by the beginning of the 20th century, the fort was no longer in use. during world war ii, a tall silk cotton tree growing within the fort was used as a lookout post. members of the home guard, whose barracks were located next to the fort at dobson hall, would climb up into the tree’s branches to watch for german submarines, many of which patrolled caribbean waters hunting for merchant ships setting out to cross the atlantic with supplies bound for english ports.