A tragic history lies behind the Alexandra Hospital, which was once used as a military hospital for the British forces during and after World War II. In the battle for Pasir Panjang, Japanese troops advanced towards the west of Singapore. On 14 and 15 February 1942, they massacred some 650 patients and staff of the hospital. After being handed over to the Singapore Government in 1971, the hospital changed its function to a civilian one. Built in a simplified Classical style typical of hospitals of the 1930s, its structure has remained largely unchanged.