On the night of February 8th 1942, Japanese forces began their invasion of Singapore. The solders were ruthless, brutal and fearless and the attack happened with a speed and savagery that took the incumbent British-led forces completely by surprise. Encouraged not to take prisoners, simply to execute those in their path, the Japanese swept through Singapore with the force of a tsunami.

Eight days later, the hard-fought campaign for the island was over. The British had suffered their worst defeat of all time and surrendered to the Japanese. What followed was the island’s cruel occupation until the end of World War II. In 1946, Singapore became a British Crown Colony remaining so until 1959 when the country held its first general election.

A bomb-proof underground bunker was built at Fort Canning Hill in 1936 to house the headquarters of British and Commonwealth forces in the event of war. Known today as the Battlebox, it is located 30-feet below ground and equipped with 29 rooms. It was in the bunker that the decision was made to surrender to the Japanese. Above is the escape shaft from the bunker.