[Demolished Buildings] Government Printing Office

1993 map showing the Singapore National Printers Ltd. - Department of Geography

The building was formerly known as the Government Printing Office till 1973 - Department of Geography

Photo of The former Government Printing Office taken by Mr Lee Kip Lin - National Library Board

The Government Printing Office was first established in 1867. (National Archives of Singapore, 2018) The office was first located in High Street before relocating to the Upper Serangoon Road building in the 1930s. 

Every important document that the government had needed (From annual reports to secret reports) to use were printed in this building.

"It functioned as the Singapore Government's central organization responsible for all printing work from Government Gazettes, Bills, Ordinances, School and Government examination papers and syllabuses, directories, departmental annual reports, Legislative Assembly debates, statistical publications, scientific works, official forms, revenue receipts, account books, registers, to invitation cards, publicity posters, booklets and pamphlets." (National Archives of Singapore, 2018)

It is also said that during the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese took over the building to meet their own printing needs. (National Archives of Singapore, 2018)

The building continued to be used after the war "until 1 April 1973, when it became a private printing company and subsequently renamed as Singapore National Printers (Pte) Ltd." (National Archives of Singapore, 2018)

The first two directors of the company were Mr Kwa Soon Chuan and Ms Julia Yeow Geok Imm, both of whom were civil servants. (National Archive of Singapore)

The present company is now called Toppan Security Printing Pte Ltd. (Toppan, 2019)

 

Questions: 

- Why did the government choose to locate the office at Upper Serangoon Road? 

- During the Japanese Occupation, which department took charge of the printing office?

References

Department of Geography. 2016. Singapore Then & Now.  https://www.nusgis.com/thenandnow/. National University of Singapore. Retrieved on November 30, 2019.   

National Archive of Singapore. 2018.  https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/government_records/agency-details/121. Retrieved on November 30, 2019.

National Library Board. 2009. Government Printing Office. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/pictures/details/6db365a1-7845-4cdb-8fc4-437d5756e012. Retrieved on November 30, 2019. 

 

Singapore National Printers Pte Ltd Agenda & Minutes of Directors' Meeting.
National Archive of Singapore.

https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/government_records/record-details/23ce225d-11ca-11e8-a2a9-001a4a5ba61b. Retrieved on November 30, 2019.  

Toppan. 2019. https://www.toppan.com/en/location/singapore/. Retrieved on November 30, 2019.

[Singapore Islands] Pulau Blakang Mati: Mt. Imbiah Battery

Mr Peter Stubbs Sharing About the Gun Placement

Give me a storyteller and I'd be totally engaged. So when Mr Peter Stubbs came forward to lead the tour, I can sense his strong passion of military matters at Sentosa formerly known as Pulau Blakang Mati. He had dedicated large amount of time to explore the area and is also the author of the Fort Siloso website. http://www.fortsiloso.com/guns/bl/bl.htm

Mounting of Mt. Imbiah's 9.2-inch guns

Peter walked with us to the top of Mt. Imbiah (Or previously spelt as Mt Imbeah). From there, he brought to life what life was like for the British gunners. Peter also dispelled the mistruth that the guns were pointed the wrong way and how the 6-inch guns were used against the Japanese forces, though Mount Imbiah saw no bombings by the Japanese while the sister sites at Fort Siloso and Mount Serapong were battered by Japanese fighter bombers.

The holding area where the ammunition were stored

We saw the gun placement as well as the magazine tunnels under the gun placement where the explosive shells were kept. The cylindrical-shaped marks have now been etched into the ground.

Walking Through the Dark and Narrow Tunnel

3 Interesting Facts about Mt. Imbiah

1. Mt. Imbiah was spelt as Mt. Imbeah till the late 1970s. 1
2. The gun at Mt. Imbiah was regularly fired as part of the British Forces practice run since the 1920s. 2
3.  Mt. Imbiah was known as Point 202, Blakang Mati Island 3


References 

1. Siloso's Big Bang. August 12, 1979. The Straits Times. P14.
2. Untitled. February 15, 1913. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. P6.
3. Untitled. June 4, 1924. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser. P12.

