The entire battle lasted only nine days, but the memory of its devastation has cast a shadow that spans nearly eight decades.
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Veterans, defence force families and the city's notable personalities came together on Saturday to recall the events of February 15, 1942. The day Singapore fell to the Japanese during World War II.
"Anyone who was in Singapore at the time, which was a lot of Commonwealth forces and I'm sure included Wagga locals, would have been involved that day," said Ken May, commemorations co-ordinator of the Wagga RSL sub-branch.
"Many were captured and taken to Changi P.O.W camp and ended up working on the Burmese Railway.
"We don't know how many Wagga locals would have been there, but no doubt there'd be some."
A veteran of the airforce himself, Mr May had occasion to see Singapore in the aftermath of that day during his 23 years of military service.
While serving in Malaysia during the late 60s and early 70s, he travelled frequently to the then-newly separated sovereign nation of Singapore.
"There were places that still bore the bullet holes and the shrapnel, even then so many years later," he said.
"At that time, Singapore was going through massive change, but it still had that memory."
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Considered an impregnable city, the British were unprepared for the battle that would ensue when Japanese forces landed on February 7, 1942.
"When [the Japanese] made it down the coast, it was absolute chaos, they say there were 85,000 shells rained on Singapore in a very short amount of time," Mr May said.
"[It led] the British general, Arthur Percival, to call a ceasefire and sign the surrender on February 15. He signed it at the Ford factory in Singapore, of all places."
A pinnacle turning point near the end of World War II, the battle for Singapore opened the doors for the attempted invasion of Australia just days later, on February 19, 1942.
"Overrunning Singapore was part of the plan to eventually overrun Australia. Singapore fell easily, easier than anyone ever envisioned," he said.
"Thankfully, when the Japanese then got to Darwin, our military forces put up a big fight."
Now 78 years after that day, Mr May believes it holds just as great importance in the collective Australian memory as it did then.
"It's important to continue to let people know that these things happened," he said.
"We need to keep it in people's minds, our forces didn't just fight in Gallipoli. In both the Wars, we played a big part in the battles that made a big difference in how the Wars were fought.
"So many Australian men ended up on the Burmese Railway, if it weren't for the fall of Singapore, that would never have happened."