Fort Siloso
6-Inch QF Magazine
RIGHT: Inside the magazine. The entrance is on the right. Glass fronted lantern recesses can be seen on the right-hand wall. In the days before electric lamps, oil lanterns were lit and placed in these recesses, and the glass doors were closed. As can be imagined the magazine was somewhat dimly lit in those days.
The walls projecting from the left-hand wall are the entrance to the Shell Store. At the far end of the Magazine is the Cartridge Hoist leading to the No.1 Gun. Each Gun had its own Cartridge and Shell Hoists.
LEFT: A replica lantern in a recess in the magazine.
RIGHT: A plan of the Magazine. At each side of the Magazine are two hoists, one for shells and one for propellant charges. These were hand operated. On the wall by the entrance to the Magazine are two Quick Return Hoists. These could be used to feed the guns if required.
Shells and propellant charges were passed out of hatches in the thick walls of the Shell and Cartridge Stores to the men working on the hoists at each side of the Magazine. The walls were thickly built to minimise the effects of any explosion occurring in the Magazine.
The Cartridge Store shown at the bottom of the plan did not appear on the original plans for the Gun Emplacement. It most likely was a modification added before the Magazine was constructed. The original plan put the Cartridge Store where the Shell Store is shown on the plan above. Shells were stored as shown left.