| Memorial: | SINGAPORE MEMORIAL, Singapore |
| Grave Reference/ Panel Number: |
Column 32. |
| Location: | In the Far East at Singapore, the Singapore
Memorial bears, on its columns, the names of over 24,000 soldiers and
airmen of the British Commonwealth and Empire who have no known grave.
The airmen whose names are inscribed on the Memorial died during
operations over the whole of southern and eastern Asia and the
surrounding seas and oceans. The Memorial stands in Kranji War Cemetery.
The central avenue of the Cemetery rises gently from the Stone of
Remembrance, near the entrance, to the Cross of Sacrifice, beyond which
flights of steps lead to a terrace on top of a hill on which the
Memorial stands. Twelve wide columns bear the name panels and support a
flat roof, which gives protection to the inscribed names and shade and
shelter to the visitor. Rising through the roof in the centre, to a
height of 24 metres, is a great pylon surmounted by a star. On a curved
panel at the foot of this pylon are inscribed in English these words:
1939 - 1945 ON THE WALLS OF THIS MEMORIAL ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF
TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN OF MANY RACES UNITED IN SERVICE
TO THE BRITISH CROWN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES IN MALAYA AND NEIGHBOURING
LANDS AND SEAS IN THE AIR OVER SOUTHERN AND EASTERN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
BUT TO WHOM THE FORTUNE OF WAR DENIED THE CUSTOMARY RITES ACCORDED TO
THEIR COMRADES IN DEATH. An additional inscription, "They Died for
All Free Men" is engraved in Hindi, Urdu, Gurmukhi, Chinese and
Malay. Kranji War Cemetery is 22 kilometres north of the city of
Singapore, on the north side of Singapore Island overlooking the Straits
of Johore. It is just off the Singapore-Johore road (Woodlands road) at
milestone 13 1/2 and there is a short approach road from the main road.
The Cemetery is known locally as Kranji Memorial, and one must be sure
of the address before boarding a taxi as many taxi drivers do not know
the Cemetery. There are also bus stops on the main road facing the
Cemetery and an MRT terminal is under construction a short distance from
the Cemetery. |