A very warm seat in the Singapore climate.
Fort Siloso
The 6-Inch BL Gun Battery
6-Inch BL Battery
The 6-Inch BL Battery was the third gun battery to be built on its location. The first battery, planned in 1885, was a single 9.2-Inch BL Gun. This was removed and the replacement remodelled for two Mark II 6-Inch QF Guns. These were in place by 1911. The QF Battery was replaced by a Mark VII 6-inch BL Battery during the 1930s. It was these guns that went in to action in February 1942. Following the war with Japan, The battery was re-armed with guns retrieved from elsewhere in Singapore. These themselves were replaced in 1950 by more modern Mark 24 6-Inch BL Guns. These were the last guns to be installed at Fort Siloso. They served until May 1956, when coast artillery was abandoned by the British Army. Of all the coastal batteries in Singapore, only Fort Siloso and the Batu Berlayar and Berhala Reping Batteries were re-armed. At Batu Berlayar and Berhala Reping, only a single Twin-6 Pounder was mounted at each location.
The photo to the left shows the Mark VII 6-Inch BL Battery circa 1938. The guns have Mark IV Gun Shields. The guns could elevate to 14°, and depress by 10° and had all-round traverse. They had a range of 14,100 yards (12,893 metres) and fired a 100lb (45.4 Kilos) shell. A well trained gun crew could fire seven rounds per minute. Sometime after 1939, concrete overhead protection was constructed over the guns. This had the effect of reducing the traverse and thus the arc of fire to 202° – 338°.
These guns were spiked on 14th February 1942 and lay useless until removed after the war. In 1946, the guns were removed and replaced during August with similar guns which the Japanese had managed to put back in working order. It was probably about this time that the overhead covers were completely removed from the guns. The No. 2 Emplacement and cover is shown below right. Damage caused by spiking is visible. However, there was a shortage of 
equipment which would make the battery fully functional again. The Battery Record Book notes that there was no rangefinder, transmitting and receiving dials, telephones or gun telescopes. It was to be 1947 before a Fire Direction Table arrived from Ceylon and was installed in the underground War Reserve Accommodation by WOII Kelley of REME . Training of Malay Gunners from 1st Malay Coast Artillery then began. It was to be 1950 before the eastward firing range was authorised. It was then in February that the proof firing resulting in the guns being condemned took place.
LEFT: Malay Gunner at a Mark VII 6-Inch BL Gun
CENTRE: Officer outside a Mark 24 6-Inch BL Gun
RIGHT: Officer inside a Mark 24 6-Inch BL Gun
The Mark 24 Guns with Mark 5/6 Shields were then emplaced at Siloso. These guns could elevate to 45°, and had a range of 24,500 yards (22,403 metres). As the emplacements had been built for the Mark II CPM Mounting, there was a need for some modification to mount the guns and allow a limited arc of traverse.
The No. 2 Gun is shown left. On the right of this photo can be seen the OP (Observation Post) which was mid-way between the emplacements. Smoke can be seen in the photo, indicating that it was taken during a practice shoot. The date of the photo on the right is November 1952.
There was still a lack of equipment and some had to be manufactured locally in order to make the guns operational, albeit at a much reduced range. During the year, the battery carried out several practice shoots. From then until the disbanding of coast artillery abroad on 25th May 1956, the guns carried out several more practice shoots. The Observation Post between the guns had been removed when the photo to the right was taken.
After the disbandment of coast artillery, all of the guns at Fort Siloso were sold for scrap and, as an artillery fort, Siloso passed in to history, although fortunately, not into oblivion.