Fort Siloso

Fort Siloso is a relic from World War II (WWII) located on the northwestern tip of Sentosa Island (Formerly known as Pulau Belakang Mati), Singapore’s only preserved coastal fort. Pulau Blakaing Mati is a Malay term that means “Island of thise who die behind”. In the mid 80s, a Bugis community was known to be living on the Island and a malaria outbreak almost wiped out the settlers. It is believed that this event gave Blakang Mati its name.

Purchase your ticket and hitch a ride to the top of the hill.

Fort Siloso has been restored to its pre-war condition and converted into a museum.  It has the largest collection of World War II memorabilia with life-sized replicas. There are actually four forts in Sentosa: Fort Siloso, Fort Serapong, Mount Imbiah, Fort Connaught. Casemates (Right) were buildings built to provide accommodation, office and storage space.

The word ‘Siloso’ means ‘Jealous Person’, and is from the Philippines.

Gun Display.

Underground tunnel complex. The fort itself was used as a POW camp after the fall of Singapore. Pretty grim I must say.

Oil lanterns were used to light up the tunnel in the past.

Inside, there were wax figurines showing ammunition workers, in a dreary tunnel.

You can also experience a soldier’s life at the fort.

Walk through the Troopship carrying new recruits to their posting in Singapore. Troopships were never designed to be comfortable, but merely to transport as many troops as possible to the far flung places of the British Empire. Dioramas depicting life onboard a Victorian era Troopship look so surreal.

This is a replica of a home for the soldier. Very minimal but comfortable at that time. An 1880s barrack room has been faithfully created at Fort Siloso and this gives a clear insight into barrack life for the first soldiers to serve at Siloso. The Dhobi-wallah or Laundry Man was employed by the Army to take care of the soldiers laundry for a small fee. Look how simple the tools were used back then.

The cookhouse. The soldier’s diet consist of meat, bread and potatoes.

Not forgetting in house seamstress.

The Guardroom was built during the early 1900s. It is fitted out to represent a typical Guardroom of the 1880s.

My final stop was to the ‘Surrender Room’ where the scene of the Allies and Japanese representatives met to sign the papers which ended the Second World War. The entrance to the Fort Siloso is located near the Underwater World Singapore. In conjunction of Singapore’s 50 years of Independence in 2015, all local resident will get 50% off the ticket price.

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