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Can You Help?

CONTENTS
Home Page
Friends 1
Friends 2
Sussex Estate
Sussex Est. by P. Edwick
Mementoes
Modern Singapore
Dover Road
Island Boat Trip
Hua Guan Avenue
Andrew Barber
Mike Rendle
Christine McAlinden
Richard Mellish
Wildlife, etc.

Richard Williams

Tiger Balm Gardens
Paul Miller
Kevin O'Carroll

Miscellaneous

Paul Hughes
Gordon Thompson
Dave Papworth
Lynne Copping
Stuart McArthur

Old Publications

School Plays

Pulau Tioman 1967

RAF Changi

RAF Tengah
RAF Jurong
RAF Seletar
Lou Watkins
Geoff Moore
Alan Cooke
Terry Buckle
Lesley Annable
Sonia Drake
Alan Cottrell
Derek Simons
Laurie Bane
Michael Marsden
Nee Soon Barracks
Heather Fisher
Tim Brown
Rick Faulkner
Wendy Naseby
John Bell
Malcolm Allsopp
Keith Hughes
Sandra Chidgey
Steve Charters
Thomas Crosbie
Monika Brewster
Stephen Penfold
Susan Perry
Kid's Xmas  Party - 1959
Elizabeth Webster
Can You Help
Links Page
If you can help with any of the requests below, email me, and I will forward your email to the person concerned.

Shirley has lost touch with her brother David William Johnson (born 28.04.1956) who was in Singapore with her living in Serangoon and then on the Sussex Estate and they attended Pasir Panjang school between 1963 to 1965. If anybody has any contact with him currently, or know of his whereabouts, please get in touch.

Looking For Major John and Mrs. Ansell.  Quote from email received:- "My 79 year old mother has been asking us to help her find a family she worked for in the late '50's to perhaps the start of '60s in Singapore. She believes then he was a Captain and when they sent her letters, she was told of a 2nd baby boy. After they left Singapore. Their eldest boy (she remembers as Richard) was born in Singapore. She was also told that Captain Ansell became a Major.
Summary,
Major John and Mrs. Ansell (age perhaps 70s to 80s) Worked for them in late 1950s to '60s Eldest son Richard My mother was Siew Soh Moi (Molly) Married name SET She has a photo of the couple visiting Angkor Wat."

The Ladybirds Netball Team

From Christine Smith who said, the picture is the Ladybirds, a team of Royal Marine & Army wives 68/69 era. My mum Pat McAlinden is left front.  Anybody know the other ladies?


An email from Pete Gladman:

"hope someone can be of help. I flew for BOAC/BA from 1967 to 2007 as cabin crew. One of the many hotels we stayed in was Cuscaden House Hotel. During my retirement I have "wasted" time by compiling an album of the 250 hotels worldwide stayed in during slips around the world. But can't find any image of Cuscaden House Hotel? No, nothing, only a photo of luggage label. So if anyone has a photo I would be most grateful for copy.

The hotels we did stay in were, Cathay Hotel, the York. the Goodwood, Marco Polo, Ming Court, Oberoi Imperial and my last stay was at the Westin Stamford."


Elizabeth Webster whose father was Major Harry Webster, is seeking to make contact with any relatives of Ban Ah Lan and FamilyAh Lan worked as an amah for Elizabeth's family in the early '60s when they lived on the Medway Estate.  Elizabeth said "I was in touch with one of my Amahs daughters called Lee Fang years ago but lost her address and subsequently lost touch.   The eldest daughter was called Mong Peng"

My Grandad, Arthur Riley (born 02/02/1932) died when I was 10, but I know he was in the Army when he was younger, firstly he was based in Germany (where my mum was born) and then he was moved to Singapore when my mum was around 1-2, so would have been between 1961-1963, until when I don't know.  I'm interested in finding out anything - does anyone have any photos of them, know where he would have been based, anything really?  Thanks Sherri Mathews.

 


NAAFI Club

NAAFI Club later known as 'Britannia Club' situated at the junction of Beach Road and Bras Basah is very well known locally, as well as to the British armed forces stationed in Singapore in the 1950s and 1960s.  Philip Chew has sent this photo showing the temporary NAAFI club at Beach Road, opposite Raffles Institution in 1952. The words 'NAAFI shop' could be seen clearly on the arch entrance. The building was no longer in use when the picture was taken in October 1952. Could the NAAFI club moved from this location to the building opposite Raffles Hotel?  If you any information on this building in the photo then we would be delighted if you could email us.

Email from Albert in which he said "Reference the N A A F I club moving to the Raffles Hotel and the answer is yes but I do not know the date the move happened.  I was in the 1st Battalion Black Watch and we moved into Singapore as the time came to flush the last of the Japanese out and by then the N A A F I was already in the raffles hotel, hope this helps."


Tower House.  1 Chatsworth Road, Singapore.

Extracts from an email that I have received. 

