6 bunkers in Singapore and the stories behind them

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Also known by its original name, Magazine No. 4, the Attap Valley bunker is the last surviving one of 18 bunkers that made up the Armament Depot of the Singapore Naval Base. This base was the centrepiece of the British ‘Singapore Strategy’, a defence plan meant to secure all its colonies in the region. The Singapore Naval Base has passed through several hands since its inception. It survived the Japanese Occupation and returned to British control, before being passed off to MINDEF when all British forces withdrew in 1971. The depot was eventually decommissioned in 2002, and all infrastructure was demolished – except Magazine No. 4. 

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In 2012, a Singapore Botanic Garden's employee made a surprising find while out on a leisurely stroll. On the perimeter of Singapore's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, they came across a bunker that had been sitting undiscovered for decades. Overgrown with plants and the roots of a large ficus tree, the bunker was designed with two antechambers leading to a large main chamber. Because of its layout, researchers think that it was likely designed to withstand direct blasts, or as a smoke and fire stop. The lack of ventilation shafts also hints that it was meant to protect important objects or records, rather than people. It may have been a private bomb shelter – perhaps even belonging to the families buried in the nearby graves that date back to 1842 and 1881. 

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The bunkers at Marsiling were originally part of the Royal Air Force fuel reserve depot built in 1942. They were also occupied by the Japanese during World War II, only to be left abandoned after Singapore gained independence in 1965. Even so, they are rumoured to have been a secret society hangout for a number of years. To get to these bunkers now, you'll have to fight your way deep into the thick Marsiling jungle between Admiralty Road West and Marsiling Crescent. Wear good boots, long pants, and bring a flashlight to get a better look around in the bunker's interior. 

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The Kay Siang bunkers in Queenstown were built in the 1940s to store munitions for the British military, and fell into disuse shortly after World War II. Although the three bunkers themselves have a pretty unremarkable history, they are located in an area of rich heritage. Nearby is the site of the now-demolished Buller Camp, a British military camp built in 1938 that eventually came to house Indian and Australian prisoners of war during the Japanese Occupation. And the camp itself was beside Boh Beng Kang village, which at one point consisted of 350 families from Fujian, China. These sites have since made way for the development of Queenstown, but their stories are good fodder for the heritage junkies. To visit the Kay Siang bunkers, walk along Kay Siang Road towards Dawson and find a small opening in the foliage. The first two bunkers should be easily accessible, but the third requires a little more of a hike to locate. 

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A huge, heritage Kapok tree marks the way to the Seah Im bunker. Head past it from Seah Im carpark, and you will find the brick entrance to the bunker – an elongated, 2.5 metre tall space with ventilation holes drilled into the walls. The origins and use of this bunker are a mystery, although there's speculation that it was used to house prisoners of war, or as a storage and communications base. It's since been overrun by roots and vines but is still easily accessible with some crouching to get through the 1-metre tall entrance. While you're in the Telok Blangah area, check out other heritage sites such as the abandoned Keppel Hill reservoir and the Golden Bell Mansion.  

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Sembawang was once home to the British naval base, so it's not at all surprising that the area is dotted with underground bunkers, air-raid shelters and storage facilities from our military past. Here is where you can find a number of prominent bunkers, namely the Gibraltar Crescent, King's Avenue, Malta Crescent and Durban Road bunkers. They've since been sealed, but you can still spot unmistakeable features aboveground – take for example, the steps leading to the Durban Road bunker. The most spectacular is the Gibraltar Crescent bunker, which has been engulfed by the roots of a banyan tree.