Adam Park - Singapore
Posted by: 
Jon Cooper
N 01° 19.490 E 103° 48.500
48N E 367422 N 146465
Adam Park was defended by the 1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment for three days in February 1942 during the fall of Singapore. It was the only allied victory in a catalogue of withdrawals and retreats
Waymark Code: WMET2V
Location: Singapore
Date Posted: 07/03/2012
Views: 12
Adam Park is a quiet black and white housing estate nestling amidst the encroaching sprawl of Singapore's suburbs. Situated 4 miles from the city centre the estate was the part of the final stop line deployed by Lt General Percival during the invasion of the island in 1942. The 1st Battalion of the Cambridgeshire Regiment 18th Division were assigned to defend the estate. As the line collapsed around them the Cambridgeshires hung on against concerted attacks by the 41st Regiment 5th Division IJA. By the afternoon of the 15th February the battalion was almost cut off and their commander Lt Col Carpenter asked to withdrawal. The reply was to stay put... as the allied army was surrendering that afternoon. The unit won the unenviable accolade as being the only allied unit to hold its allotted positions throughout the entire campaign for the island. The last shots of the invasion were reputedly fired at Adam Park.
What is more remarkable about the site is that the estate was turned into one of the many POW camps that housed 10,000 men working on the 'Shrine Job' on the MacRitchie Reservoir in 1942. The bombed out houses became the barracks for 3,000 Australian and British soldiers.The site boasts a Japanese guardhouse, Officers Mess, canteen, theatre (The Tivoli)and perhaps most importantly a chapel. The exact location of the chapel still remains a mystery but the chances are that the mural that adorned its wall remains to be discovered under the plaster and paintwork in one of the Class 1 houses on the estate.
Today Adam Park remains remarkably preserved in an ever intruding and developing landscape. The gardens and tennis courts have retained their wartime footprint. In fact the preservation of the site is so good that there are locations where the debris of war can still be picked off the floor. The lawns are strewn with shell fragments and expended cartridges. The archaeology of warfare and internment lies in a fragile layer just centimetres under the surface. Adam Park is a truly remarkable heritage site. However the Singapore government does not currently see it as such and only No.7 Adam Park, the site of Carpenter's HQ,is accredited with any kind of heritage value.
If you would like to know more about the site check out the Adam park Facebook page for the latest artefacts to be unearthed and up to date news (
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