For the past month, I stumbled upon quite a few old cannons without actually aiming to look for them.
1. The cannon in the above photo is a replica. Where is it sited? (Give the road name.)
2. How many such guns were there orginally near this location and what were they collectively called?
3. How many such guns were there in Singapore at that time?
4. What was the diameter of the shell (in inches) that the gun fired?
Answers will be revealed in a week's time.
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11 comments:
victor, you have an subconscious obsession with guns ....big ones. that's why you moved from west (pasir panjang) to east looking for guns.
Victor has unknowingly took a second shot.
This replica Gun Emplacement is in Cosford Road. The real thing fired 15-Inch Shells. There were three 15-Inch Guns at Changi, forming the Johore Battery. This was named after the Sultan of Johore who paid a large sum of money for the guns. The replica represents the No.1 Gun (right-hand gun) of the Battery. The Magazine still exists underground behind the replica. The No.3 Gun has been completely destroyed. However, I believe that the magazine for the No.2 Gun may still exist between the Prison Service Multi-purpose Cooperative Society and the South Perimeter Road of Changi Airport.
There were two other 15-Inch Guns in Singapore. These formed the Buona Vista Battery. This battery straddled Ulu Pandan Road near its junction with Reformatory Road, now called Clementi Road. Underground remnants of the No.1 Gun still exist in the grounds of the Police Unit at the junction of Ulu Pandan and Clementi Roads. The No. 2 Gun was between Pine Grove and the Emaar International School.Events in the area lead me to believe that there are significant underground remains of the No.2 Gun Emplacement - perhaps the Magazine as well. Time and investigation will tell.
Wow! I am truly amazed with the amount of information Peter Stubbs has.
Is he already in your Team Vic or can I steal him for my music blog, if he's familiar with 60s pops.
I've done a bit of research in to Singapore coast Artillery, with the emphasis on Fort Siloso.
If I turn round and look at my CDs, they are mainly 60s with classical and a few 50s. I may not be so hot on Singapore 60s music though. I can only think of the 'Stray Cats' and Nancy Sit, who was from Hong Kong anyway. Maybe not so famous was 'Motif', made up of servicemen from Changi as I remember it.
Thanks for response Peter. You are welcome to write anytime you wish.
Thanks also to Victor for using his Comment page as a post-office.
i blogged about this big gun in august 2009 here victor must have missed it. i also like to be associated with big guns, you know.
YG: I'll have to keep an eye on your blogs as well.
What may not be well known, is that, in 1942, there was exactly one 15-Inch High Explosive Shell in Singapore. This was in the possession of the Admiralty. I have somewhere, a copy of a record from the UK National Archives stating that it was taken to the "Johore Fort". Unfortunately, the record does not say which gun of the battery sent it in the direction of the Japanese. I must look this record up.
peter, i am honoured by your interest in my blog. thanks for all the info.
From the UK National Archives. The following is an extract from a signal sent from Singapore to London. Content in parenthesis is mine.
26/1/42
From:- G.O.C. Malaya (Percival)
To:- The War Office (London)
.......... At present only available 15 inch landwards projectile is one HE obtained from Naval Base now at Johore Fort. Supreme Commander S.W. Pacific (Wavell) has been asked to supply 250 15 inch H.E. and 450 9.2 inch H.E. projectiles........
Peter's immense knowledge on Singapore ww2 historical info and records has overawed me for a quite a while now. Especially in our research on machine-gun pillboxes in Singapore.
Never fails to surprise when he comes up with new and accurate info such as those above. :)
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