Kranji War Memorial

Last week I decided to go and visit the Kranji War Memorial. I wasn’t actually aware that Singapore played a role in World War II.

The memorial area was previously a military camp at the time of the Japanese invasion of Malaya. After the war it was decided that Kranji would become the location for Singapore’s War Cemetery.  Today there are a total of 4,461 World War II casualties buried and commemorated at this cemetery. 

The memorial is dedicated to the men and women from the United Kingdom, Australia, Sri Lanka, India, Canada, the Netherlands, Malaya and New Zealand who died defending Singapore.

The cemetery is so incredibly peaceful.  You can find war graves, memorial walls and military graves here. It is perched comfortably on a hilltop meaning that the beautiful surroundings are accompanied by a delightful breeze which is incredibly valuable here in Singapore. You can also get wonderful, panoramic views of Singapore.

The stunningly designed gardens and stone carved faces really encourage you to be immersed in your surroundings and reflect on the immense sacrifice the soldiers defending Singapore made to allow for the freedom we have today.  The sheer number of graves was overwhelming.

I was completely and utterly blown away by the surroundings  at the Kranji War Memorial; it definitely exceeded my expectations. Everywhere you looked there were colourful plants, planted between each headstone and lining the memorial. It was perfectly maintained.

I recommend everyone to visit the memorial, especially those who are history lovers like me! It is an incredibly eye opening and a sobering place to understand the history of Singapore in World War II.