[Singapore Parks] Punggol Point: Watching the Sunrise

A Refurbished Punggol Point

Sunrise at 7:08am

Sunrise at 7:11am

Punngol Point Jetty

Interesting rock formation found along the beach

Puggol Beach taken from the look-out

The Look-Out Point

Fish Ponds Along the Promenade

Playground for the Kids

[Buildings] Battle for Singapore Heritage Tour: The Tiong Bahru Air Raid Shelter

The battle for air and land supremacy between the British-led forces and the Japanese raged on ever since the latter landed on the Malay Peninsula and Thailand on December 7, 1941. 

In Singapore, preparations were already in order in 1939. By that year, the Germans flexed its muscle by taking over Czech and Slovakia, and were preparing to conquer Poland. Closer to home, the Japanese had invaded China in 1937 and was trying to get a foothold of the eastern part of China.

Though war was not at Singapore's doorsteps, the country took their first step in preparing for such a possible eventuality.

In 1939, it was reported that bomb-proof shelters would be built within one of the blocks at Tiong Bahru. (1) To give it a community feel, it was said that in normal time, the shelter could be used as a children's playing area.

When I stepped into the air raid shelter, the place felt cold and uninviting. Not a place where I'd send my children to play.

In another report, it talked about the construction of a large communal shelter for 1,600 people. There was even proper electric lighting and ventilation "from two centrifugal fans". (2)  The Improvement Trust then further allocated $200,000 in 1941 to increase the shelter size to accommodate 7,300 people, making it Singapore's largest air raid shelter. (3) (4)

The Main Entrance

I took my first step into the air raid shelter and boy was it huge! Also, it was pitch black too! The lights were not working. There were a couple of entrance, but the group took the easier one which did not require us to climb down via a ceiling entrance.

Ceiling of the air raid shelter

Talking about ceilings, everything in the air raid shelter was built using cement, even the ceiling. To allow for the cement to set, long wooden planks were used to help prop up the wet cement. Thus, the cement pretty much took the shape of the wooden planks.

Air Vent to keep the people breathing

During our walk in the shelter, we passed by rooms where shelves could be found. Apparently these shelves were used to store food items. It was said that there were sanitary facilities within the shelter. Though the toilets and the separator walls have all been removed, we could still see the base of these walls on the cement floor. There were certain area within the shelter where the smell of sewer was highly elevated. In simple terms, it stank! I'm sure the original air vents that rise up to the top of the building had surely helped to freshen up the air a little.

The Warden's room

Finally, we were ushered into the ARP Warden's Room. So what's ARP? Well, it's the acronym for Air Raid Precaution Warden. Only the ARP Wardens and their families were allowed to stay in this room. What was interesting here was that the wordings could still be seen on the wall. Was it re-painted or is it original? 

If you're interested in visiting the air raid shelter, check out the National Heritage Board's website for details or alternatively, you can do a virtual tour. http://www.nhb.gov.sg/NHBPortal/Resources/VirtualExhibitions&Tours/WalkingThroughHeritage/TiongBahruAirRaidShelter


References

1. Bomb-proof shelters for new blocks of flats. June 29, 1939. The Straits Times. P15.

2. New block of trust flats. April 4, 1941. The Straits Times. P10.

3. Singapore's largest air raid shelter. October 31, 1941. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). P5.

4.Improvement trust allocates $200,000. February 22, 1941. The Straits Times. P11.

Battle for Singapore Heritage Tour: Attap Valley Bunker Tour

Watery path towards the bunker

Getting to the Attap Valley bunker was no easy feat. Yes, I initially thought that the provision of boots for us to wear was a bit of an overkill. But then, I started to realise that this visit was not your run-of-the-mill walk.

The first sign that things are not as normal as it seems started straight at the entrance. Mounted on the gates was the sign "No Trespassing". There's even a makeshift guard house to ensure that unauthorised people are denied entry. Next, there are no tarred roads, only mud roads. Now I'm starting to see why rubber boots were needed.

Kelvin the guide

Kelvin, our bubbly guide, was on-hand to provide the walking commentary. You can sense from a mile away that he's one guy who loves his job. From a 800 metres walk in, we then made a left turn towards the Number 4 bunker located below Talbots Hill.

