the surrender found. Each year on 15th of February at 6:10pm, siren is sounded islandwide in Singapore to remember Singapore's darkest day.

No battle has ever been fought at the Battle Box. It was a 26-rooms underground command centre used by the British during WWII. The Battle Box, now a tourist attraction, can be visited at a fee of $20, which is kind of steep when even many free or lower-priced museums struggled to get visitors. There are a couple of 9-pound cannonballs at Fort Canning which were long obsolete before WWII. Other remnants and relics at Fort Canning include the Fort Wall, Fort Gate, Old Gunpowder Magazine, Sally Port and South Battery.

You may want to visit Kranji War Memorial at Kranji where there are over 5,000 graves and memorial walls with over 24,000 names of allied personnel whose bodies were never found. Just like other war cemeteries it is a quiet, sombre place. Just like Changi, Kranji was named after a tree, Keranji Tree.

Machine gun pillbox, Sentosa Island

Other war related sites include Sentosa's Fort Siloso displaying many guns of Sentosa along its Gun Trail, underground tunnels A, B and C Complex and the battery command post with life-like displays. The Battery Command Post was used to direct coastal defence guns and this post has a clear view of the horizon including the oil installation on Pulau Bukom and the western sea lanes into Singapore harbour. And at Mount Imbiah there are remnants of southern coastal defence.

The guns of Sentosa are a collection of artillery that are replicas or brought in from other locations. The guns on display include the 120MM Naval Dual-Purpose Guns and the 7-Inch RML Gun also known as a "Bottle Gun' because of its shape. Tunnel C complex displays re-enactment of the soldiers of the Singapore Volunteer Artillery Corps working in the magazine. The tunnel was built in 1890. There are also machine-gun post and pill boxes along the southern beaches of Sentosa near Siloso beach as shown here but that can somewhat be easily missed as they are now sandwiched in between the various modern tourist attractions. Sentosa has now somewhat become a huge theme park and recreational island with many resorts.

Tiong Bahru Air Raid Shelter

There are also air raid shelters ar Tiong Bahru with storyboards posted outside. It is possible to enter the shelters via a monthly guided walk arranged by a community centre at Tiong Bahru.

At scenic and calm MacRitchie Reservoir Park, WWII hero Lim Bo Seng is buried there, somewhere up a little hill before the Lornie Trail. Major-General Lim Bo Seng was part of Force 136 which was a British secret service team that operated in Malaya during WWII. It was formed to carry out sabotage missions against the Japanese and to gather intelligence for the British to regain control over Malaya and Singapore. Agent Lim Bo Seng led Force 136’s Gustavus V Operation in 1943. He was captured by the Japanese and died in captivity at Batu Gajah Goal in Perak, Malaysia, in 1944 at the age of 35.

Civilian War Memorial

An update: Changi Museum and Chapel has undergone some renovations and reopened in May 2021. There are enhancements and changes to the display of artefacts. Some of the artefacts mentioned above may no longer be around. Some have been consolidated into digital images. The names of the POWs and internees have also been digitalised.

The Changi Tree at the driveway has also been replaced by a New Changi Tree, the marker tree of Changi, Sindora wallichi, not Hopea Sengal. Who knows, maybe this tree will grow as tall as 40 metres (131ft)! The renovated museum looks brighter and modern with digitalised displays, but the previous setup was certainly more sombre with artefacts. A series of five wall murals, the Changi Prison Door with mock-up cell, and the replica Chapel are the main displays.

The popular Bark Cafe next to the museum is still there. It opens daily from 11am to 11pm