Fort Siloso

Last updated

Fort Siloso
Sentosa in  Singapore
Fort Siloso entrance.jpg
Fort Siloso entrance
Fort Siloso
Location in Singapore
Coordinates 1°15′32″N103°48′29″E / 1.25889°N 103.80806°E / 1.25889; 103.80806
TypeFort
Site information
Open to
the public
Yes
ConditionRenovated
Website www.fortsiloso.com
Site history
Built1874 (1874)
Built by Webb Gillman
In use1965 (1965)
FateDecommissioned, now a museum
Battles/wars Battle of Singapore
Garrison information
GarrisonBritish Royal Artillery
Singapore Artillery Corps
Designated15 February 2022;2 years ago (2022-02-15)
Reference no.74
Surrender Chambers in Fort Siloso Surrender Chambers.jpg
Surrender Chambers in Fort Siloso

Fort Siloso is a decommissioned coastal artillery battery in Sentosa, Singapore. It consists of 12 such batteries which made up "Fortress Singapore" at the start of World War II, and saw action during the Battle of Singapore. The fort is now a military museum open to the public. [1] The Surrender Chambers in Fort Siloso reopened in June 2017 with a refreshed exhibition and free admission.

Contents

History

Construction

One of Fort Siloso's coastal-artillery guns Sentosa-Fort Siloso.jpg
One of Fort Siloso's coastal-artillery guns

The word "Siloso" of the fort's name is derived from a Malayan word meaning "rock". [2] There was a huge rock at the mouth of Singapore's harbour which imposed a hazard to passing shipping. With trade ever flourishing in Singapore since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, it became necessary to protect Singapore's port. Based on the report by Major Edward Lake of the British Royal Engineers, a fort was decided to be built on Pulau Blakang Mati (Sentosa) in 1874 to protect Keppel Harbour. As part of the planned fortifications, Mount Siloso's top was blown off to flatten it for the installation of coastal-artillery gun platforms. By the 1880s, several gun batteries were located on Mount Siloso and Mount Serapong (facing north towards mainland Singapore on Sentosa's northern coast) on Pulau Blakang Mati, becoming a stronghold of British naval defences in Singapore. Fort Siloso was built in 1878. [2]

Armament

By the 1880s, Fort Siloso possessed 7-inch guns and two 64-pounder guns. In the 1890s, five 10-inch guns were also installed. These guns were operated automatically and powered from an underground electric-powerhouse. In the 1930s, twin 6-pounder guns, Quick-Firing anti-torpedo-boat guns, five large searchlights, an Operational Tower (for overall command and control), two machine-gun nests and two twin-Lewis anti-aircraft machine guns were added due to reports of an impending war (rising from an ever military-ambitious Imperial Japan). The fort was manned by both the British Royal Artillery and the locally formed Singapore Artillery Corps.

A 12-pounder gun at Fort Siloso facing the oil refineries on Pulau Bukom in Singapore's harbour. The view from this same gun would have been no different than back in WWII. Siloso12pounder.jpg
A 12-pounder gun at Fort Siloso facing the oil refineries on Pulau Bukom in Singapore's harbour. The view from this same gun would have been no different than back in WWII.
Preserved 13-inch Trench Mortars. Originally displayed at the Victoria Memorial Hall, these were donated to Fort Siloso in 1969. Preserved 13-inch Trench Mortars.jpg
Preserved 13-inch Trench Mortars. Originally displayed at the Victoria Memorial Hall, these were donated to Fort Siloso in 1969.

World War II

The forts were designed and built to defend Singapore against an invasion by sea from the south. However, during the Battle of Singapore in February 1942, the guns were instead turned 180 degrees inland to fire at rapidly-advancing Japanese forces approaching Singapore from the north (via British Malaya). [2] The fort's guns were fired at encroaching Japanese positions and troops who were pushing towards the city-area northwest from Tengah Airfield. The British and local troops who were retreating from the overrun Pasir Laba Battery (in Singapore's northwest) and heading back to friendly British lines via the sea were mistaken for Japanese troops and fired upon, with at least major casualties sustained.

