Fort Siloso was built by the British in 1880s to guard the narrow western entrance to Keppel Harbour. The fort guarded the western approaches to Singapore during World War II. By 1939 it was armed with two 6-inch (150 mm) Mark2 guns and two rapid firing 12-pounder guns.

Siloso Beach, located on Sentosa Island in Singapore, has a rich history that transitioned from military defense to tropical recreation. During the 19th century, the area was known as Pulau Belakang Mati ("Island of Death from Behind"), and the hilltop above the beach was home to Fort Siloso, built by the British in 1874 to protect the western entrance to Singapore's harbor. During World War II, the fort was famously turned around to face inland during the Japanese invasion, and later served as a prisoner-of-war camp. The beach itself was largely a rocky shoreline until the 1970s, when the Singapore government transformed the island into "Sentosa" (meaning "Peace and Tranquility"). Massive land reclamation projects brought in white sand to create the man-made beaches we see today. Now a National Monument, Fort Siloso overlooks the beach as a museum, while Siloso Beach has become a premier destination for watersports, beach clubs, and New Year's Eve parties.