8 Secret War Sites In Singapore That Survived

We re-visit old military camps and iconic buildings with a fascinating past, and discover stories and memories from our history

By Pamela Chow

Our country may be a relatively young nation, but it has numerous sites scattered around with hidden stories detailing our eventful history.

Set off on your own journey of rediscovery with Weekender’s short guide on some of the most intriguing World War II sites and secrets of our island, and find out why we were once feted as an “impregnable fortress”.

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Kitchener Barracks

Built in 1935, the Kitchener Barracks housed the Royal Engineers and during the Occupation, troops of the Singapore Garrison were incarcerated here. It was briefly referred to as part of the “Changi University”, as it housed an informal education programme by the Army Education Corps staff in the prison camps.

Here, lecturers were rounded up from amongst the prisoners to conduct classes on various topics for the other internees.

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Discover more World War II sites with the NHB’s WWII trail, available on roots.sg/visit/trails/world-war-2-trail.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of Weekender, Issue 155, June 24 - July 7, 2016, with the headline 'Secrets of Singapore’s past'.