THE BATTLE BOX, SINGAPORE

Regarded as one of the premier tourist attractions in Singapore, The Battle Box hails as one of the most important World War II sites in the country. It is a massive military bunker located some 9 metres below ground in Fort Canning Park, and was where General Percival made the decision to surrender Singapore to the invading Japanese forces on 15 February 1942. It was part of the British Far East Command Headquarters which was built in 1926, the building of which currently houses The Legends Fort Canning Park, a town club.

In the mid 1930s, plans for an underground bomb-proof operations room were drawn up. The Battle Box, as it was known, was completed in 1939. It comprised 26 rooms, 2 entrances and a cat-ladder escape hatch. Although the structure was bomb-proof, it was susceptible to flooding from the near-by reservoir. Works to prevent flooding were completed just before the war broke out.

It was opened in 1997 to the public as the war museum as it currently stands. Through the use of specially arranged audio and video effects, and specially crafted figurines, we bring visitors back to the morning of 15 February 1942, when the decision to surrender was made by British Officers and Singapore fell to the Japanese.

The Battle Box works closely with the National Heritage Board and the Association of Singapore Attractions in its programmes and publicity.

The Battle Box is located at 2 Cox Terrace Singapore 179622, and is easily accessible by bus and MRT.