Now let’s visit the next location! The Labrador Park, also known as Fort Pasir Panjang or Labrador Battery, used to be one of the prime defense locations created by the British. The park is located in Singapore’s Southern Region. Today, it stands as a nature park and designated reserve area for Singaporeans and tourists to visit. Families who visit the area for leisure like picnics and individuals who go for jogs may notice certain structures as well as boards of information along the route. These are some of the only existing war relics in Singapore.
Additionally, some may view Labrador Park a little differently relating it to the supernatural, either from their own experiences or through stories they heard from others. It is hard to determine if these accounts are legitimate but what can be said for sure is that these supernatural elements have a lot to do with the history of the park.
“Yes... at the Labrodor Park. Heard many people experience footsteps of marching. Some cries of a woman. Toilet lights flickers” – Anonymous
Origins of Labrador Park
The name Labrador comes from “Labrador Villa”, which was the name of the residence of a prominent ship chandler, George John Mansfield, built-in 1881. The Labrador Villa was later bought by The Straits Government for $9000 from the then-owner, Mr A. P. Adams. The bungalow was located on top of a hill. This made it desirable for military purposes and was hence used for that.
Fortification of Labrador Park
Labrador Park was one of the nine sites in Singapore where the British forces had set up their batteries for the defense of Singapore. The batteries could fire shells against invaders who were looking to enter Singapore via sea. It included two six-inch 37-ton guns which were installed in 1938. These guns could fire 102 lb shells with a 31-lb cartridge for as far as 10 miles. The fort also consisted of searchlights which were used to beam at enemy battleships.
As we walk along Labrador Park with all the huge trees, we can still see some remnants of the forts that have vegetation growing on them. We can also see leaves falling from trees on the fort. Some statues of soldiers and ammunition in the bunkers are used to help the public visualize what it might have been like during that time.
One popular belief surrounding the guns was that it was unable to turn 360 degrees and that is why they were ineffective during the Japanese occupation. The artillery fort that was built in 1878 on the ridge of the park to guard the western entrance of Keppel Harbor was meant to prevent seaward attacks. The British did intend for the guns to face the South as the North was protected by mainland Malaysia while the Northeast was fortified by the naval base. Hence, they did believe that the Japanese soldiers would invade Singapore on ships. However, the idea that the gun is merely one-directional or limited in its capacity to move was simply not true. In the February of 1942, the guns transversed almost 180 degrees to fire upon the Japanese imperial forces coming from Pasir Panjang Road towards Alexander Road. The Japanese soldiers entered Singapore in light tanks and infantrymen riding down the peninsula on bicycles. They also had air support which allowed them to swiftly pass into the territory. The British did not expect the Japanese to enter through the jungles, over rivers and streams on the south side of Johor in January 1942. As such most of the troops, like the Malay regiment were in the forts in preparation.
The Labrador battery came under the operation of the 7th Coast artillery regiment. The regiment received orders from the Faber fire command led by Brig A.D. Curtiss. Not many may know this, but the Malay regiment was manning the fort. After news that the Japanese infiltrated Singapore reached them, they used the guns in the fort during their 48-hour struggle against the Japanese 18th division by firing high explosive shells at enemy troops advancing along the coastal road. Mohamed Ibrahim who was a military serviceman during the Japanese occupation recounts how he saw soldiers crying amidst the violence. He also mentions seeing the British bombarding Malay kampungs and burning oil tanks. The Malay regiment defended Singapore to death. Even though they fought valiantly, Singapore still fell to the Japanese. The guns were destroyed but one of them was repaired and used by the Japanese during the occupation years. Till today it is difficult to say what went wrong or whether the fall of Singapore was inevitable. Some sources say it was the machinery that was not effective due to the flat trajectory at which the guns fired while others claimed that the guns were rusty and breech blocks in need of repair. All in all, one can conclude that it was no match against the Japanese artillery.
British War Anxieties
Winston Churchill called the fall of Singapore “the greatest disaster to British arms which our history records”. It is undeniable that it was British anxieties about global politics, like the Anglo-Russian conflict, that spearheaded the creation of the forts. The need to defend the expanding new Keppel Harbor was another reason. It was Major H. E. McCullum from the Royal Engineers who was commissioned to put forth a report of Singapore’s defenses. There was rapid approval for this report on the creation of the forts. Before this, however, London’s policy of local defenses in their colonies was about leaving it to be solved internally. The Metropole did not feel like they had to interview because it was only small wars happening within the area. The development of the Suez Canal and telegraphs brought the empire closer together. The anxieties concerning the interconnectedness of the world made it so they took matters into their own hands.
Post-War
After the war, vegetation grew quite heavily all over the area. In 1995, the Parks and Recreational Development (PRD) cleaned up and made it accessible again to revive a forgotten place into a historical park. There were also redevelopment efforts in 1997 to increase the number of visitors. Today, Labrador Park is still one of the few places in Singapore with gun placements left. There are also pillboxes, which are tiny box-like defense structures in which two riflemen can stand in, visible for the public to see. Beneath the gun battery were tunnels and bunkers for storing ammunition and accommodating troops. They have, however, been sealed off at present but are still visible from the outside. They were claimed to have been made so that there was easy access to Fort Siloso, Connaught, and Serapong on Sentosa Island as well as Fort Silinsing in Pulau Brani.
References
Samuel, Dhoraisingam S. (1991) Singapore’s heritage: through places of historical interest. Elixir Consultancy Service
Uma Devi, G. (2002) Singapore's 100 historic places. Archipelago Press in association with National Heritage Board.
Yap Siang Yong. (2001) Fortress Singapore: The Battlefield Guide. Marshall Cavendish International (Asia).
Kwa Chong Guan, Derek Heng, Tan Tai Yong. (2009) Singapore, a 700-year history: from early emporium to world city. National Archives of Singapore.
Victor R. Savage and Brenda S. A. Yeoh. (2013) Singapore Street Names: A Study of Toponymics. Marshall Cavendish Editions.
Rain adds poignancy plaque-unveiling ceremony. The Straits Times, 3 July 1995.
Lands for military purposes. The Straits Times, 8 June 1896.
15 Oct 1983. Mohamed Ibrahim. Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Accession Number 000020.