Pulau Brani
Pulau Brani before land reclamation
the Tanjong Terah area is marked by the white rectangle

The first reference to an AMTB battery on Pulau Brani I have seen, is in General Sir Webb Gillman’s 1927 report on coast defences. He mentions an ACMB (Anti-Coastal Motor Boat) armament, “near Siling Sing” (sic).

General Barron’s Report on coast defences at Singapore and Penang of 1935, recommended two ACMB emplacements at Tanjong Tereh and one 45° D.E.L.

Searchlight planLEFT: A 1936 map showing the D.E.Ls. (searchlight) plans for Tanjong Tereh and Berhala Reping.

General Barron, in his report, recommended a 45° D.E.L. for Tanjong Tereh, but the map shows a 30° one.

From the GOC Malaya to the War Office, 4th May 1939:

“Herewith corrected heights in feet above M.S.L.(Mean Sea Level) of trunnions and a top of pedestal in Director Tower of A.M.T.B. Guns Faber Fire Command. Trunnion Heights given first in each case. Siloso 59.42 and 80.42. Labrador South 51.72 Labrador North 48.71 and 69.73. Pulau Hantu46.39 and 70.67. Berhala North 36.61 and 58.10. Berhala South 40.71 and 62.12. Tanjong Tereh 59.99 and 83.00.”

This shows that when Tanjong Tereh was finally constructed, it had a single gun emplacement for a Twin 6-Pounder. The Battery was however, never armed as no Twin 6 Pounders were available.

Tanjong Tereh
RIGHT: An overgrown Tanjong Tereh post-war.

Post war, Colonel F.W. Rice in his 1946 Report entitled, “Singapore and Penang Coast Artillery”, noted that no armament had been installed, and the the one searchlight emplacement he could find was serviceable. It would seem from his report that he expected to find two. He noted, “It would appear that the second emplacement was not constructed”. He found the complete gun emplacement undamaged.

Note the line of sunken hulks marked just to the right and above of the arc of the Tanjong Tereh light. These were sunk as block ships to cause problems for enemy ships successfully entering the harbour. One of these, the ‘Loudon’, had an old 6 Pounder QF Gun mounted on it. This was tipped into the sea just before the British forces capitulated. The block ships complemented the movable Boom which was stretched across the harbour entrance.

Colonel Rice recommended that Tanjong Tereh be armed with a Twin 6 Pounder as part of interim defences of Singapore. This was not done.

Nothing remains of Tanjong Tereh today. Its location is in Brani Container Port.

Tanjong Tereh on Google Earth. Tanjong Tereh is on Port Authority land and is not accessible to the general public.

Batteries & Defences