The building at the entrance of Fort Siloso is now known as the Surrender Chambers and has a vivid portrayal of the scenes of the British and Japanese surrenders in WWII with actual footage of the war being played interactively. This is on the upper storey, with the ground floor having been turned into a souvenir shop. During the Japanese occupation of Singapore from 1942 to 1945, the fort was used as a small prisoner-of-war camp. [2]

Post-World War II

After the Japanese surrender in 1945, the Royal Navy occupied the fort in 1946 and its guns were manned by the 1st Malay Coast Battery and Royal Artillery. Gurkha detachments from British India took over manning the guns when the British gunners were withdrawn and the 1st Malay Coast Battery was disbanded sometime later in 1946. During the Konfrontasi period between Sukarno's Indonesia and the Malaysian Federation from 1963 to 1965, Fort Siloso was manned by the 10th Gurkha Rifles to prevent Indonesian military-trained saboteurs from landing on Sentosa and Keppel Harbour slightly inland. [2]

Fort Siloso became a Catholic retreat for locally based British forces until Sentosa was handed over to the Singapore government following the British military withdrawal starting in 1967. The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) then took control over the fort.

Fort Siloso was then converted into a military museum in 1974, [2] displaying its history and various naval guns. Other coastal guns (both British and Japanese) from different parts of Singapore, such as a pair of Japanese naval cannons discovered and brought over from Mandai, were put here for display. It had previously held the display of the British surrender of Singapore in February 1942 until its relocation to the Former Ford Factory (the actual site of the British surrender) in Bukit Timah in February 2006.

Plans for the gazetting of Fort Siloso into a national monument began in June 2016 as it is also a wartime museum, and also a military museum dedicated to Republic of Singapore Navy. Fort Siloso was gazetted on 15 February 2022. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentosa</span> Island of Singapore

Sentosa Island, known mononymously as Sentosa, is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore's main island. The island is separated from the main island of Singapore by a channel of water, the Keppel Harbour, and is adjacent to Pulau Brani, a smaller island wedged between Sentosa and the main island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keppel Harbour</span> Port in Singapore

Keppel Harbour, also called the Keppel Channel and formerly New Harbour, is a stretch of water in Singapore between the mainland and the southern islands of Pulau Brani and Sentosa. Its naturally sheltered and deep waters was to meet the requirements of British colonists attempting to establish a Far East maritime colony in that part of the world, thereby setting the stage for the eventual formation of Singapore as a successful independent state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulau Brani</span> Island in Singapore

Pulau Brani is an island located off the southern coast of Singapore, near Keppel Harbour. The island is situated between the main island of Singapore and the resort island of Sentosa, and is linked to the mainland via Brani Terminal Avenue. The area of Pulau Brani is 1.22 square kilometres. Used to be home for Orang Laut, and in malay, the meaning of Pulau Brani is “isle of the brave”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Singapore Cable Car</span> Gondola link near Sentosa, Singapore

The Singapore Cable Car is a gondola lift in Singapore, providing an aerial link from Mount Faber on Singapore Island to the resort island of Sentosa across the Keppel Harbour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National monuments of Singapore</span>

National monuments of Singapore are sites, buildings and structures in Singapore that have been designated by the National Heritage Board (NHB) as being of special historic, traditional, archaeological, architectural or artistic value. For historical significance, these buildings are not allowed to be demolished. The Preservation of Monuments Act gives the board authority to order the preservation of such sites and promote research and public interest in the monuments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Pasir Panjang</span> 1942 battle of the Japanese invasion of Singapore during WWII

The Battle of Pasir Panjang, which took place between 13 and 15 February 1942, was part of the final stage of the Empire of Japan's invasion of Singapore during World War II. The battle was initiated upon the advancement of elite Imperial Japanese Army forces towards Pasir Panjang Ridge on 13 February.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Devil's Peak, Hong Kong</span> Peak in Hong Kong

Devil's Peak is a peak in Sai Kung District, Hong Kong. The communities of Tiu Keng Leng, Lei Yue Mun and Yau Tong surround this peak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padang, Singapore</span> A playing field in Singapore

The Padang is an open playing field located within the Downtown Core of the Central Area in Singapore. It includes the Padang Cricket Ground. The Padang is surrounded by several important landmarks, which include Saint Andrew's Cathedral, City Hall, the Old Supreme Court Building and the City Hall MRT station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese occupation of Singapore</span> Part of World War II

Syonan, officially Syonan Island, was the name for Singapore when it was occupied and ruled by the Empire of Japan, following the fall and surrender of British military forces on 15 February 1942 during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Faber</span> Place in Singapore

Mount Faber, formerly Telok Blangah Hill, is a hill about 94 metres (308 ft) in height, located in the town of Bukit Merah in the Central Region of Singapore. It overlooks the Telok Blangah area and the western parts of the Central Area. The summit is accessible by Mount Faber Road or Mount Faber Loop via Morse Road, but there are many footpaths or trails leading up the hill. The main paths are: Marang Trail, which leads from Marang Road at the Harbourfront MRT station, and the Southern Ridges Park Connector which connects from Telok Blangah Hill Park, Kent Ridge Park, and Henderson Waves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labrador Nature Reserve</span> Coastal park in Singapore

