The long forgotten Armament Depot hidden in the forests of Woodlands lied dormant and off-limits for over 70 years — but soon the secret British bunker will be open to the public, curious for a taste of history.
According to The Straits Times, the National Heritage Board (NHB) will soon be conducting eight English and two Chinese tours of the depot.
The underground bomb-proof facility was used during wartime by the British in 1942 to store explosives and later on taken over by the Japanese to store their own ammunition.
The site was handed over to the Ministry of Defence in 1971, who renamed it as the Sembawang Ammunition Depot before decommissioning it in 2002. Both the facility and the land were returned to the state.
Photos taken by The Straits Times team reveal a dimly lit premise, with some areas flooded with water, rusty iron beams and walls dirtied by years of disuse. A trek through muddy water and dense vegetation is required to get to the site, which reportedly comes with a clear coastal view of Johor Bahru.
The tours will begin next month, and members of the public can start booking for slots tomorrow. More information will be available on the NHB website.
Photo: Nicolas Lannuzel via Flickr
The long forgotten Armament Depot hidden in the forests of Woodlands lied dormant and off-limits for over 70 years — but soon the secret British bunker will be open to the public, curious for a taste of history.
According to The Straits Times, the National Heritage Board (NHB) will soon be conducting eight English and two Chinese tours of the depot.
The underground bomb-proof facility was used during wartime by the British in 1942 to store explosives and later on taken over by the Japanese to store their own ammunition.
The site was handed over to the Ministry of Defence in 1971, who renamed it as the Sembawang Ammunition Depot before decommissioning it in 2002. Both the facility and the land were returned to the state.
Photos taken by The Straits Times team reveal a dimly lit premise, with some areas flooded with water, rusty iron beams and walls dirtied by years of disuse. A trek through muddy water and dense vegetation is required to get to the site, which reportedly comes with a clear coastal view of Johor Bahru.
The tours will begin next month, and members of the public can start booking for slots tomorrow. More information will be available on the NHB website.
Photo: Nicolas Lannuzel via Flickr