Ulu Pandan War Cemetery

On 12 July 1955, a cemetery for British servicemen was opened by Major-General D. D. C. Tulloch at a site along Ulu Pandan Road near Clementi Road. He received the keys to the cemetery gates from Mr. W. E. Warr, the Garrison Engineer. The 2.5 hectare cemetery had different burial plots for Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, Protestants and Roman Catholics. The cemetery commemorates many of those who gave their lives in the defense of Malaysia and Singapore during:

The Malayan emergency 1948-1960
The Indonesian Confrontation, 1964-1966

In 1975, arrangements were made for the cemetery’s 1,587 graves to be relocated to make way for urban redevelopment. Some of the exhumed remains were later reburied at the Kranji War Memorial. From one article, it was said that a total of 748 were reburied at Kranji War Memorial, 838 were cremated and 1 was privately buried. 

Ulu Pandan War Cemetery (source: National Archives Australia)

Layout of the Ulu Pandan Military Cemetery

Gates of Ulu Pandan British War Cemetery (source: NAS)

Ulu Pandan British War Cemetery (source: NAS)

The Register contains the names and places of burial of British, Gurkha and Commonwealth service personnel, civilians working the services and their children, who are buried in Singapore. In Kranji War Memorial i found a memorial stone that states; 

In memory of the Gurkha Officers and Soldiers of the Brigade of Gurkhas and their wives and children formerly buried in Pasir Panjang and Ulu Pandan Cemeteries whose ashes now lie in this garden. 

Memorial stone for the Gurkhas 

Chapel Bell

There is a back story on the origins of the Chapel Bell. It was salvaged from the Danish freighter, Lexa Maersk which caught fire on Christmas 1954. 

 

Location of Ulu Pandan War Cemetery

The Cemetery location is at Ulu Pandan Road where the Pine Grove Condos are. 

Military Cemetery in Ulu Pandan (1975) source: Historical maps of Singapore. NUS

Aerial Photo of Ulu Pandan War Cemetery (source: National Archives)

References

Ulu Pandan.(website). Singapore Infopedia, National Library Board, Singapore

AWM207 161-F3-1 - Headquarters, ANZUK Force, Register of Post War Graves - Singapore/Malaysia. (website). Australian War Memorial

Cemetery for Soldiers. (1955, July 13). The Straits Times, page 5

Cemetery to become park. (1976). New Nation, page 2