50 Years on
Since the British Pull-out…
Dear Navalites,
Words
cannot express how much your feedback means to us. We greatly appreciate it,
and have compiled and reposted your insights to benefit our new members.
We
want to extend our gratitude to you for sharing your memories with us. Despite
not being an affluent society, we were a community that had a big appetite for
sharing. This is something that we value and cherish, and we are grateful for
the opportunity to continue this tradition with our current and future members.
Thank you.
Yours
Truly,
Chan
Peew
They did not leave a void for the inexperienced
Singaporeans to fend for herself from external threats.
The British government together with the
governments of Australia and New Zealand formed the ANZUK Joint Forces to keep
watch until we were independently able to fend for ourselves.
The British government also provided economic aid
and transfer of management skills, technical know-how, etc to we locals.
All reactions:
32Theresa Chua, Grace
Sebastian and 30 others
Alfred
Dass: Admin
The decision by the British Government to withdraw brought a lot of
uncertainty to many residents of NB. We heard about many families uprooting and
migrating to various countries, including Christmas Island. It was indeed very
sad to part with neighbors whom you lived for over 20 years.
Mukhtiar
Sidhu:
I think all employees at NB were regarded as British Citizens! They
could migrate to Britain without any problems. The majority of the Naval Base
Policemen then migrated to UK, and settled initially at Southall. Some went to
Vancouver, Canada, like my cousin Sgt. 274 Gurdip Singh. My Seletar Young
Indian Sports Club colleague G.Narayanan also left for .
Melvin
Yen Yen:
I was one of the lucky ones to be trained as an Apprentice and received
all the technical lectures at the Dockyard Training College helmed by Cmdr.
Falks whose looks resembled King Phillips of UK
ChanPeew
Wan: Author Admin
Melvin Yen Yen ...rather
Prince Philip
Hussain Razzak:
I learned to play football the English way 
David
Palin:
I was there for the Withdrawal, Steam
and Fly Past, RFA Stromness. We were
banned from the upper decks as the heads of Services took the salute!
Diana
Stirling:
My husband was a member of 847 N A Squadron based at HMS Simbang. I had
never been abroad before and going to live in Singapore for two years in 1969
gave me an. amazing experience and left me with. so many memories.
Diana
Stirling:
My husband was a member of 847 N A Squadron based at HMS Simbang. I had
never been abroad before and going to live in Singapore for two years in 1969
gave me an amazing experience and left me with so many memories.
Penelope
Dean:
Diana Stirling my ex-husband
and I met in Singapore. He was a very junior greeny with 847 squadron.
Alexander
Birt:
I was there when it changed in Dec 1971. One day the old dockyard police the next armed
guard on the gate and we could not use the restaurant just to the left, I used
it instead of Aggie Westons
Stephanie
Thomas:
3 1/2 wonderful years of my life living in KD Malaya but enjoying all
Terror had to offer as well ... lucky me. Amazing happy memories 
Brian
Vittachi:
I was a private in the Singapore Navy at Terror Camp in 1975 when the
ANZUK forces were still around. The cinema, snack bar, Officers and NCO messes
were still in operation.
One year
there was a Sports competition in which the respective ANZUK navies plus the
Malaysian and Singapore navies vied for honors in a variety of events such as
track and field, football, table tennis, badminton and swimming.
ChanPeew Wan: Author Admin
Brian Vittachi ...such
were our form of entertainment, competition and fostering of friendship....
Wong
Cheong Seng:
I was a recruit in Terror Camp....tried looking for the camp but
failed....
Santha
Sreedharan:
My father left in summer of 1971 to find a place to live and a job. My
mum followed with 3 young children via India to meet her mother-in-law and we
arrived in the UK in Sept 1971.
I’ve come full circle and back in Singapore with my husband’s job. His
father was a British officer stationed at KD Malaya from 1964-66 and my husband
was born in the British military hospital.
Mukhtiar Sidhu:
I spent my childhood, teens and adulthood at NB from 1941 to 68, when
the British withdrew. My next blog will be about the NB I knew.
ChanPeew Wan: Author Admin
Mukhtiar Sidhu 
... very good,
Dr....
Garry
Hubble:
We arrived in Singapore from Australia in November 1970. Three houses in
less than two years; Sixth Avenue, Namly Avenue, and Canada Road in the Naval
Base. We had a month or so in the old Garden Hotel in Balmoral Road before we
left in January 1973.
My dad was
2IC of the 9ANZUK Signal Regiment.
Those two
years started a love affair with the "Little Red Dot" and Malaysia
that is yet to be sated. I'm gutted that COVID is preventing me from flying
there this year.
