Last Chance: 4 WWII Defence Tours You Can Still Join This Weekend
I’ll be honest, if not for Battle for Singapore, I probably wouldn’t think twice about places like Tengah Air Base or Johore Battery.
They’re just… there. Either behind gates or along roads, and part of the background of Singapore.
But once a year, Battle for Singapore opens up these spaces and stories that usually sit quietly behind military fences, museum glass or in archives. And every year, I tell myself I should go for at least one programme. If you’re like me and kept postponing, this 7 and 8 March is your last chance for this year.
Organised by the National Heritage Board (NHB), Battle for Singapore commemorates the fall of Singapore in February 1942. It’s now in its 84th year, and what I appreciate about it is that it doesn’t just retell history, it physically brings you to where things happened (standing where it happened just hits different).
Several ticketed tours by Defence Collective Singapore – a museum collective that represents Singapore Discovery Centre, Singapore Navy Museum, and Singapore Air Force Museum – are still available this weekend. Some even bring you into places most of us would never otherwise step into.
If you’re looking for something to do that feels a bit more meaningful than the usual mall rotation, here are four worth considering. Plus a few of them are SG Culture Pass eligible 🆓
IMAGE: COURTESY OF NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD
I’ve always found it interesting how Singapore talks a lot about being a maritime nation, but I never really thought about what that meant in wartime.
This War at Sea programme starts at Johore Battery along Cosford Road and traces Singapore’s coastal defence story during WWII. From there, it moves along Changi Beach, once a critical sea route to the British Naval Base in Sembawang, before ending at the Singapore Navy Museum.
What I like about this one is that it connects the past to the present. You start to understand why naval defence matters so much for a small island like ours, and if you’ve ever wondered why we invest so heavily in maritime security, this tour gives you context.
🗓️ 7 & 8 March, 10am - 12.30pm
📍 Pickup & Drop-off at Changi Expo MRT Exit B
Tengah so ulu... TBH it's one of those places I’ve only ever seen from afar or on maps. So when I found out this tour goes into heritage spaces within Tengah Air Base, that immediately stood out.
During WWII, Tengah became General Yamashita’s (the commander who led the conquest of Singapore and then-Malaya) first command centre. The tour also covers former Lim Chu Kang Road, which once served as an emergency runway.
For me, this one feels like a rare chance to see how air power shaped the early days of the invasion, and how quickly things unravelled from above.
🗓️ 7 & 8 March, 9am - 11.30am |11am - 1.30pm | 1pm - 3.30pm
📍 Bus Pickup & Drop-off at Yew Tee MRT
IMAGES: NG KAI
3. Days of War: Stories of Sacrifice & Resistance
If I had to recommend one programme for someone who wants the “big picture”, this might be it.
The tour begins at the Former Ford Factory (fun fact: it’s also a National Monument), the exact site where the British surrendered on 15 Feb 1942. I’ve been there before, and standing in that room where the surrender happened hits differently when you realise how fast everything collapsed.
From there, the tour explores why the defence failed and how miscommunication and leadership decisions contributed to the fall. It ends at Kranji War Cemetery, where the scale of loss becomes very real.
🗓️ 8 March, 10am - 1.00pm
📍 Former Ford Factory
IMAGE: COURTESY OF DEFENCE COLLECTIVE SINGAPORE
4. Naval Volunteer Reserve WW2 Tour
Battery Road. Fullerton. Clifford Pier. Most of us, myself included, walk past these names in the CBD and mostly associate them with office towers and coffee runs.
But during WWII, these harbour spaces were deeply tied to volunteer naval forces and evacuation efforts. This tour traces the role of the Straits Settlements Naval Volunteer Reserve and how the harbour functioned during the invasion.
What I find compelling about this one is how it reframes everyday Singapore. The same waterfront we now see as skyline views and date-night spots once carried stories of evacuation ships and defence preparations.
You’ll probably never look at the CBD the same way again.
🗓️ 8 March, 2pm - 4.30pm
📍 Raffles Place MRT
Before you sign up...
Registration is required, and some tours have age restrictions.
ICYMI, paid programmes can be offset with SG Culture Pass credits.
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