The British-built bunkers was first constructed by building the main structure before the top of the bunkers were covered up and, thus becoming Talbots Hill. This ammunition bunker is one of seven ammunition bunkers that were laid into that hill. There were other hills with bunkers that made up the entire ammunition depot. Altogether, there were 18 bunkers in all. (1) During the Japanese occupation, the bunkers were used by the Japanese to store their own ammunition. (2)

Main Entrance to No. 4 Bunker

The bunker blended in well with its surroundings. Trees were growing above it, while overgrown shrubs helped to cover the cold concrete exterior walls. I'm not sure if the shrubs were present at that time, but definitely by cutting itself into a hill, the British had wanted to make sure that it was hard for enemy's aircraft to spot these bunkers. 

The ammunition storage depot is also located close to the Sembawang Naval Base and to move these large shells, it was said that there were railway tracks with carts to safely move them towards the naval base. (2) The bunkers must have been a hive of activity then.

Entrance to the bunker

After more than 70 years, the two-metre thick steel doors have succumbed to rust and wear. One of the doors has came out of its hinges, frozen in its final position.

Ankle-deep muddy water

To enter the bunker, we had to go pass the ankle-deep water. Kelvin warned us that we would feel the coldness of the water through our boots. Indeed! I was the first in line to enter the bunker and I had wanted to do that to feel the sense of solitude even in the midst of a crowd. The only light that I have was the light from my camera phone. It was a choice of whether I should use my light or take pictures. I chose the latter as I knew that there were others who would have stronger lighting than what I have.

Curved Entrance towards the main storage area

The walkway towards the bunker was still rather silty. From the water mark that was left on the wall, it seemed like the muddy water actually reached to a waist level. As you can see, there's a slight curve to walkway. This is to ensure that if there's an explosion, military personnel who ran towards these walkway would survive.

The inside of the bunker

We arrived at the elevated open bunker. As you can see from the photo above, the bunker is big enough to be a garage for at least six cars. To allow fresh air to come in, the British had incorporated an air vent that draws air from outside. 

Original lighting within the bunker

Above our heads were thick corrugated metal to ensure that items within the bunker were well protected. Many of the fittings were originals. Firstly, the lighting covers that were mounted on the ceiling of the bunker. Some of these lights were also mounted on the walls. It is thought that this was done after the war. In truth, that makes it much easier if one wants to change a burnt bulb.

Marshall, Fleming & Co. Ltd Gantry Crane

Instead of manually moving the explosives, the gantry crane aids military personnel in carrying crates of explosives and moving them neatly into position. A metal plate states that the crane was produced in 1937. 

Another interesting fitting was the pipe that was located along the walkway. I believe that these are pipes that were placed there to help pump away water. The pipe had a year 1936 stamped on it.

It was a real throw back into history as many things within the bunker laid as it is. It is unknown to public as to what had happened to the other six bunkers. Are they still around or have they been covered over and no longer accessible to public?

This outing also reminds us that there're still much to see and discover on our little red dot.


Post-script:

1. "The Nipah Palm, or Attap, lends its name to Attap Valley Road and Jalan Nipah. Its unripe seed, or attap chee, is soaked in syrup before becoming an additive to ice kachang, a local dessert. A mangrove palm, it can be found in the swamps of Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, Pasir Ris Park's mangrove area, Pulau Ubin, and Pulau Tekong." (3)


2. The bunker was not an unknown entity. In 2003, JTC Corporation proposed that the Number 4 bunker be converted to either a club or a restaurant. (4)



References

1. Zaccheus, M. January 29, 2015. Pre-war British bunkers to open its doors to public. The Straits Times. Retrieved on: February 21, 2015. http://news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/pre-war-british-bunker-open-its-doors-public

2. Zaccheus, M. January 28, 2015. Secret British bunker in Woodlands will be open to public for the first time in 70 years. The Straits Times. Retrieved on: February 21, 2015. http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/secret-british-bunker-woodlands-will-be-open-public-firs

3. What's in a name? Going back to the roots. July 9, 2007. The Straits Times. Retrieved on: February 25, 2015.

4. Tan, H. Y. August 28, 2003. Doorway to a club or restaurant. The Straits Times. Retrieved on: February 25, 2015.

Battle for Singapore Heritage Tour: Sime Road - The Hellfire Corner

Sime Road - A golf course, a British Airbase, a WW2 battlefield and a British internment camp. The change of its use took place within the periods of 1942 to 1945.

Once again, I had the privilege of having Jon Cooper as my guide. As we stood on the overhead bridge, Jon started his story with the modern day traffic running below us. Getting into the mood of things was important and Jon started off by reading J. S. Cosford's Line of Lost Lives. His very clear and descriptive anecdotes helped me draw a mental picture of what happened in the February 1942.

