Marsiling Tunnels – Atlas Obscura

A set of tunnels puzzling Singapore, sparking quite a few conspiracy theories about its origins for the reason that late twentieth century, has its thriller lastly cracked. Positioned on Admiralty Street West and Marsiling Crescent, the World Battle II-era tunnels have remained hidden from sight for the reason that British left Singapore. 

Because the tunnels’ discovery within the 2000s, a number of theories have been proposed about their origins. Some thought the tunnels led to Johor, or housed an underground facility for a close-by psychological hospital. Essentially the most compelling principle was that the tunnel had been an underground oil storage facility constructed by the Asiatic Petroleum Firm (APC) for a British Royal Navy base. A 1945 map confirmed the placement of Woodlands North Depot, as soon as operated by APC, on the precise location of the tunnels. 

At a formidable 54 sq. kilometers, Her Majesty’s Naval Base occupied nearly 10 % of Singapore’s land dimension within the Nineteen Forties and was previously the most important British army base in Asia. The previous base is now residence to Sembawang Park and Woodlands Waterfront Park. 

Whereas the proof was compelling, the speculation was barely off. By acquiring info from disclosed paperwork, British Wartime Intelligence Stories, and the U.Okay.’s Nationwide Archives, Singapore’s Nationwide Heritage Board solved the thriller of the Marsiling Tunnels’ true origin and objective. They’ve been verified as a pre-WWII gas reserve depot utilized by the Royal Air Pressure, not the British Royal Navy. 

Throughout their occupation of Singapore, the Imperial Japanese Military utilized the tunnels as an oil storage facility. In accordance with a 1944 British intelligence report, the tunnels have been renovated to have 5 giant tanks, growing their capability by over 5,250 tons. 

In 2014, on the 72nd anniversary of the Battle of Singapore, the tunnels opened to the general public for the primary time. The Nationwide Heritage Board provided guided excursions to indicate how the British surrendered to Singapore to the Japanese. These excursions additionally included necessary historic areas like Opium Hill and Tiong Bahru Air Raid Shelter. At this time, most entrances have been sealed and are closed to the general public, however a small entrance discovered by native explorers stays open.