ChanPeew
Wan:
Author Admin
Garry Hubble ....we
are thankful and grateful for the service your dad and his peers rendered
us
Colin
Tigra:
Garry Hubble I had
to google 'Little red dot', I had no idea what that meant....I know now 
Dad was
part of the New Zealand Naval 'Flying Squad'. He was a stoker (marine
engineer). Our family arrived in beautiful Singapore in 1970 and left in 1972.
We lived at Sembawang Rd, Chong Pang.
Dad and Mum Passed away 12 months ago, and in my heart, it feels like they've
gone back to Singapore as in our hearts we never left. Love you Singapore.
ChanPeew Wan: Author Admin
Shelley King .....we are thankful and
grateful for the service your dad and his peers rendered us
Shelley
King:
oh ChanPeew Wan Thank you for your kind words. I
can never express my love for Singapore and the kind people like yourself.
Laura
Chilcott:
My mum and dad returned in 1968-70? Dad was seconded to Philips? I think
Pat Alexander:
After my stay there as a
teenager I returned with my Royal Marine husband in 1970 and we were among the
last of the British Families to leave. But, Britain did not just walk away,
Singapore bought the Sembawang Shipyard for £1 plus lots of other assets and
then financial compensation for the next 10 years. I think Mr. Lee Kuan Yew was
very clever, only wish I could have met him
ChanPeew
Wan: Author Admin
Pat Alexander ....it
was the overall view of external defence that both the UK and Sgp govts were
dealing with, hence some concessions were included....eg transfer of
technology, management, retraining and upskill the labour force, etc....we were
fortunate not to have situations like in Aden, Cyprus and Malta...
Pat
Alexander:
ChanPeew Wan I am pleased that
Singapore came out of the withdrawal of British Forces relatively unscathed.
The people deserved nothing less than they got. I loved my times living there
once as a teenager and once as an adult they were some of the best years of my
life. Just wish I could have another visit. I know it has changed enormously.
Kung Hue Fatt Choy & Selamat Tingal
Colin
Tigra:
Pat Alexander £1
was a good deal LOL 
ChanPeew
Wan: Author Admin
Colin Tigra .... that was for
"consideration" in law of contract
Balji
Poravankara:
We left NB one year before the final pullout. That was a blessing in
disguise as my father could take his full gratuity and buy a house in Nemesu
Ave, off Old Upper Thomson Road. All those after him couldn’t as LKY and Peter
Vincent, the union president, had come to a deal to hold back the gratuity to
be paid to the employees monthly. Many spent the monthly payments monthly. A
full payment would have given the employees an opportunity to invest in
properties. That cruel twist of fate made many wonder what their future would
be. It is one aspect of the early LKY machinations that I can never forget nor
forgive.
Alexander
Birt:
I was in Sembawang November/December 1971 and watched the fleet leave
from Stores basin with a helicopter fly past
Pat
Alexander:
Alexander Birt My
husband was on one of those ships
Alexander
Birt:
the helicopter fly past not the best of pictures
Thank you, grew up in BLK 9 Naval Base, later moved to Lorong Maha and
to 14 Miles JTC Flats. Teenage life around the strip and 15 mile beach.
David Palin:
I was on-board the RFA STROMNESS, which was the Saluting Platform for
the steam and fly past! We embarked Com FE., Com FEF and Com FE Air. I’ll see
if I can find some photos.
ChanPeew
Wan: Author Admin
David Palin ....that would be
great.... thanks in advance, Dave
David Palin:
Stromness took the salute on the Steam and Fly past to mark the
withdrawal.
David Palin:
This one is the steam past!
Can anyone
remember the date?
David Jess James:
Fly past 71
David Jess James:
HMS Triumph
David Palin:
David Jess James permanent home, top corner of the stores basin. They had to dredge out the empty beer bottles before she could sail for ex Swan Lake!
David Jess James:
David Palin We had quite a few different Berths whilst onboard 71/72 can remember being up at top end near main gate for quite awhile. Nearer to Dockyard canteen and Aggies
David
Palin:
David Jess James I was
there 71 on Stromness!
Mukhtiar
Sidhu:
Used to pass by Admiralty House every school/Uni Day in the morning and
on my return in the afternoon from 1949 to 1958, after which I had to stay in
the residential college to continue my medical studies. On most weekdays
evenings at sharp 4.30pm a "fancy car" with a 2/3 star flag flying
from the bonnett chauffeured by a Sikh driver with turban etc used to pass by
my block 86. What memories. In 2014, I took all my children and grandchildren
to show them my roots. Could not recognise a thing!!
ChanPeew
Wan: Author Admin
so
sad.....their development plans has no consideration for
posterity....everything "futuristic"....even the renaming of
suburbs!!
Shelley
King:
ChanPeew Wan I've been back twice
since 73 and I felt sad that there hadn’t been the realisation that the
kampongs were beautiful and natural but were deleted. I wonder if the following
governments have regrets about this.