Labrador Nature Reserve, also known locally as Labrador Park, is located in the southern part of mainland Singapore. It is home to the only rocky sea-cliff on the mainland that is accessible to the public. Since 2002, 10 hectares of coastal secondary-type vegetation and its rocky shore have been gazetted as a nature reserve and its flora and fauna preserved by NParks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Tanjong Katong</span> Colonial Singapore defensive structure

Fort Tanjong Katong, which stood from 1879 to 1901, was one of the oldest military forts built by the former British colonial government of Singapore. The fort gave its name to today's Fort Road, and it used to stand on the grounds of the present Katong Park. Fort Tanjong Katong, the only one of its kind on the eastern side of the island, was part of a series of defensive batteries and fortifications along the southern coast of Singapore, that defended the eastern approaches to the Singapore Harbour and Singapore Town against seaborne attacks. Due to its poor structural design and remoteness, the fort was subsequently abandoned and buried until its rediscovery in 2001. Found with traces of a moat and near intact perimeter wall, the fort was considered by local archaeological experts as one of Singapore's most important archaeological finds of a "true 19-century fort" to date. As a result, an archaeology group has been lobbying for the site to be gazetted as a National Monument. As of May 2010, the National Heritage Board has stated that it has no plans to gazette the fort for the time being.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fort Pasir Panjang</span> Colonial Singapore defensive structure

Fort Pasir Panjang or Labrador Battery is located within Labrador Park at the southern tip of Singapore island. It was one of the 11 coastal artillery forts built by the British in the 19th century to defend the western passageway into Keppel Harbour against piracy and foreign naval powers. During the 1942 Battle of Pasir Panjang, the fort played a supporting role but a limited one in defending the Malay Regiments against the Japanese invasion at Bukit Chandu. In 1995, the site was gazetted by the National Heritage Board as one of the 11 World War II sites in Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BL 9.2-inch Mk I – VII naval gun</span> Naval gun

The BL 9.2-inch Mk I–VII guns were a family of early British heavy breechloading naval and coast defence guns in service from 1881 to the end of World War I. They were originally designed to use the old gunpowder propellants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BL 8-inch Mk I – VII naval gun</span> Naval gun

The BL 8 inch guns Mark I to Mark VII were the first generations of British rifled breechloaders of medium-heavy calibre. They were initially designed for gunpowder propellants and were of both 25.5 and 30 calibres lengths.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johore Battery</span>

The Johore Battery was a former British coastal artillery battery located in Changi on the easternmost side of mainland Singapore. It consisted of three large BL 15-inch Mk. I naval guns installed on land by the British government in the late 1930s to defend the approaching path to the east of the island to their large naval base located at Sembawang in the north from an attacking enemy naval force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoods Tower Museum</span> Naval museum of the Sri Lanka Navy in Trincomalee

The Hoods Tower Museum is a naval museum of the Sri Lanka Navy in Trincomalee. It is located at Ostenburg, in the Trincomalee peninsula on a high ridge overlooking the entrance to the inner harbor of Trincomalee within the SLN Dockyard. The museum gains its name from the Hoods Tower, an observation tower named after Vice-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood, Commander of the East Indies Station.

The first fortifications of Singapore consisted of batteries built in the early 19th century to protect the harbour and city. After this there were two main phases of building.

Fort Serapong is a former coastal artillery battery on Mount Serapong hill on Sentosa Island in Singapore, then known as Pulau Blakang Mati. It was one of four major batteries on the island, along with Fort Siloso, Fort Connaught and the Mount Imbiah Battery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coastal Tourism in Singapore</span>

Coastal tourism in Singapore is tourism involving, or carried out on Singapore's nearshore waters and its beaches. This includes the coast of Singapore's mainland, as well as those of its offshore islands. Coastal tourism is currently a subset of the larger tourism industry in Singapore, and encompasses the idea of the "tourist coast," referring to the coast that has been "altered or modified for the purposes of recreation and tourism," according to Singaporean geomorphologist Wong Poh Poh. It caters to both foreign visitors to Singapore, as well as locals seeking recreational activities.

References

  1. Wong Heng. "Fort Siloso". National Library Board. Archived from the original on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ng, Kai (9 November 2024). "National monuments of Singapore: Fort Siloso". Asiaone. Archived from the original on 9 November 2024.