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. |