Diana
Stirling:
Mukhtiar Sidhu Lovely
memory ...and it is never completely gone while it is still there in your
memory!
HMS Eagle
Xmas 1967 - HMS Diomede June 1972 Many happy memories, especially of the cold
drinks tricycle (old Lyons Maid type) on the jetty to meet the ship on my last
visit - nothing like a pink milk on a hot and steamy day! Aggie Westons on top
of the hill by the main dockyard gate a superb place to unwind and swim and
enjoy being there.
ChanPeew Wan: Author Admin
It was popularly known as "RSR House" (Royal Sailors' Rest) when first commissioned....
Jason Boh:
At one point we jokingly called it SANZUK.
Also not forgetting the 5 Nations Defence Pack consisting of Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and UK.
Jason Boh ...that sounds
mangosteen in Cantonese!!
Sylvia
Lepp:
I remember watching the ceremony of handing over the Dockyard to the
Singapore Government in 1969. I watched from the COMFEF building.
ChanPeew
Wan: Author Admin
would appreciate it if you could share in 50 words or so, what you
recall of the event and any photos to accompany would be great!
(NB: This
year, 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the British Armed Forces complete
pull-out - East of the Suez. The HMS Dockyard was commissioned in 1932 and her
presence lasted a year short of 40 years)
Glynne
Lucas:
It makes me feel good knowing that you weren't left alone. Singapore had
a very big place in all our hearts. I have fond memories of the place and the
people. (Ex R.N.)
Joan C. Pereira:
Thank u for invaluable info, indeed the British looked after Spore n her
people very well (esp Naval Base) b4 its withdrawal. Fond 
memories. 
. Always in our
hearts
Long live
the Queen
Albert
Silver:
I was
living in Singapore from January 1964 to September 1966, two and a half years. My
wife and I, with 2 children would often hear the bombs explode at night
somewhere in town. They were said to have been set by men who came by canoes
from only 19 miles away. The. Singapore Army and Police soon took care of the
situation with great speed and courage.
Colin
Tigra:
Albert Silver I
assume that was the Indonesian-Malaysia confrontation 1963 to 1966, so you must
have heard the MacDonald house bomb going off in 1965. We were out as a family
in Sembawang at the time in the RN base, but the only thing that affected us,
was that we could not go into Malaysia as it was a war zone with British, Gurkhas,
New Zealanders and Australian troops against Indonesian forces. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/.../SIP_62_2004-12-17.html
Albert
Silver:
Colin Tigra Yes
we heard that one. I was with 3rd CDO Brigade HQ at Sembawang (The old HMS
Simbang RN air field) Carrier Choppers. Wife and 2children,Out Living in
Cranbourne Rd, Singapore.
Colin
Tigra:
Albert Silver Interestingly
my father never told us that there were explosions in Singapore at all, likely
not to frighten us as we were school children at the time. But we did know
there was fighting in Malaya. I being the oldest as a young teenager, I
commuted down to Bourne School in Singapore city from Sembawang by RN bus. My
younger brother and sister were in the RN base primary school. I only found out
years later as an adult about how serious the confrontation was.
Albert
Silver:
Colin Tigra The fighting in Malaya
was due to the dropping of paratroopers from Indonesia who were wrongly told
that they would be welcomed by the people. They were rounded up by the
Malaysian army as the British were only responsible for external Defence. The
small explosions in Singapore, at night, were generally put in doorways.
Baskaran
Govindan Nayar:
We had a wonderful and happy life under them. 
Othman
Adam:
Dear author
My elder
brother was a ex British Army from RAOC Unit Depot Road camp Alexandra Road he
is staying in Clementi Estate Quarters until 1971.
And my in -
law brother was British Army Fire Personnel base in Depot Road Camp Alexandra
Road.
Ivan
Kennedy:
I was in
the RN and based on H.M.S. Triumph at Sembawang Dockyard from 67 - 69 my first
foreign draft and still a teenager. I will never forget my times there and the
friends I made with the local Singaporean of all races. I have always
considered Singapore to have a truly multicultural society and it has grown
successfully into an Island State that you can be proud of. You have shown that
small countries can succeed and be successful.
Alexander
Birt:
My parents lived there 1962-1965 he was the Senior pilot of the dockyard
tugs and he was issued with a police baton so that a group of residents could
patrol the streets in the base. I still have the Baton hanging in my house
Jennie
Aries:
My Dad took his turn to Patrol the Estate - Jalang Salang, at Sembewang.
Our cars were set alight on our drive. Dad got in the car and drove it round in
circles till the flames went out. Petrifying experience for us kids to be
watching.
My Dad took
his turn to Patrol the Estate - Jalang Salang, at Sembewang. Our cars were set
alight on our drive. Dad got in the car and drove it round in circles till the
flames went out. Petrifying experience for us kids to be watching.
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