Singapore old ford factory
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The factory is the site of the historic surrender of the British to the Japanese on 15 February 1942, at the end of the Battle of Singapore in World War II. It was here that the meeting between Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival and General Tomoyuki Yamashita was held and the surrender document signed. Then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill referred to that event as the "worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history"; it was also widely seen as a turning point for anti-colonialism in Southeast Asia.

The factory was built by Ford Motor Works in October, 1941 and became Ford's first motor car assembly plant in Southeast Asia.[1] However, Japanese forces invaded Singapore shortly thereafter. During the Malayan Campaign, the Factory's modern assembly equipment was used by the Royal Air Force to assemble fighter planes. The planes came in parts that were shipped to Singapore in crates. However, most of these aircrafts never fulfilled their destiny of defending Malaya. They were flown out of Singapore towards the end of January 1942, when prospects for Singapore looked bleak. Many battles were fought around the areas of the Ford Factory in Bukit Panjang, Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Batok and Bukit Timah. The factory was subsequently taken over by the Japanese Imperial Army and used as its military headquarters. Following British surrender, Japanese forces relocated its headquarters to Raffles College along Bukit Timah road.

During the Japanese Occupation, the Factory was designated as a butai or Japanese facility. Nissan, which was then a prominent zaibatsu or Japanese multinational company, took over the plant to assemble military trucks and other vehicles for the Japanese occupying forces.

The Ford Motor Factory resumed operations after the war in 1947 and was finally shut down in June 1980. On February 7, 2006, the Preservation of Monuments Board (PMB) announced that it shall gazette the historic factory for preservation as a national monument on the 64th anniversary of the surrender on 15 February 2006.

位于武吉知马路的二战历史博物馆战前是一间福特汽车的装配工厂,战争使其“一举成名”。

1942年2月15日,英国远东军司令白思华中将宣布向日军投降。投降的地点就在旧福特车厂。第二天日军占领新加坡,随即宣布将新加坡改名为“昭南岛”,新加坡人民开始了长达三年零八个月的苦难生活。昭南本义是“南方之光”,但对新加坡而言却是黑暗的代名词。在臭名昭著的“大检证”运动中,估计至少有五万名华人被杀害。 二战历史博物馆于2006年2月16日开幕,永久展出新加坡人在“昭南时代”的痛苦经历。

就象中国不愿提起八年抗战一样,三年零八个月是老一辈新加坡人心中永远的痛。然而痛定思痛,还是要一再提起。因为历史是一面镜子。 国家档案馆一反传统,以华文出版此展览图集,这在一向以英文为主要媒介的新加坡政府机构是相当罕见的。不仅如此,图集本身资料之详实、内容之丰厚,着实让人叹为观止。 名为图集,里面理所当然地是图片的集合。国家档案馆凭借着本身的收藏优势,法宝尽出,加入了相当多的珍贵历史照片。文字部分更是特别,大量采用口述历史记录,让战争的经历者、受害者讲出他们的亲身遭遇。通过众多来自不同阶层、不同角度的只言片语,拼凑出一幅完整的战争画面。 书中有许多珍贵的图片。如英国人举着白旗向日本人投降的场景。如昭南时代日本人发行的各种证券。昭南时代发行的钱币被称作“香蕉券”,因为其券面图案是香蕉树。据说日本人本意是鼓励当地人种植香蕉树,发展农业。后来,在日本人的残暴统治下,岛国经济一塌糊涂,日本人甚至号召种植木薯来替代粮食。 有专家对书名中的“三年零八个月”不以为意。理由是从1942年2月15日英军宣布投降到1945年8月15日日本宣布投降,准准算出三年零六个月。虽然,日本8月15日宣布了投降,但在新加坡直到9月12日,日本南方军才向盟军宣布投降。所以,不必刻意算出到底受苦受难了几年几月几日。总之,从 1942年2月起到1945年9月,历经了四十四个月,换句话说,也就是三年零八个月。


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