Fort Siloso is a decommissioned coastal artillery battery, made up of 12, that formed “Fortress Singapore” at the outbreak of WWII and saw combat action during the Battle of Singapore. The fort has been converted into a public military museum.
The fort’s name, “Siloso,” is derived from a Malayan term that means “rock.” A massive rock stood at the mouth of Singapore’s port, posing a threat to passing ships. Since the inauguration of the Suez Canal in 1869, trade has flourished in Singapore, making it necessary to secure the port. In 1874, a fort was decided to be built on Pulau Blakang Mati (Sentosa) to guard Keppel Harbour. Mount Siloso’s summit was blown off as part of the planned defenses to make room for the installation of coastal-artillery gun positions. By the 1880s, multiple gun batteries on Mount Siloso and Mount Serapong (looking north) had been established, becoming a stronghold of British naval defences in Singapore. (Wikipedia).
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Plans for the gazetting of Fort Siloso into a national monument began in June 2016 as it is also a wartime museum. Fort Siloso was finally gazetted on 15 February 2022, the same date when British forces surrendered the ‘impregnable fortress’ of Singapore to the Japanese army.
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