Lessons of a Naval Base Son Becoming a City Grandfather

 Look out for His True Stories in Letters to His Grandson.

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THE BASE SOCCER 'NUTS'

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THE BASE SOCCER 'NUTS' The Straits Times 23 April 1978 by Bernard Pereria who  lived in Block 23 Madras Road .   Soccer to the local kids living in Singapore’s former British Naval Base at Sembawang was not just a sport to be played on proper marked out pitches. The kids living in the uninhabited world of their own used to spend hours on end in the open spaces that offered an ideal sanctuary to their sporting needs. Boots were alien to them nor did they have any formal training by competent coaches . Observes, national soccer and hockey star Bernard Norbert, ‘The warm and friendly “Peyton Place” like atmosphere and the landscape where everyone knows everyone also contributes to our success. From the Naval Base came the great veteran Vivian Roberts and the famed Quah brothers Kim Tuan, Kim Beng, Kim Choon, Kim Swee, Kim Saik, Kim Lye, Kim Song who ruled soccer for nearly three decades since 1948. Patrons of sports The British knew that sports was a social event int...
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MADE in HM NAVAL BASE

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My brother Mr Dharam Singh celebrated his 96 th birthday in his home in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada with his two sons and their families; his two younger brothers and their families; relatives, close friends, including former residents of HM Naval Base who emigrated to Canada.                But his story starts from Singapore on 9 th January 1927 where he was born and witnessed the trials and tribulations of the Second World War. Dharam Singh studied in Admiralty Asian School until Standard III. When he was 12 years old, he left school to accompany our parents to their birthplace Punjab, India, for a visit and to bring his elder brother who had been staying with his grandparents, back to Singapore. Unfortunately, the Second World War broke out and Dharam was forced to remain in Punjab.  However, my teenage brother was not going to idle his time and moved to Karachi- now Pakistan- to study tailoring under the tutelage of our uncle. Aft...
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By Victor S.G. Pragasam Edited by Cynthia Anne Victor Pragasam As someone who grew up in “Naval Base”, I share similar sentiments and fond memories with many of you who, like me, were former residents of the Old Sembawang township. In candid conversations with taxi drivers, I take pride in saying that I was from the old Sembawang area. There is a sense of identity and belonging that I would say is deeply embedded in my soul. Etched to this feeling are bountiful memories that I have had as a child, a son, a student, a friend, a neighbour, a colleague and as a member of the wonderful Sembawang community. The way we communicated with residents and even the shopkeepers were as if we were closely knitted. Nowadays, it is very different as I hardly know anyone. But whenever I bump into someone from my past, a loud cheerful roar and a joyful exchange often follows. A year ago, I had a pleasant reunion with Chan Peew Wan, whom you may know as the Co-admin of Block2Blog. We lost contact w...
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