MANAGEMENT OF HISTORICAL SITE
BATTLEBOX
Managed as a museum by Singapore History Consultants Pte Ltd (SHC) from 2014 to June 2023, the Battlebox is a former WWII British underground command centre in Fort Canning Hill. It was built in 1936 as part of the headquarters of Malaya Command, the army which defended Malaya and Singapore in WWII. It was inside the Battlebox that the British made the momentous decision to surrender Singapore to the invading Japanese on 15 February 1942.
SHC relaunched the Battlebox on 13 February 2016, after two years of painstaking restoration and curation works. Through new galleries, exhibits, video presentations and guided tours, the restored underground command centre unveiled the true causes behind “the worst disaster and largest capitulation in British history”. During the 9 years, the Battlebox was supervised by SHC’s experienced research and curatorial team and operations department. Daily operations were managed by a dedicated team of specially-trained Docents, Visitor Services Officers, and Volunteers - all led by an experienced Director. In less than one year after the official launch, SHC overcame significant challenges to make the Battlebox a world-class institution with international recognition and standing. It was visited by hundreds of thousands of local and international tourists, students, military personnel, and VIPs such as politicians, military commanders, and royalty. They learned not just the story of the Battlebox and the lessons of how Fortress Singapore capitulated in just 70 days, but also the broader story of Fort Canning Hill, and the role the hill played in the history of Singapore over 700 years. |
Click on the link above to learn more about the challenges SHC faced in restoring the Battlebox and the achievements attained along the way.
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