NAVAL BASE TIGER

 

Amarjit Singh’s mantra “My Father, My Hero” resonates childhood memories of his late father Mr Maghar Singh (also known as) Sergeant 23 in the Naval Base Police Force (NPF).  

Born in 1902 in a remote village in Punjab, North India and when most teens were brimming with idealism, 19-year-old Maghar. driven by patriotism and devotion of a ‘Singh’ (which means ‘lion’ in Sanskrit), enlisted himself in the Indian Army as a Sepoy in 1921.  

 After serving for five years, he left the Army in 1926 at age 24 ventured from Calcutta to Malaya where he found work at a towkay's (Chinese businessman) mansion doing odd jobs.

Joins Naval Base Police Force

While his father was in Malaya, he heard that the NPF was recruiting policemen and in 1931, the 29- year-old Army trained soldier came to Singapore and joined the NPF.

As part of the Army's Basic Combat Training (BCT) he was grounded in the core values of a soldier viz Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honour, Integrity, and Personal Courage, which benefitted him greatly in NPF and later as a civilian.

Picture courtesy of Amarjit Singh

‘Lion’ encounters Tiger

When Amarjit was growing up in H.M. Naval Base, he recalled an unforgettable incident which his father told him about encountering a tiger.

“My father related that during the 1920s, villages in Malaya were built on clearings beside primary jungles and one of his household chores was collecting firewood from the nearby forest.

One afternoon just as he and his friends entered the jungle, he spotted a tiger on the prowl a few yards away.

“My father froze with fright for a few moments but maintained his composure, until the tiger disappeared into the jungle.  When it was out of sight, they bolted like Deers for their dear lives.  Fortunately, they didn’t panic and traced their way home through the dense jungle.

My dad also said that he was concerned about the tiger attacking not only his friends and him, but also the bulls belonging to his employer that were yoked to the bullock-cart, which prevented them from escaping or defending themselves against the ferocious tiger. Basically, his concern for life comes from one of the core values he learnt during BCT which is Selfless Service", said Amarjit.

While serving the NPF Mr Maghar Singh was promoted to corporal in 1935 and was posted at various Naval Base access gates. In 1947 he was promoted to Sergeant and posted to Canberra Gate, his last posting before retiring.

According to Amarjit, his dad was known to be a very disciplined and strict officer and would stop and check all vehicles and officers who were not travelling in their official cars.

“No one, not even the officer's children were allowed to go through Canberra Gate without their valid Naval Base Pass.

     

“The other fact of dad was, that he would wake me up early, no sleeping in.  He would say, those who do not honor time, will be left behind. One must always look ahead and be on time”. Perhaps he was trying to live the value of Discipline which the Army taught him.   My dad always strived to put in practice what the Army taught,” concluded Amarjit.

Images courtesy of Kevin McClean

More Tiger Trails

Following this tale, we researched newspapers archives and found reports of several tiger sightings just after Naval Base opened in 1938.

TIGER REPORTED SEEN ON NAVAL BASE ROAD

The Straits Times, 29 May 1939, reported that:

Naval Base residents spent yesterday talking about a tiger scare. About 7 pm yesterday a European man and his wife reported to the naval police that they had seen a tiger walking across Woodlands Road (Causeway) end of the base.

 

NAVA BASE POLICE HUNT TIGER

The Malaya Tribune, 7 July 1939, reported that about one hundred police spent yesterday scouring the country in and around the Singapore naval base in search of a tiger which had been seen in the vicinity by several police officers. After a thorough search which continued for four hours from 5pm to 8 pm they had to give up their efforts.

The police party was led by Capt.  A. V Cockle, Head of the Naval Police including a complement of 12 guns.

 

NAVAL BASE TIGER HUNT

Straits Budget, 13 July 1939

A HUNDRED men, including a dozen Naval and Naval police officers armed with guns and rifles, made a fruitless search yesterday for the Naval Base “tiger.” This followed the finding of pug marks near the Woodlands side of the Naval Base. The area comprising long grass and scrub was beaten out by the men but no further trace of the tiger was found.

Yesterday was the third time a tiger had been reported.

It all started when a European said he had seen a tiger at the Woodlands side of the base.

Then some days later an Asiatic Guard at the Canberra Gate reported seeing a Tiger strolling nonchalantly along the road just outside the base and then disappeared again into the surrounding jungle.

 

TIGER ROAMS NAVAL BASE: HUNT FAILS

screamed The Straits Times 24 June 1951 on page 1.

 A tiger has been roaming the Naval Base for the past two or three days, but an organised hunt for it yesterday failed either to locate or destroy the beast. Two officers and five European officers of the Naval Base Police combed the entire area but had no luck.

The tiger was first seen by grass cutters.

It is believed that heavy bombing by the RAF (Royal Air Force) in South Johore may have driven the tiger across the causeway.

 Lions in Tiger Territory?

Incidentally, old road names such as Batu Rimau, (Tiger Milestone); Bukit Keramat Rimau (Mount Tiger Shrine); Bukit Rimau (Tiger Hill); near Woodlands, lends credibility that tigers did roam around the Naval Base once upon a time.

Compiled by: Alfred Dass. Edited: by Ambika Raghavan