Prime Minister Scott Morrison has visited the graves of more than 1100 Australian World War II soldiers at the Kranji war cemetery in Singapore.
Mr Morrison on Thursday morning toured 13 large walls etched with the names of the fallen, placing a poppy in memory of Australian nurses.
He also visited two Australian graves, placing small wooden crosses decorated by Australian school children.
"I think it's important wherever you get the opportunity, wherever Australians are travelling, they come and pay their respects at memorials such as this," Mr Morrison told reporters.
"Not only do we have over 1000 Australians remembered here, but many more from so many other countries we fought with."
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Kranji is the final resting place of 4400 Commonwealth casualties from World War II, including 1048 known and 67 unknown Australians.
Mr Morrison was joined at the cemetery by high commissioner Bruce Gosper and Australian defence adviser to Singapore, Colonel Paul Hay.
He placed a wreath at the base of The Singapore Memorial, which bears the names of 24,000 casualties with no known grave.
Mr Morrison has visited the site before but this was his first as Australia's leader.
"As prime minister I think it gives you a further opportunity to not just pay your own respects, but I think to bring the respects of a nation with you, which I think is very important," he said.
"We say it all the time - lest we forget, we will remember them - and that's what we must do."
Mr Morrison visited the graves of Private Phelps, from Waverley in NSW, who died in 1942 aged 20.
"His fury fearlessly and nobly done ever remembered," read an inscription on his grave.
The prime minster also visited the grave of Private Burke, from Cloncurry in Queensland, who died aged 17.
Private Burke is the youngest soldier buried in the cemetery.
"A good life. A noble end. Fondly remembered and by all. Mother," his tombstone read.
Mr Morrison grew up near Waverley and has a family connection to Cloncurry.
"You don't hear too many stories in the Second World War of those who changed their age to enlist. You hear quite a lot of them in the Great War," he said.
"I think it just shows the span of Australia's service men and women."
The prime minister was particularly keen to recognise the terror of what occurred to Australian nurses cut down in the war.
"To mark that I think is also an important reason for coming here and just reflecting on these stories," he said.
