Fort Siloso

My heart was heavy when I entered the Sentosa Fort Siloso.

Being one of the twelve coastal batteries, the Fort was built by the British to form the Singapore Fortress during the World War II. My grandfather had gone missing during the Japanese Occupation. He never returned home since then…

I decided to embark on the Fort Siloso Tour, hoping to find out more about World War II in Singapore… the darkest period in the history of Singapore.

Japanese Samurai Sword
Japanese Occupation
of Singapore

This Fort is divided into 3 zones. The Red Zone shows how this part of the world was involved in World War II. The Yellow Zone exhibits the life of a soldier at the fort. The Blue Zone, which is a tunnel complex under Mount Siloso, leads to the Gun Tower.

At the Red Zone, there are exhibits that illustrate the Fall of Singapore to the Japanese during World War II. It was Chinese Lunar New Year in 1942, when the first bomb dropped onto the heart of Singapore. It marked the beginning of the long – 3 years and 8 months – of hardship, torture and humiliation to the Singapore people.

The exhibits also explain the movement of the Japanese attacks. As they moved in from the North of Singapore, via the Malaya Peninsula, the British – protector of Singapore then – were totally shocked, as they pointed their guns to the South, anticipated a sea attack.

Soldier Cleaning Rifle

The Japanese took the island… the British left the island… the people were stranded in the island. Would it be a different story to the history of Singapore should the Japanese have attacked from the Southern seas instead?

At this moment, I remembered “We can forgive, but never forget!”

British Soldiers
Loading 6 inch Gun

The Yellow Zone tells the story of the life of a soldier in Fort Siloso. There are life-size soldier figures, in their daily routine activities, taking a meal, sleeping in a bunk, preparing for defence, etc. Well, not too different from my army life though… I was also on an island, I was also sleeping in a bunk, I was also carrying a rifle…. except that I wore army slacks, the British wore Bermudas!!!

British 6 inch Gun

The Blue Zone was my favourite. It is a tunnel that leads to a Gun Tower.

At the Gun Tower, there is a replica of 6-Inch cannon. This replica represents one of the two guns which were installed at Fort Siloso during World War II. The original guns fired at the Japanese troops who were approaching aggressively into Singapore mainland. The Japanese bombarded Fort Siloso on February 1942. (So… the Japanese did try attacking from the South!)

Before exiting the Fort, I entered the Surrender Chambers.

There are 2 life-size wax-figure exhibits, re-enactment of the surrender of the British in 1942, and the surrender of the Japanese in 1945.

On my way out of Fort Siloso, I had a better understanding of what happened in Singapore during World War II… better understanding of what my grandparents went through, and this had made me more appreciative of the present. The surrender of the Japanese and the Germans during the World War II didn’t stop war altogether, did it? Even till these days, there are wars everywhere in the world. The intelligent mankind are no different from animals sometimes, killing each other…literally.

How true was Mark Twain – “The only lesson that mankind learn from war is, mankind won’t learn their lesson!”

If you win you need not explain…If you lose you should not be there to explain. – Adolf Hitler.

Admission

S$8 / Adult, S$5 / Child (Child 3 – 12 years old)
Opening hours
10am – 6pm daily
(Last admission 5.30pm)

Getting there

By MRT – The nearest MRT station is Harbourfront Station. Alight at Harbourfront Station and transfer to Sentosa bus at the Harbourfront bus interchange.

By Car – Parking is available at designated carparks on the island.

By Bus – Bus No. 30, 65, 80, 97, 100, 131, 145, 166, 855