The General's Residence was at TOWER HOUSE, at No: 1 CHATSWORTH ROAD, off TANGLIN ROAD.  From my colleagues description of the residence, it was a occupying a very large area between CHATSWORTH ROAD and ROCHALIE DRIVE off TANGLIN ROAD.
They were other quarters for the gardener, cook and a laundry service area. There were alot of fruit trees and flowering plants in that area. The reason it was called Tower House was because, there was a tall Tower Like structure attached to the House with a wind vane on top of it. There was one Main Gate (with Guards on duty) at the entrance near Tanglin Road and the other gate (which was locked) at the other end of Chatsworth Road.
There was a Tennis Court at the rear of the Residency. On the right-hand side of the Residency was the AMERICAN SCHOOL.

Some additional information has been emailed to me:-

 "She's a British lady called Mrs Jackson. She lived in Singapore from the 1950s to 1963. She stayed at Tresco Guest House at 1 Chatsworth Road. She was a secretary in the British Army and probably drove a black Ford Anglia. She was widowed. Her husband had passed away during the Second World War. Her son also passed away during the war. When she returned to UK, she stayed in Bournemouth. She was writing a memoir which she might have sent away to a publishing house before she passed away 20 years ago. A Singaporean family was contacted by her godson to take her ashes to Singapore, unfortunately, they did not have the resources at that time to do that. The family is now trying to get in contact with her godson once again. His name and address have been lost. If you have any information about this lady and her family or any memories and photos of Tresco Guest House that you don't mind sharing with the families who lived and worked there, please contact the very helpful administrator of this website. Thank you!"


From Stephen Shaw.
Tresco Guest House
  Tresco Guest House- stayed there in 1959. Contacted from Singapore a few years back- my contacter identified the car in the attached image as  belonging to Mrs Robinson, who left it with one of the guest house staff- either Wun or Cheng. At the time I was contacted Wun was still alive.

  The attached photograph taken by my father, Cecil Shaw, who worked in Singapore 1959-1962, moving from Tresco (now demolished) to Moulmein Road  (building now demolished) to 1,Winchester Road, building now on a tourist trail....

  If anyone has memories of Cecil Shaw aka George Shaw, 1959-1962, always happy to hear anything. Somewhat obscurely he seems to have spent time  in the north of Malaya- I have a Shell Road Map of Ipoh and hotel receipts from Ipoh. Although he was a "civilian" we attended Alexandra schools and  lived on the army estate

 

 


Satellites Netball TeamSatellites Netball Team Satellites Netball Team- Serangoon Gardens

Rachael Oremek and  Sandra Fricker are trying to find some old teammates who used to play for the Satellites Netball Team 1966/1969. It would also be good to hear from members of any of the other teams that played in Serangoon Gardens.  In both photos Rachel is the one in the middle front, and Sandy with sunglasses.


An email from Kim Welter who explains that "Years ago, as a young student, I had contact with some British families in the 1960's and I do wonder if I would be able to trace these families:
 
1)  Keith & Mary Robinson with 2 daughters (1 girl is called Julie)  mid 1960's
 
2)  Barbara & Danny (RAF?) (I do not know their surname)  -  they had a baby called Derek (I think born in Singapore early 1960's)  they were staying at the Sembawang Hills Estates
 
3)  Irene & Peter (RAF ?) (son also called Peter, daughter called Helen) - early 1960's  they were staying at Thomson Garden Estate."

Please email me if you think you can help Kim.


From Denise Howie:

My father was based in RAF Changi in 1965 and I'm trying to track down where we lived. Our house was semi-detached and had balconies along the front upstairs. There was a field of oxen opposite and the jungle behind. I know there was a kampong nearby because my sister got lost and was found there.

There was a small swamp at the end of our row, which years later was drained and was discovered to be a mass burial grave. There was a cemetery nearby - Chinese or Malay. I went in there with a boy from the street behind and we were chased out by a local with a scythe!  The boy and his family sent messages home to their grandma on tape.

We would walk to an Amahs night market and would walk along what I thought to be a very wide monsoon drain - but was probably a canal - the pictures of Bukit Timah canal from that era look the same.

There was also a row of shops in walking distance -I remember watching a dragon dance there. We lived next door to 2 little girls - Kerry & Lee if that jogs anyone's memory!

It may have been Opera Estate - but I need verification (my parents died in 1991 - just in their mid-fifties -  so I can't ask them!)

Thanks

Denise (daughter of Bob & Marion Howie)

I received an email recently from someone who said:

 

"Recently an art deco mantle clock has come into my possession.

An inscription on the clock reads " Mrs Pollard  - R.A.F. Changi Infants School 1965."

I would be grateful if you could send me any information"

 

My thanks to Sarah Pollard who has been in touch to say "I believe this clock might of been a present given to the school by my Mother which my brother attended. We were in Singapore 1961. My late Father was Mr Bryan D Pollard and my late Mother Mrs Eileen V Pollard and we stationed in Changi for four years."


