Collection Highlights
MAP OF SINGAPORE ON 83 KEY LOCATIONS
This map and an accompanying booklet contain annotated photographs on 83 key locations in Singapore town that were photographed and documented by Japanese informants and spies before the war. They were used to identify locations of Japanese interest, to spare them from attacks during the invasion.
Donated by Lim Shao Bin, National Library collection
AIR RAID PRECAUTION SQUAD IDENTITY CARD
The Air Raid Precautions department was formed in 1938, and by November 1939, had successfully recruited about 3,500 wardens. They were trained to provide information and assistance during air raids and drills and were mobilised when the first bombs landed in Singapore in the wee hours of 8 December 1941.
Donated by Victor Tan, collection of National Archives of Singapore
IDENTITY CARDS
In 1941, it was compulsory for all non-military residents of Singapore to carry identity cards under the Defence (Security Registration) Regulations. This was to ensure that the government was able to screen the population for potential spies. These cards were among the first ominous signs of the looming war.
Donated by David Ernest Srinivasagam Chelliah, A. J. Tyler, Victor Tan and Chin Sin Chong, National Archives collection
POSTCARDS OF ARTISTS’ IMPRESSIONS OF WAR SCENES DISTRIBUTED TO JAPANESE SOLDIERS
These postcards were donated to the National Archives of Singapore by Taka Sakurai, an officer with the propaganda department of the Japanese Imperial Army who was tasked to produce them based on artistic impressions of scenes in Singapore just after the fighting ceased. They were given to Japanese soldiers to commemorate their victory.
OVERSEAS CHINESE CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION, 1942
Three days after the British surrender in Singapore, Chinese males were ordered to report to screening centres for a mass screening or sook ching (肃清). Those who received a stamp were allowed to leave. This certificate of registration belonging to Ow Kit bears that stamp.
Donated by Ow Peng Hoong, National Archives collection
RECORDS FROM THE BRITISH MILITARY ADMINISTRATION FILES PERTAINING TO THE CASE OF JOSEPH FRANCIS
Joseph Francis was detained and tortured by the kempeitai for over six months during the ‘Double Tenth’ incident in 1943. He died in May 1945. These letters written to the British Military Administration by his brother and friend after the Occupation describes Francis’s contributions to the anti-Japanese resistance.
British Military Administration files, File reference 28/45, National Archives collection
BRITISH MILITARY ADMINISTRATION MESSAGE TO PEOPLE OF MALAYA
Printed in four languages, the pamphlet was used by the interim British Military Administration (BMA) to assure people that it knew the ‘difficulties with which the civil population of Malaya is faced’. Despite the overwhelming scale of post-war reconstruction, BMA did manage to improve some conditions for the people.
Donated by David Ernest Srinivasagam Chelliah, National Archives collection
DALFORCE MEDALS
Wong Yew Fook served in the Singapore Chinese Anti-Japanese Volunteer Battalion better known as Dalforce. They were formed in January 1942 and deployed in the Battle of Singapore. He, and other Dalforce members, were decorated with the above medals: the 1939-45 Star, the War Medal and the Pacific Star.
Donated by Wong Yew Fook, National Archives collection
MALAYAN EMERGENCY
The Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) was a period of guerrilla warfare between the Malayan Communist Party and the British colonial government. While most of the combat took place in Malaya, Emergency regulations also applied to Singapore where communists had infiltrated trade unions and Chinese schools.
‘Malaya fights the terrorists’, Malayan Pictorial Observer, September 1948 Collection of National Archives of Singapore
Lighter with the Air Raid Precaution logo
This personal cigarette lighter, bearing the badge of Britain’s Air Raid Precaution (ARP), likely belonged to a British serviceman or civil-defence worker stationed in Singapore or Malaya. The ARP logo on the lighter instill a sense of pride, uphold honour and reinforce the ARP identity. Such lighters were privately purchased accessories rather than official equipment, but they reflect the presence, routines, and material culture of British civil-defence personnel in the region before and after the war.
On loan from Dave Kan till February 2027
Air Raid Precaution Rattle
This wooden rattle was used during the Second World War to warn of an incoming chemical attack. Its distinctive clattering - produced by a rotating wooden flap striking a toothed wheel - alerted residents to seek shelter, forming a simple yet vital part of civil-defence measures.
On loan from Dave Kan till February 2027
The War Illustrated Magazine
This magazine was published in London and was a prominent wartime magazine that reported on the defence of Singapore. In this publication, it depicts the attack on Singapore on 8 December 1941 and the swift reaction of the Air Raid Precaution services.
On loan from Cheng Lai Yee till February 2027
Collation of War Paintings Booklet
This booklet contains several paintings of the different battles fought by the Japanese Imperial Army and it was published on 8 October 1942. This painting was done by artist Teiji Takai, and it depicts the capture of Mandalay, a key stronghold in central Burman (Myanmar today), on 1 May 1942.
On loan from Cheng Lai Yee till February 2027
Painting of Battle of Bukit Timah
This wartime artwork depicts the fighting at Bukit Timah on 11 February 1942. The Japanese forces launched the attack in hopes to capture Bukit Timah and break the British defence. The breakthrough here opened the way for the Japanese advance, leading to the British surrender on 15 February 1921 at the Ford Factory, where Lieutenant General Tomoyuki Yamashita had set up his headquarters. War artist Kenichi Ota said the scene reflected what he witnessed. His painting shows Japanese soldiers pushing forward in the dark under machine-gun fire, using grenades and close-quarters fighting as they climbed the slope.
On loan from Cheng Lai Yee till February 2027
Japanese Occupation Badges
Badges produced during the Japanese Occupation reveal how tightly daily life was regulated. From officials and school staff to hotel employees and civil workers, these identifiers governed movement, access, and authority. Their varied designs reflect a society closely monitored, where even ordinary roles required visible proof of one’s place within the occupation system.
On loan from Dave Kan till February 2027