The Kranji Memorials, located off Woodlands Road, about 22 km from the Town Centre, is made up of three cemeteries, namely the Kranji War Memorial, the Military Cemetery and the Singapore State Cemetery. The Kranji War Memorial commemorates the contributions of 24,000 soldiers of the allied forces who died during World War 2. It is managed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The Military Cemetery and the Singapore State Cemetery is located nearby.
History
Before World War II, the location was an ammunition dump for the British Military. It was not far from here, by the mouth of the Kranji River, where the Japanese Imperial Guards landed on 9 February 1942. Kranji then became a prisoner-of-war campsite with a POW hospital situated not far away. The Kranji War Cemetery began as a small cemetery started by the prisoners and was later endorsed by the Army Graves Service after the re-occupation of Singapore in 1946. It incorporates the graves of the prisoners of war from Changi Camp, the Buona Vista Camp, 306 of the 1939 - 1945 war graves originally located at Ulu Pandan and 61 graves of the 1914 - 1918 war graves from Bidadari Christian Cemetery and many other graves from all parts of Singapore. The 1939 - 1945 graves of World War 1 from the Saigon Military Cemetery in French Indochina (now Vietnam) were also transferred here. More than 850 graves are of unidentified personnel.
War Memorial
The Kranji War Memorial is laid out in a geometric pattern of stones spread out on a gently sloping green hill which offers a commanding view across the Straits of Johore to the north and over the hills of Singapore to the south. The Kranji War Cemetery was designed by Colin St. Clair Oakes. The design represents the army, the navy and the air-force services. The vertical element is the conning tower with a star at the top, while the spreading elements are the wings and the walls, symbolic of military formations. The names for the dead are engraved in the walls. The total number of burials in the cemetery is 4,465.
The main avenue of the cemetery rises gently from the Stone of Remembrance near the entrance to the Cross of Sacrifice, beyond which are flights of steps leading to a hill top terrace. On this terrace are four memorials. The largest memorial is the Singapore Memorial with the names of 24,346 soldiers and airmen who died during the campaign in Malaya and Indonesia, or in subsequent captivity and have no known grave. A register is kept by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. The huge central pylon of the Singapore Memorial rises through the roof to a height of 80 ft with a star at its top. To the east of this Memorial is the Singapore Civil General Hospital Grave Memorial where 107 servicemen and 300 civilians from various races who had perished whilst in captivity are also buried. Finally, to the west is another memorial commemorating 255 casualties of the Malaya Campaign whose graves elsewhere in Malaya cannot be maintained. To the south, behind the Singapore Memorial is the Cremation Memorial which commemorates 789 soldiers of the Indian Army who died and were cremated according to Hindu rites. The Chinese Memorial in plot 44 is a collective grave for 69 Chinese members of the British Commonwealth Forces all killed when Singapore fell in February 1942.
Memorial Services
The following services are held annually on these days:
11 Nov : Remembrance Day, where the dead are honoured through a memorial service.
25 Apr : ANZAC Day is commemorated.
Military Cemetery
The Pasir Panjang and Ulu Pandan Military Cemeteries were moved to the Kranji Cemetery with the withdrawal of British forces in 1971. Between 1965 - 1976, the graves were relocated. This became the Military Cemetery which stands along the western slope of Kranji Hill beside the War Cemetery.
Singapore State Cemetery
The Singapore State Cemetery at Kranji has two graves. Inche Yusof bin Ishak, who served as Singapore's President between August 1965 - November 1970, and died on 23 November 1970, was buried here. Benjamin Henry Sheares (Dr) succeeded Inche Yusof bin Ishak as the second President of the Republic of Singapore on 2 January 1971. He was also buried here after he died on 12 May 1981.
Author
Wong Heng
References
Edwards, N., & Keys, P. (1988). Singapore: A guide to buildings, streets, places. Singapore: Times Books International.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 EDW)
The Japanese Occupation, 1942-1945: A pictorial record of Singapore during the war (p. 184). (1985). Singapore: National Archives.
(Call no.: SING q779.995957 JAP)
Lane, A. (1995). Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore [preliminary pages]. Stockport, Cheshire: Lane.
(Call no: RSING 940.54655957 LAN)
Samuel, D. S. (1991). Singapore's heritage: Through places of historical interest (pp. 306 - 309). Singapore: Elixir Consultancy Service.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SAM)
Singapore memorial Kranji (1996). Singapore: Singapore National Printers.
(Call no.: RSING 940.54655957 SIN)
Stubbs, P. W. (2002). Kranji War Cemetery. Retrieved November 15, 2002, from petrowilliamus.co.uk/kranji/kranji.htm
Further Readings
McClelland, J. (1990). Name and particulars of all Australians killed in action, executed, or who died while P.O.W. and who are buried in the Kranji War Cemetery, Singapore. Silverdale, N.S.W.: James McClelland Research.
(Call no.: RSING 940.546794 MAC)
Paradise found: journeys through noble gardens of Asia. (2008). (pp. 106 - 109). Kuala Lumpur : Cross Time Matrix.
(Call no.: RSEA 712.5095 PR0
Yap, S. Y., Romen, B., & Angeline, P. (1992). Fortress Singapore: The battlefield guide. Singapore: Times Book International.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57023 YAP)
Courage and sacrifice of the Anzacs honoured. (1995, April 26). The Straits Times, p. 3.
The fighting Sikhs. (1999, July 29). The Straits Times, p. 35.
