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Block 151 - Changi Murals

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Block 151 - Changi Murals at Roberts Barracks. Modern address: Martlesham Road, Changi. The Chapel is in the end ground floor room at the far side of the block. During the World War II, four Chaplains, fondly called "Padres" by servicemen, found themselves in Roberts Barracks. They negotiated with the Japanese and they grudgingly gave permission to make a chapel for the prisoners in the hospital area of the camp. With the help of the prisoners, he converted an end ground floor room of Barrack Block 151 in the dysentery wing. The chapel was fitted out with whatever furnishings were available, or could be made by the POWs. Some benches were found, and an altar and lectern were made. The chapel was dedicated to Saint Luke the Physician, an appropriate choice for the use Roberts Barracks was being put to. The POW, Stanley Warren, began painting The Murals early September 1942 and all five (The Nativity, St. Paul in Prison, The Last Supper, The Crucifixion and The Resurrection) were completed in May 1943.

The murals were rediscovered in Changi Camp Block 151 in 1958. A search was undertaken successfully for Stanley Warren. He returned to Singapore in 1963, 1982 and 1988 and with the help of local authorities, restored the murals at Changi Camp.

In 1968, Singapore Ministry of Defence had decided to take over responsibility of the murals and to keep them in good condition for display. Despite requests in the late 1990s from officials in the Ministry of Defence to move the Changi Murals from the Singapore Armed Forces Base to a more convenient location, Pamelia Lee (who was also a member of Singapore's National Heritage Board) affirmed that these would not be removed, as it is the the Singapore Tourism Board intention to keep heritage pieces intact and in their original location for as long as possible.