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Royal Navy in Singapore

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RN in Singapore
Lucy Childs
Lucy Childs - page 2
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My thanks to Lucy Childs for these family photos.  Lucy said that,

"My father, Geoff, took over as OIC of RNWS Kranji (Kranji Wireless Station) in April 1970. The previous OIC had been Lt Fred Drew. My father was the last OIC of Kranji before the hand over to 9th ANZUK Signal Regiment in December 1971. The base was closed about 1 year after that.

 

The last 1st Lt. was Sub. Lt. Singleton. The last Chief RMech. was Warmsley.

The last Chief PO Regulator was CPO Farrell.

The last clerk was Mr. Ali.

The last typist was Kasinathan.

The last messenger was Mangudi.

The last captain of HMS Terror was Capt. Bradbury.

My father is particularly interested in the second world war history of Kranji when the base was used for code-breaking.

There were 7 bungalows on the base. We had no. 1 bungalow."

My family Christmas Day 1970 at a hotel in Singapore.

My brother and I on Boxing Day 1970 in the drawing room of our bungalow on the Kranji base.

My brother and my joint 5th and 2nd birthday June 1970.

Our Amah's kampong. I think it was Yew Tee village outside the main Kranji gates. She used to invite us for a meal there and her husband cooked us chinese food.

Late 1971. Cleaning the bungalow shutters.

June 1971 My brother and my joint 6th and 3rd birthday. My brother went on the bus to the Royal Naval School.

Me refusing to have my photo taken lying on one of the poolside rattan chairs. The Kranji pool was just a short walk up the hill from our bungalow. We spent a lot of our time here. Once I was bitten on the face by a piedog and another time I got some glass embedded in my foot. Each time I was driven to the local medical centre in a dustcart!

Late 1971.

On the swing outside the back door with our Amah, Sue's 2 girls, Seo Ling and Seo Tin.

Kranji pool.  The building behind was popularly known as "Rose Cottage!" Young female skeletons were discovered under it dating from the Japanese occupation. Our bungalow was down the hill behind this building.

Kranji pool 1970/1

Kranji pool 1970/1

David and I on tri-shaws in Malacca, 1971.

Singapore - sleeping under the mosquito net.

Drying off after swimming in Jason's Bay, Jahore.

With Sue, our Amah in our garden, showing the jungle behind.

Muniandi festival 1970 on the Kranji base.

the Muniandi banquet of hot, hot curry served on banana leaves.

Watching the gully gully man, Singapore.

With mum in the Malayan hills.

At Sue's kampong, Yew tee village with our neighbour's children, the Bowens.

Christmas Day 1970

 

Mum

Our bungalow, No 1 Bungalow. This photo was taken from the old Central Receiving Hall. You can see the pineapple patch and the Papaya trees. Behind is no. 2 Bungalow and further down the road behind the photographer was a house lived in by the dentist, Mr Popperwell and then the football field and police barracks.

This is the "rest house" where we stayed in Malacca. 1971

Dancing on the table by the Kranji pool.

My family at the Muniandi festival.

In front of our bungalow. In the distance is a quarry where they blasted stone.

My brother and I looking over Singapore 1971

This was taken on top of Mt Faber.  In the background is Empire Dock at Keppel Road.  The Tanjong Pagar Railway Station is on the left of Empire Dock.

Aerial view of RNWS Kranji circa 1971.  The large building closest to the shot was the PMO's "bungalow". Beyond it are the tennis courts and the swimming pool which you can just see surrounded by seats and umbrellas. The large aerial is the microwave aerial. In front of it is a barracks. A similar one off shot was converted to an Australian social club and called "the Geoff Childs Club!" after my Dad!

 

My thanks to Graham 'Charlie' May ex Leading Radio Operator RN/Radio Officer MN '66/70 for pointing out that the original photo was mirrored.  Graham said
"I was at Kranji W/T both in 1956 whilst HMS Consort was in dry dock and again in 1960 through to '62 as staff. I was again based in Singapore whilst serving in HMS Ajax during 64/5."

This is taken from a southerly direction, showing WRNS Kranji with the aerial field behind and the Jurong Straits on the horizon. To the right of the aerial field is the straight "Woodlands Road", then the railway and Yew Tee Village. My father thinks the road rising north from Yew Tee was the Bukit Timah Road.

This is taken from a northerly direction looking south. It shows the old aerial field which my father believes was built originally as an oil container field before the war. In 1941 the oil containers were all set on fire during the Japanese invasion. The aerials are radio aerials that served WRNS Kranji. The straight road visible left was "Woodlands Road" which ran along the railway line. In between is the monsoon drain.2/3rds up the road is the entrance to the level crossing where there was the hut which was lived in by the keeper. The village to the left of the railway line was Yew Tee village, where my amah lived in a kampong.

The bungalow visible bottom left was lived in (1970-2) by Cdr Baller. The roof visible next to it is of bungalow 7 where we lived for the first 2 months of our time in Singapore before moving up the hill to the base which can be seen top right of the picture. the tall microwave aerial is visible in front of the white cliffs of the quarry on the horizon.

My father remembers the wealthy labour contractor Koonho who had the grass cutting contract for all the naval bases. This huge aerial field had approximately 100-200 men working in lines with long-handled scythes trying to keep the vegetation down.

 

An aerial shot of RNWS Kranji from the south east (approx) showing the full expanse of the hill top station. The two storey building to the centre left of the photo was the Signal Training Centre (STC) which in my Dad's time was run by Sub Lt. Singleton who trained any signalmen who came up from the fleet. The station was a communications training base for many passing servicemen.

 The two buildings to the south of the rectangle road were 2 remaining barracks (the foundations of former barracks can be seen around the rectangle. Opposite those barracks are 2 bungalows lived in by CPOs Warmsley and Maddox.

 In the trapezium shaped road to the right is a long white bungalow which was the police quarters and the green area within the trapezium shaped road is where they held the Muniandi festival.

The straight road leading north from that area goes past the cinema on the left and several storage buildings including the diesel storage unit. The road then bends round to the left past the Popperwell's  house on the right. It then passes behind the main buildings of the station. You can just see the east facing wall of our bungalow before the road disappears behind the microwave tower. From that road you could look out over the aerial field to the northeast. I believe this is now where the Singapore army Signal School is. I think  Kranji Expressway now runs beneath this point in the valley between the former aerial field  and the hill rising to the station.

. This is an interesting article about RNWS Kranji and the Invasion of the Japanese in 1941.

These are 2 photos of the final ceremonial lowering of the white ensign. My dad is on the left. In the middle is Col McGreavie the CO of 9th ANZUC  Signal Regt. On the right, we believe, is Cdr. Martin Sands, the Fleet Communications Officer.

My brother's class at the RN School 1970.

At Sue's Kampong at Yew Tee.

My brother and Sue's son inspecting the pigs at Sue's kampong.

Sgt and Constable at Kranji Police hut

 

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