In his letter to The Straits Times, LEE KIP LEE, suggests that the National Heritage Board mark historic sites at Adam Park and Sime Road with memorial plaques
THE Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry's recent exhibition of photographs to commemorate the 56th anniversary of the fall of Singapore on Feb 15, 1942 included a a graphic model containing "precise details, such as the streets of Singapore where fighting took place".
It would be timely now to recall a book Battalion at War - Singapore 1942 by Michael Moore, which gives a graphic account, including names of battle locations, the role played by the 1st Battalion - the Cambridgeshire Regiment - in the Battle of Singapore.
It was part of the British 18th Division and arrived on Feb 7, 1942, a day before the Japanese landed between Tanjong Buloh and Sungei Berih.
The regiment's action, which began at Seletar airfield, continued on to Thomson, Braddell, Lornie and Sime roads.
On Feb 12 that year, in an endeavour to stem the Japanese advance in the Bukit Timah area, the battalion set up its headquarters at 7, Adam Park (now the National University of Singapore Society's clubhouse) "as this building was more adaptable for operations and the area had excellent trench facilities.
"The new position was situated on a reverse slope and was better protected from mortar fire."
Two companies then took up positions in the vicinity of Peirce and MacRitchie reservoirs and the golf course next to Sime Road, where they were joined by a small detachment of six Dalforce officers.
After some action, they were ordered to return to battalion headquarters at Adam Park where, in an attempt to dislodge the enemy who had managed to infiltrate up to the inner road of the estate and to occupy a few of the houses, fierce hand-to-hand fighting ensued.
The Battle of Adam Park continued until 1600 hours on Feb 15, 1942, when instructions to cease fire were received. Then, the commanding officer and his adjutant "walked out on to Adam Road to meet the enemy.
"Under the protection of a white flag, the two sides arranged the surrender of the battalion ... in the ruins of Adam Park."
Today, not far away from the above scene, and about 100 m from its Lornie Road entrance, there can be found, on a piece of vacant land on the left hand side of Sime Road, an obscure path leading to what looks like a notice board.
On this are photographs and an announcement, with the heading Sime Road, to the effect that: "This was the site of the Combined Army and Air Force Operational Headquarters in World War II, opened in early December 1941.
"Commanding Officer General Arthur Percival ran the Malayan Campaign and the Battle of Singapore from here.
"On February 11, 1942, when the Japanese Army was only one mile away, Percival ordered the Headquarters to move to Fort Canning. Sime Road was thus abandoned."
Further up Sime Road, on its left-hand side before the security barrier at the entrance to the golf club, those who bother to search will discover a reminder of the battle which raged in the vicinity in 1942, in the form of a concrete pillbox, almost completely hidden by undergrowth.
If it is the intention that those who travel along Sime Road should be aware of the existence of the notice board and the pillbox, may I suggest that the National Heritage Board display prominent signs and install suitable memorial plaques at both sites and at 7 Adam Park, re-design the notice board, and clear the undergrowth and spruce up the area around the pillbox.
It will be interesting to know if any of your readers are able to identify the stream beside Adam Park and Hill 95 and Water Tower Hill, from which enemy snipers fired at Battalion HQ, and to provide information on the Combined Operations building, which stood on the Sime Road site.
First published in The Straits Times, Feb 19, 1998
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