One of the fiercest military encounters during WWII took place here as the Bukit Timah area held strategic and tactical importance to the Japanese and the British. This site marks Percival's final defence of southern Singapore against the Japanese invaders from the north on 8 February 1942.
The various battalions and brigades stationed here all faced the onslaught of the Japanese at various points along Bukit Timah with fierce hand-to-hand combat and bayonet charges. However many volunteer soldiers on the British side were untrained and poorly equipped and suffered heavy casualties. Japanese tanks appeared for the first time on the island and were used with much brutality at Bukit Timah. It was also here that the Japanese suffered their heaviest casualties. In revenge, they massacred most of the Chinese living in a nearby village.
Today, two plaques in front of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve Visitors' Centre identify the battle site as a marked historic site. Within the Nature Reserve, a series of casemates created by the Japanese to hold their ammunition can also be found.
Marker Text:
The Battle for Bukit Timah represented Lieutenant General Percival’s final defence of the southern portion of Singapore. This last defence perimeter included the town, the Kallang aerodrome, the reservoirs and the supple depots in Bukit Timah.
On 11 February 1942, British forces made many attempts to stop the Japanese advance around the critical junctions of Choa Chu Kang Road, Jurong Road and Reformatory Road (around Clementi Road) with Bukit Timah Road. Some of the forces involved were the Special Reserves battalion, TOMFORCE, MERRETT force, The Argylls, the Jind State Infantry, Dalforce and the XBattalion (formed from the disbanded administrative service).
Spirited counter attacks were mounted by the defending forces against the Japanese. However, the troops were often overwhelmed and ambushed, and many lives were lost. The Special Reserves battalion’s 1500-strong force was drastically reduced after an ambush, leaving 400 men to rejoin the 22nd Australian Brigade Line at the critical Reformatory/Bukit Timah Junction. Faced with Japanese tanks and fierce attacks, the defending troops had to give up their positions one by one for the lack of support and ammunition.