29 January 2022
Labrador park is a popular park in Singapore, but it was also the site of the former Labrador Battery hence there are many old ruins that are still hidden around the park. I remember I used to enjoy going there as a kid to play at a playground that had a machine gun post, which seemed so out of place in a children's playground. I was both amused and frightened by the machine gun post and I would stand at the locked gate, peering into the dark abyss within, wondering where it led to. For this trip, we were there to search for some hidden ruins around the park including machine gun shelters, a lookout bunker and a searchlight.
History
Labrador park was formally the site of Fort Pasir Panjang which was completed in 1878 with two gun emplacements. It was twinned with Fort Siloso on Sentosa Island as a defence site to Keppel Harbour (then known as New Harbour). The emplacements were upgraded to a six-gun battery, with underground ammunition storage, living spaces and tunnels in 1892. With the possible outbreak of war in the region in 1938, the Labrador Battery was further armed with two six-inch 37-ton guns that could fire 102-pound shells to a distance of almost 10 miles. Beaming searchlights that could track enemy ships were another addition to the battery.
This defence position was part of a strategy based on the popular belief that an invasion of Singapore would probably come via a coastal attack, and so the placements of these guns were fixed facing the sea. In practice, they could be turned around. This was the case in February 1942, during World War II, when the guns were reversed almost 180 degrees and used by the Malay Regiment in their 48-hour struggle against the advancing Japanese 18th Division in the Pasir Panjang / Alexandra Road area. Adapted from: https://www.nlb.gov.sg/main/article-detail?cmsuuid=df3045a2-5d3c-4594-b2a3-f4b7b1549bbd#
Exploring Labrador Gun Shelters and Searchlight
1115 | Search for Machine Gun Shelter No. 1 |
1145 | Search for Machine Gun Shelter No. 2 |
1200 | Look for Lookout Bunker |
1230 | Search for Pink's Searchlight |
1115 | Search for Machine Gun Shelter No. 1
We walked up the hill along Labrador Park till we reached a dead end. I noticed something in the forest, and it was an old water tank. We continued along a small forest trail, passed a fence till we reached the edge of the forest. I heard some voices, which was rare since we didn't expect visitors deep in the forest. Walking towards the voices, we saw that it was a group of climbers who were abseiling down a steep rock face. It was a steep drop that was at least 10m or more with a clear view of the port. I don't want to accidentally fall off, so I kept a safe distance from the cliff edge. We chatted with the climbers for awhile before continuing to our first destination.
We continued along the forest trail and found the first gun shelter. It was a shelter entangled with tree roots. I wondered how the shelter was holding the weight of the trees growing on top. It looked somewhat precarious as I noticed some cracks in the structure, so we didn't stay under it for too long.
1145 | Search for Machine Gun Shelter No. 2
We continued to search for the 2nd machine gun shelter in the area. Not too long into the search, we came upon a 2nd shelter that was mostly obscured and buried under a thicket of vines. I walked towards the shelter, it was a lot darker inside since the light was mostly blocked out by the thick veins. But it made for a nice hideout spot.
1200 | Look for Lookout Bunker
We ventured into another forested area to look for the next location. As we walked further in, we came upon a random flight of stairs in the middle of the forest which was a good sign that there are more ruins deeper into the forest. We soon spotted a lookout bunker and went in through a side passageway. It was a small room with slit opening towards the front.
1230 | Search for Pink's Searchlight
Our last location in the area was not too far from the lookout bunker, but since the terrain was along a steep cliff edge it seemed unsafe to directly cut across. We decided to detour and find an entrance from the beach area instead. We surveyed the jetty area for a way into the forest but there doesn't seem to be an easy way in. Nonetheless, we decided to just go for it, scaling up a steep slope with our hands and feet into the forest. The slope seemed to be lined with a wire mesh, likely to prevent soil erosion in the event of heavy rain. After scaling the slope for awhile we reassessed our location, and that was when we noticed something buried under the thick undergrowth of the forest. It was an entrance that was mostly buried with only a small opening. I wondered where it led to, so I carefully climbed in. Inside was a passageway with a very low ceiling and we had to waddle our way around in the dark. I wondered if this place was intentionally buried or sealed off. There seemed to be light coming in from the other side, as we waddled towards it we saw a lookout area, partially obscured by vines. This structure was likely a searchlight, similar to the ones I had seen at Sentosa. The place somehow gave a very comforting and peaceful feeling like a secret hideout spot. I sat for awhile to enjoy the peace and quiet before waddling our way out.
My Thoughts
Although I have been to Labrador park numerous times as a kid, I never knew that there were still so many hidden ruins around the park. I still hope to be able to explore the tunnel at the playground someday.
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