Ron Henderson, has submitted the following five photos, which are from the Norman Tarling collection (click on images to enlarge).  The location of these Army Fire Brigade Stations, and when the photos were taken is unknown, as is the name of the photographer.  If you recognise anything in the photos then please email.

Number plates

02DL77 and 03EM76

Number Plates

02DL78 and 03EM76

Number Plate

03DL03

Number plate

73BR55

My thanks to David Tobbit who said that "My father David S.Tobitt was the Senior Fire Advisor (Army)BASED At Nee Soon garrison just below the AGS from 1961-1964.I recognise the 2 fire officers in the group photo. Im sure this was the group who were honoured at a local banquet for saving the kampong at Nee Soon & several lives in a big fire. He was v. popular with AGS students in 1962 for closing the school whilst a new fire escape was built"

My thanks again to Peter Chan for the following information "From the Nissen Hut architecture in each photo, it is likely to be at 443 BAD which was run by the RAOC in Kranji.  It was later transferred to the Singapore Armed Forces to be used as an armoured base.  This Singapore Army camp does not exist anymore and is a part of a large public housing estate.  However the road that leads into 443 BAD from Woodlands Road still exist.  The era should be 1968 (circa) before the pull-out in 1971."

My thanks to Asrar Ahmad who said "Picture 73BR55,It is Nee Soon Camp fire station beside the main guard room. I lived in the camp, my dad was running the "Dohbi" in the camp ,at Bath rd."


Debbie Whigham is searching for Anne and Diane Cook and Roy Holland.  RN School Sembawang 1967/8.


 

 JackiAnybody know her surname

This is Jackie. (click on photo for larger picture).  Jackie was in Singapore 68 -69 and lived in the Naval Base.  Can you remember her surname or her whereabouts ?

Thanks to Monica Hampson who remembers Jackie and tells us her surname was Tate or Tait.

 


 

unknown school Photo submitted by Lesley Thorne (now Green)

 Lesley lived at Joo Chiate Place, Katong near Changi.  She attended Bourne School 1966/69 and had sisters called Ann and Carol, brothers named Peter and Gerald.  Can anybody identify this school photo.  Peter Thorne is on the back row third from the right in front of the school sign.

 
Thanks to Boab Webb for the following information which he entered in the Guest Book.

The photo of a School as far as I can remember was called Selerang Primary. I am the fair haired one-front row. Eileen Letham is third left from the teacher-middle row. I and many of the others stayed in Selerang Barracks and remember things like, snake valley, fishing at the lagoons, playing on old plane wrecks on a dis-used runway at R.A.F. Changi and Changi village itself. Can't be 100% but I think I've just remembered the girl's first name third from the left front row possibly Patricia?
Cheers! Boab (Bob).

My thanks to David White for his email which I have quoted from below.

I can confirm that the school picture is that of Selerang Primary. I am the handsome chap back row 2nd from right (as you look at picture) My name is David White and I attended there from 1965 to 1967. I lived in Farleigh Avenue , Serangoon Garden Estate. I used to catch the bus daily from there and travel past Changi prison and over the runway.


St. Johns Railway Club & Friends  Some of the former members of the St. Johns School Railway Club, Lou Watkins, Kev O'Carroll and Andrew Cole are wanting to hear from former members and friends, or information on their whereabouts.

Names remembered so far include:

Conrad

Cleasby

Charles

Corden

Viv

Ramsden

Ian

Hughes

Mick

Ellison

Geoff

Cox - Geoff has made contact.

If you are one of these people, or have memories of the Railway Club then contact me by email


Dakotas Netball Team - click to enlarge

Dakotas Netball Team

Did you play for the Dakotas Netball Team, know someone who did, or just liked following their progress.  If so, then Dave Papworth would like to hear from you.  email me and I will forward your information to Dave.  More photos of the teams can be seen here

 


Bofors anti-aircraft gun at Chestnut Drive in 1963

Peter Chan has written an article with this photo of 2 British soldiers manning a Bofors anti-aircraft gun at Chestnut Drive in 1963.  The article appears on the Good Morning Yesterday Blogsite.  If you recognise the Servicemen in the photo, or have any information related to them, let me know and I will pass on any information to Peter.


The St John's Comprehensive School rugby players (1969) Under 16 team 7-a-Side

Peter Chan is seeking to contact the rugby players from St John's who played in 1969 against Raffles and St Andrew's School.

7-a-side Rugby at Kallang Sports Field

This photo was taken at the semi-finals between Raffles and St John Comprehensive which was played at the Kallang Sports Field in 1969.  We lost and St John met St Andrew's in the Final but lost.  Notice we didn't wear boots then.  I remember the match was played under the hot scorching sun around 4 pm on a week-day in March.

 
The 1969 Under 16 St John's team 7-a-Side were:
 
    M. Widgery
     S. Bashford
     W. Peach
     J. Ruberry
     A. Jennings
     L. Attard
     C. Higden
 
Anyone who might know how they can be contacted, please email me and I will forward the information to Peter

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