Singapore — Fort Siloso, Sentosa (Pulau Blakang Mati), Singapore
A look around Fort Siloso, Singapore
June 2015
Fort Siloso, Singapore, is located on the western tip of Sentosa Island.
Sentosa Island was called Pulau Blakang Mati, which is Malay for “Those who die behind” — it is believed this is derived from a malaria outbreak on the island in the 1830/40s that killed numerous inhabitants.
Fort Siloso is the oldest military structure on the island and covers an area of 4 hectares (10 acres). The British built the fort in the 1880s to guard the western entrance to Keppel Harbour. The fort was strengthened in the 1930s and was active during the Battle for Singapore in 1942, with the guns redirected to fire inland toward the invading Japanese forces.
During the Japanese Occupation, the fort was used as a prisoner of war camp and returned to the British in 1945. The fort was handed over to the Singapore Maritime Command and the Singapore Armed Forces in 1967.
In 1972, it was decided to re-develop the island for recreational purposes, and Pulau Blakang Mati was renamed Sentosa, and the fort was decommissioned to become a tourist attraction.
