LEFT: A plan of the Magazine with the Ammunition Hoist locations highlighted in yellow. Photographs were taken from the numbered locations.

The Hoists in the Magazine were of two types, Ladder and Band. The Ladder Hoist was angled, rather like a ladder leaning against the wall. The Band Hoist was vertical. Both were operated manually by means of a rotating handle which turned gears. The Ladder Hoist was used for Propellant Cartridges and the Band Hoist for Shells. In the days before electric power, operating the hoists was hard physical work, more so in the Singapore climate.

1 & 1a. The restored No.1 Cartridge Hoist.

The hoist is manually operated by a handle attached to the metal casing on the left-hand wall. The handle is connected to a cog which is connected to a larger reduction cog which is attached to a drum which drives which drives a belt of thick links rather like a bicycle chain. The whole assembly drives a moves a continuous belt, similar to a hand rail on an escalator. Cartridge containers are placed on this belt to be taken to the surface.

One man turns the handle, and another places cased propellant charges on the belt.

2 & 2a. The No.2 Cartridge Hoist before and after sestoration. In photograph 2, the Hoist operating handle and its gear assembly is hanging off the wall and the continuous belt is missing.

Photograph 2a shows a restored hoist with figures representing Gunners of the Singapore Volunteer Artillery serving the it. One man is placing cased propellant cartridges on to the hoist prior to them being sent up to the gun. The other man is unloading cartridges from a trolley brought to him from the cartridge store. As can be seen, there is not a lot of working room. Neither was there a great deal of light. The nearest lantern was over a metre from the nearest man.

3. BSM Cooper is supervising the men serving the two Ammunition Hoists for the No.2 Gun.

The man in the middle is working hard turning the handle which operates the Shell Hoist. On his right, there is another man who is carrying a shell to be placed onto the Hoist. Shells weighed in the region of 45Kg, so both carrying shells and operating the hoist would be hard work.

Unseen men would be working in the shell store to the right, passing shells out through a hatch at floor level in the wall of the Shell Store.

4& 4a. The Shell Hoist before and after restoration. In photograhp 5a, a shell in the hoist and is being raised. This hoist is a vertical Band Hoist. Shells were placed in a curved tray and raised to an hatch with steel doors to the right of the gun above.

Around the base of the shell are copper bands, raised slightly above the surface. These are ‘Driving Bands’, and engage in the gun barrel's rifling which imparts a spin to the shell on firing. This stabilises it in flight, increasing accuracy.

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