Naval Base Never Left Me - Commentary from Keith Morison

 

I was a mere boy of 16 (nearly 17) when I first arrived in Singapore. It was my first time of flying anywhere, and on a British Eagle Bristol Britannia (4 propeller) airline which took 26 hours including 2 hours in Istanbul and 2 hours in Bombay (Mumbai now). We landed at Paya Lebar in the early hours of September 15th 1967 and took a RN bus to the Dockyard. I joined HMS Llandaff in the Stores Basin at 4 am in the morning. It's diesel engines were chugging away and I and seven companions from our basic naval training and one more experienced rating walked up the gangway and joined the ship.

My memories of those times are vivid because it was such an impressionable age. Naturally, the things that young (or old) Matelot's get up to will not be published here, but I did enjoy the work which was what we in the RN called 'Tropical Routine.'

Working from early in the morning until around 1pm and then we were off for the rest of the day. I remember on occasion, walking from the dockyard to Sembawang Village and enjoying the beautiful black and white houses along and off Admiralty Road East. Naturally, I also enjoyed a beer or two in one of the bars on the strip in Sembawang Village. HMS Llandaff sailed from Singapore in June 1968 and I had enjoyed both Singapore and travelled to Hong Kong, Kagoshima, Nagasaki, Olongapo (Subic Bay) and Gan in the Indian Ocean. All too much for a young man I suppose, but good memories. The ship sailed home to Plymouth showing the 'Flag', which means visiting many ports, so it was a good trip for all of us onboard.

 In the June we sailed to the Solomon Islands, Cairns, Auckland for exercise Auckex/Longex with American, Australian, New Zealand and British Ships taking part. Then up to Fiji, Rotuma, Tuvalu I think. Then we headed for Hawaii, Monterey, Long Beach, through the Panama Canal, Barbados, Azores and home. Quite a trip. I turned 18 years old a month after arriving in Plymouth in 1968. In July 1970 I was bound for Singapore again. This time on a RAF VC10 from Brize Norton to RAF Changi via Bahrain and Gan. This time I lived in J11 mess, HMS Terror as a single man and worked in the Royal Naval Communications Centre (Comcen) in the Dockyard. We worked alongside WRNS (Women's Royal Naval Service). I remember coming off the night shift on several occasions and instead of going straight to sleep we would either play 9 holes of golf on the Terror course or we would get our fishing gear and jump in a taxi and head for the fishing ponds. From memory, the ponds were somewhere down the Thompson Road. The days were usually leisurely as we just ledgered for Carp while, sometimes, dozing off. 

Memories of visiting Singapore in those days were good memories of wonderful hotels like the Hilton, Ming Court, Malaysia Hotel, Cuscaden House and a discotheque called "Lord John Henry's". Naturally, we visited Bugis Street on occasions, but I preferred Orchard Road for a night out. 

My wife and I visited Singapore in 2017 and stayed at the Park Hotel Club Rooms in Clarke Quay. We had a lovely time and on the first Sunday we walked from Sembawang MRT to Sembawang Village and saw where the old bars used to line the strip. Only the Nelson Bar is left now, but that didn't matter as this was the bar I used the most back in 1967/68. We then walked up Admiralty Road East and looked at those wonderful black and white houses, then on past the dockyard gates, what used to be Aggie Weston's to where HMS Terror used to be. By this time poor Kate had had enough of walking in such heat so we returned to the MRT. 

Singapore is a wonderful place and although much had changed, I still enjoyed my time there.

 Maybe we will get back there someday? I hope so.