Memories at Old Ford Factory

Posted by angela under Museums/Heritage Galleries
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Though Memories at Old Ford Factory is less than 5 minutes’ drive from home, I never actually got round to taking a look inside. Last weekend I finally decided to pay a visit to the national monument in my neighbourhood.

Outside the gallery, pictures of the Ford Factory restoration work are displayed. Seeing the state of the place when it was purchased, I must say a commendable job has been done recreating history.

The gallery largely contains writeups and displays on what life was like during the Japanese Occupation. However, the highlight is of course, the reason for the factory’s importance in local history - The Boardroom:

For the uninitiated, the Boardroom was where the WWII British surrender of Singapore to the Japanese was signed on 15 February 1942. The chairs sitting inside the Boardroom were purchased by a former employee (and then donated to the museum) after the factory’s closure, so they could very well be the chairs the officers were sitting on when the surrender was signed! Similar chairs can also be found in Fort Siloso.

Outside the room, snippets on the surrender can be found - the most famous of which is how Japanese General Yamashita called a bluff, and got the British to surrender without knowing the Japanese troops were running low on supplies and energy. Perhaps because of this, the British surrender of Singapore was viewed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill as “the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history“.

Lots of other interesting artefacts are to be found, including some samples of “Banana money“:

“Banana money” was the currency used in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation, so named for the pictures of bananas on these notes. Due to rapid inflation, especially in the later part of the Occupation, these notes were practically worthless by 1945 (when war ended). As a consequence, many who had been hoarding the notes became penniless - perhaps those who had thrown away such notes would be kicking themselves should they know how much they’re worth today, being a historical artefact and all ;p

Most moving to me perhaps were the exhibits on festivities, which, I feel, is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. Despite the harsh conditions, weddings and celebrations continued, albeit in much simpler style. On display is a beautiful wartime wedding gown, as well as a wartime marriage certificate.

For a little light hearted fun, you might choose to engage a friend (or play by yourself) in the History in Numbers game, located in the gallery’s lobby. This is a version of TicTacToe where you have to answer history questions to get an X or an O in place.

Also worth catching are the specially produced WWII documentaries - for $1, you can gain unlimited entry into the AV theatre, which screens these documentaries on a rotating basis. I managed to catch Malay Regiment and the Battle for Singapore. Both combined oral history accounts and film/pictorial footage to tell their stories. Perhaps most striking are the “In Memoriam” tributes to Japanese General Yamashita and British Lt-General Percival at the end of the Battle for Singapore. Yamashita, sadly, was tried and executed as a war criminal despite having intervened to prevent the death of countless POWs. In fact, he was either not aware or unable to prevent many of the war crimes he was held responsible for.

Actually, most of the exhibits in the MOFF gallery are best viewed in person. You’ll be able to learn more about life in Singapore during the Japanese Occupation - not just about the horrors, but also about how people coped. However, perhaps a more important lesson, especially for a generation which has never tasted the cruelties of war, is the importance and price of peace.

Memories at Old Ford Factory is located at 351 Upper Bukit Timah Road. It is open from 9am to 5pm, Mon-Fri and 9am to 1pm on Sat. Admission is free.

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