The Ford Motor Factory

As I joined the Foreign Exchange Program ,I didn't want to miss out any contact time with the OZ peers.I visited few Places of Interest with them and I wanted to share it with you.You may want to go there to take a look during this June holiday.I benefited a lot in these outings and I hope you will enjoy it too.

First ,The Old Ford Motor Factory.It opened in October 1941, Ford Motor Factory was the first auto assembly plant to begin operations in Southeast Asia. The factory was used by the Royal Air Force to assemble fighter planes during the Malayan Campaign. However, most of these aircraft were never used for Malaya's defence. They were flown out of Singapore towards the end of Jan 1942, when prospects for Singapore looked bleak.

The Old Ford Factory building is significant as it was here on 15 February 1942 that Lt.-Gen. A. E. Percival, Commander of the British Forces in Singapore, surrendered to General Yamashita of the Japanese forces in the same room. Lt.-Gen Percival received permission to surrender Singapore to the Japanese and together with two staff officers and an interpreter, left the bunkers at Fort Canning and arrived at the Ford Motor Works at 5.15pm to meet General Yamashita and his officers.

On 16 February 1942, Singapore was renamed Syonan-To (Light of the South), an ironic name as it marked the beginning of the darkest period in the island's history. The people of Singapore would remain in darkness for the next three years and eight months while under the rule of the Japanese.

During the Japanese Occupation, the Ford Factory was used for the manufacture of Nissan trucks and as a depot for servicing army vehicles. Continued to be a service depot for the military two years after the Japanese Occupation ended, catering to British army vehicles. Thereafter, it resumed its original function of being a car assembly until 1980, when it was closed. For several years after, it was used as a warehouse.

Since then, it has remained a prominent landmark in the Upper Bukit Timah area. The National Archives of Singapore, an institution of the National Heritage Board, has restored this gazetted national monument (gazetted on 15 February 2006) and now unveils Memories at Old Ford Factory, a permanent gallery featuring the exhibition 'Syonan Years: Singapore Under Japanese Rule, 1942-1945'.

Scenes Found In Old Ford Motor Factory

Walking up to the main building, visitors are greeted by a granite stone on which "Taking History as a Lesson" from Emperor Tang Taizong. Take time to reflect on the consequences of war as you take in the inspiring words.

Nearby, a "Peace" sculpture can be seen.

In the exhibition gallery, the Board Room where the historical surrender took place is a must-see. Visitors can watch actual footage of the events that took place on the fateful day. Catch a glimpse of what life was like during those days through the display of photographs, artefacts and oral history accounts.

Syonan Garden--Outside the building, the Wartime Garden shows an assortment of “food crops” that were widely grown during the Occupation. Tapioca, sweet potato, yam, banana, coconut, pineapple and rice are just some of the crops that you will find there. Accompanying each of these crops are storyboards that reveals the ingenious ways in which people used these crops to fight hunger, malnutrition and diseases.

Talking Map--At the centre of the exhibition gallery is our Talking Map featuring a mosaic map of the Malay Peninsula, Thailand, Burma and Sumatra, and a 3-D model of Singapore reconstructed from 1945 topographic maps of Singapore. Follow the route of the Japanese as they advanced down the Malay Peninsula into Singapore during the Malayan Campaign in December 1941. History has been given a permanent place in the map. Press any of the 41 buttons on the console to listen to oral history accounts of significant events, which took place during the Japanese Occupation.

A secret tunnel is found there too.

Reflection of walking down the memory lane

As I walked through the gallery, I learnt the important lessons of creativity, adaptability and entrepreneurship from the annals of history, displayed by those who lived through the Occupation years It refreshed my memory of 2^nd World War which I studied last year and I have a better understanding of Post WW2. I have learnt different aspects of Singapore compared to yesterday’s URA Singapore City Garden. I really feel thankful to ProEd consortium for letting me participate in such a beneficial Foreign Exchange Program which I have a chance to tour around Singapore and walk down the memory lanes and learn more about the 3 years and 8 months of Japanese Occupations.