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| 3174 The Gate of Fort Canning |
Posted on 25.08.2015, 22.10.2017
Between 1859 and 1861, a fort was build on a small hill located in the southeast portion of Singapore, to defend the harbour. It was named Fort Canning after Viscount Charles John Canning, who was then Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India. The fortifications were regarded as a failure from the beginning, as ships could easily get close enough to destroy the town and remain out of range of the fort’s guns. Moreover the lack of a water supply rendered the fort useless as a place of refuge.
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| 1851 Lt. General Arthur Percival (General Officer Commanding of the British land forces in Malaya and Singapore) and another British Officer in Battle Box |
In 1907, the old fort was demolished, and in 1920's a military headquarters was built with underground rooms serving as operations centre. Completed in 1938, the Battle Box comprised 30 rooms and had its own generator. By 1941, it was considered to be too small for its intended use, and a new Combined Operations Headquarters was build. The Battle Box remained the Headquarters of Major General Frank Keith Simmons, who was responsible for the defence of Singapore Island.
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