The Adam Park Project Tour

I recently hosted a Saturday afternoon family event for YPO Singapore members that allowed the group get an insight history related to the last battle in Singapore before the British surrender to the Japanese forces in February 1942. Known as the Adam Park Project the Adam Park estate of magnificent black & white houses saw some of the fiercest fighting during the whole campaign that included house to house fighting. The site is not only a fascinating battle site that is being surveyed and excavated (as an example over 650 bullets alone have been found so far in addition to a wide range of military related equipment) but the estate also become a prisoner of war camp for 200 POWs after the fall of Singapore. The site has remained mostly unchanged since the war.

Over 30 members and family's started the event with a lunch at 7 Adam Park which coincidently was the original Battalion HQ during the battle. Over lunch we had the opportunity to browse through artefacts from the estate, maps, photos and books related to the battle. Our resource was the fascinating and energetic Jon Cooper who is leading the survey and excavation of the the battle site and compiling its story. Jon was recently featured in the History Channel "Hidden Cities" program about his work as well as many other local and foreign publications.

During lunch and straight after during the presentation overview of this historical site members were introduced to two actors in original period costume who shared their insights of what it would have been like to be a soldier on both sides during the battle and how their uniforms ammunition and fighting equipment tallied with some of the discovered artefacts on the battle site.

After the lunch and presentation the group were taken on a tour of the estate and through the expansive grounds of one of the houses the faced the brunt of the battle. It was a fascinating afternoon for all concerned!