Distorted history of Labuan Powder Magazine

   Build in 1875 at Kubong Bluff (Tg Kubong) to store gunpowder in barrels 

for used as explosive at the coal mine nearby. 

The Powder Magazine was designed to minimized the risk 

if an explosion were to happen, should one occurred,

its thick wall and thin roof would direct the blast safely upwards.

  The powder magazine which locals call  'Gedung Ubat ' have been 

left without a signboard until i found a shocking and truly distorted one

recently in 2020 (possibly due to the pandemic), to say that it was used by the Japanese occupiers 

as an ammo storage means only to show how ignorant whoever drafted it

toward history.

  Ammunition for guns and cannons in the late 19th and early 20th century

still goes by gunpowder, Musket and Cannon balls

but not anymore during the 2nd world war where bullets and bombs were used

so there is no way this small ammo dump situated at a remote part of the island

would have been used by the Japanese as written on the signage.

Excerpt from Daily Express papers (from a research study of the Labuan Chimney by Lynette

Silver) on new development of the coal mine clearly mentioned the building of a powder magazine in 1875.

A rough sketch of a grainy map of the area i got from a friend for clearer illustration.

A screenshot of an image overlay with google earth

Thick wall above and thin roof photo below

Why is it called a Powder Magazine? It is taken originally from the Arabic word "makahazin" meaning "warehouse" via Italian and Middle French. A gunpowder magazine is a magazine (building) designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety.

Distorted history done without proper research.

A 1945 allied war map of Labuan in preparation for the  Borneo campaign clearly show no activity at the Kubong Bluff area. Most Japanese military installations were on the southern part of the island as seen on the map.

Map of northern Labuan 1945
 

1883 Labuan Gunpowder mishap part 1

part 2