Senior Police Officers' Mess - Cloaked in Secrecy

Front view of the Officers' Mess

The Senior Police Officers' Mess sits deep in the heart of Mount Pleasant Road. The building itself - 153, Mount Pleasant Road - was said to have been built in the 1930s with the living quarters on the upper floor while the mess or the dining area was on the ground floor.  (1)

Looking from the right of the building

The Mess itself was manned by a small catering corp to prepare meals for these British Police Officers. There would also be parties every Friday nights where music and dancing was on the cards. (1)

But all parties ceased when the Japanese occupied Singapore in 1942. There were no records to show how this building was used by the Japanese. Currently, the building has been transformed into an Officers' Club and is being used to host both foreign and local dignitaries.

"Mr Wong Ah Sun, who has been a mess steward for 42 years, recalls making his way through the tapioca garden that is now the lawn and tennis courts and entering a Mess devoid of furnishings."  (1)

A cannon pointing outwards to protect the grounds

On the right of the building, I came across this huge cannon with a royal insignia embossed on it. I'm wondering if this was an original cannon placed there to guard the grounds and was it ever used used to fight the Japanese.

Different types of muskets and guns on display

Within the mess, there were also guns of different lengths on display. Other than the physical buildings and a remnants of guns and cannon, the ground was was pretty spartan. Also, I could not find much information about this place. It was as if the ground had wanted to withhold its secrets as it  refuses to speak.

Drop me a note if you have information about this particular building - 153 Mount Pleasant Road.

References

1.  Singapore Police Force. December 18, 2014. http://www.police.gov.sg/about/welfare/spom.html
Assessed on: April 11, 2015.