| Reflections at Bukit Chandu | |
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Malay mortar crew displayed at Bukit Chandu |
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| Established | 15 February 2002 |
| Location | Bukit Chandu, Singapore |
| Website | http://www.s1942.org.sg/s1942/bukit_chandu/homepage.htm |
Reflections at Bukit Chandu is a World War II interpretative centre developed and managed by the National Archives of Singapore, located on Bukit Chandu (Opium Hill) off Pasir Panjang Road in Singapore.
The Centre was officially opened Dr Tony Tan (then Singapore Deputy Prime Minister & Minister for Defence) on 15 February 2002. This date also marks the 60th anniversary of the fall of Singapore in 1942.
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The bungalow in which the permanent exhibition is housed is one of the last remaining bungalows in Singapore, built at the turn of the 20th century for British senior officers.
The building was restored to preserve its original structure and design, retaining the original style of arches and windows but altering the roof for safety reasons.
Bukit Chandu hill was the site of one of the fiercest and last significant battles, the Battle of Bukit Chandu, before the British surrendered Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February 1942. The battle took place just two days before the surrender. The battle saw Malay Regiment soldiers, led by British Commanders, defending the western sector of Singapore, forced to retreat to this hill. For 48 hours, the Malay Regiment C Company and remnants from the 1st and 2nd Battalions engaged in one of the fiercest battles fought in Singapore. They were greatly outnumbered, and when they ran out of ammunition, they resorted to hand-to-hand combat to defend this hill. Many soldiers died on the hill. Those who survived were captured and massacred by the Japanese.
The museum's exhibition gallery covers the history of World War II in Malaya, detailing the late 1930s socio-political climate of the Malay Peninsula, Japan’s invasion plans, and the British strategy for defending Singapore. There are exhibits of photographs, maps and artefacts. The recruitment, training, principles, and values of the Malay Regiment are represented, including through documentaries commissioned by the National Archives of Singapore, World War II paraphernalia, and witness testimony from survivors.
The centre is connected to the Kent Ridge Park via a Canopy Walk at tree-top level.