Pasir Panjang Pillbox
Pasir Panjang Pillbox is a strengthened-concrete defensive structure from World War II, located in Pasir Panjang in the southwestern area of Singapore.
| Pasir Panjang Pillbox | |
|---|---|
| Part of World War II-era Defence of Singapore | |
| Singapore | |
Pasir Panjang Pillbox, here photographed in 2006. | |
| Coordinates | 1.289°N 103.778167°E |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | British military (former) |
| Open to the public | Yes (externally only; access inside the pillbox is not allowed) |
| Condition | Good |
| Site history | |
| Built | pre-WWII |
| Built by | British military |
| Materials | Concrete (reinforced) and steel |
| Battles/wars | Battle of Pasir Panjang |
| Events | Second World War |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | None |
| Past commanders | Unknown |
| Garrison | occupied by British military forces in Singapore (former) |
| Occupants | British military (former) |
Background and history
In advance of the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore between 1941 and 1942 during World War II, a number of concrete-built defensive pillboxes were built along Singapore's eastern and western coasts.[1]
Gallery
- The Pasir Panjang Machine Gun Pillbox.
- An angled defensive-wall behind the pillbox offers protection to those defending the rear of the structure (albeit having little to no protection over their heads without a roof).
- A memorial plaque established by Singapore's National Heritage Board (NHB) in front of the pillbox commemorating the history of the structure.
- The memorial plaque's content shown here.
- The entrance-door into the pillbox, now having been sealed up and access inside prohibited.
- The rear-area of the pillbox, with square holes placed in the defensive-wall provided to allow troops to fire on approaching enemy soldiers getting too close to entering the structure.
- The entrance-door shown here together with one of the pillbox's gun embrasures.
- Two gun embrasures shown together with the rounded observation cupola on the roof of the pillbox.
- A wide-angle view of the Pasir Panjang Pillbox.
- Another wide-angle view of the historic structure.
- The entrance-door of the pillbox with the top of the observation cupola also seen.
- The front of the pillbox towards which an enemy force would face.
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pasir Panjang machine-gun pillbox.
- National Heritage Board, Singapore's 100 Historic Places, p. 122, Archipelago Press, Singapore, 2007.
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