The Big Battle

The Suffolk Regiment was tasked to defend Sime Road and the surrounding MacRitchie Reservoir. The latter was of great importance as the British knew that if the reservoirs were to fall to their enemies, the battle of Singapore would be as good as finished.

The Suffolk Regiment arrived in Singapore on 29 January 1942, just about three weeks before its fall.  Private Thomas Marks was one of those from the Regiment who were moved to shore up the defence of Sime Road. Pte Marks barely knew who he was fighting against and exactly where he was fighting and sooner than he had expected, he became a Prisoner-of-War. (1)

Jon started us off at the overhead bridge. He pointed to the crossroad called "Hellfire Corner". It was a point that saw much activity both from the British and Japanese. There were British truck movements on the ground and that made it a wonderful playground for the Japanese fighter pilots as they had a choice of gunning down the soldiers or tearing into the metal mobile columns.

Other than from the air, the Japanese Army pushed from the West of Singapore. In a normal circumstance, the golf course should have proved to be a difficult ground to take over. But without the support of tanks and fighter planes, the vast open grounds made the British fighter sitting ducks for the Japanese tanks. The troops pulled back to Hill 130 where they made their last stand.

By then, the Japanese were dead tired and making it to Hill 130 was indeed an uphill task. The Japanese troops must have felt that it would most probably be their last battle and at dusk, the Japanese soldiers launched an attack on the hill, supported by their tanks led by Hotsaku Shimada. (5) Hill 130 soon fell. More information can be found in a post seen in the Bukit Brown website. (6)


Pre-War Presence

Prior to the Battle of Singapore, the Sime Road area was a British military enclave that saw the presence of its Army and Royal Air Force headquarters there. This enclave was also where General Arthur Percival and his officers put together their battle plan for the Malaya and Singapore. (2)

There was also a golf course ran by the Race Course Golf Club that was opened in 1932 within the MacRitchie catchment area. (3)

The Green House

There was also a building known as the Green House, headquarters of the British joint forces. As the name suggests, the building was previously painted green to reduce the chances of air detection. (4)

After the fall of the British, the building became the headquarters of the Japanese Camp Commander in Singapore.

Coming up, Part 2 about the POW Camp at Sime Road.

References

1. BBC History. December 28, 2005. My Service Life in the Suffolk Regiment Part Two - Far East. Retrieved on: February 15, 2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/43/a8080643.shtml

2. bte Zakaria, F. Sime Road Camp. Retrieved on: February 15, 2015. http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1769_2011-02-14.html

3. Tan, K. 2001.Singapore Island Country Club (SICC). Retrieved on: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_540_2005-01-05.html

4. Maree, V. May 19, 2014. Guide to Sime Road, Singapore: All about the former WW2 camp. Expat Living Singapore. Retrieved on: February 15, 2015. http://www.expatliving.sg/Living_In_Singapore/settling_in/Guide-to-Sime-Road-Singapore-All-about-the-former-WW2-camp-49230.ece

5. 'White flag came up in the thick of battle'. October 18, 1981. The Straits Times. P8.

6. Missing Amongst the dead. February 17, 2013. All Things Bukit Brown. Retrieved on: February 15, 2015.

Battle for Singapore Heritage Tours: Adam Park

This year marks the 73rd Anniversary of the fall of Singapore. In February 1942, bloody battles were fought on all sides of Singapore. Through the various tours organised by Singapore's National Heritage Board (NHB), I had the opportunity to re-live some of these battles, starting with the Adam Park Tour led by the very animated and energetic Mr Jon Cooper, curator at the Changi Museum and founder of the Adam Park Project.

Jon had so many stories to tell that the entire tour truly came alive! We stopped at various houses of interest. The first bungalow we stopped at was a very prominent one - 7, Adam Park. Facing Adam Road, the bungalow was used as a British Command Centre. The 1st Battalion Cambridgeshire Regiment 18th Division was tasked to prevent the Japanese advancement. 

It was said that the Cambridgeshire fought with true distinction. Arriving in Singapore only on January 29, 1942, the soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel G. G. Carpenter, took up their defence around Adam Park on February 12, 1942. (1) Shortly after, the British soldiers came face-to-face with the Japanese opponents. The Cambridgeshire lost little ground in the ensuing battle and was said to be "the last to cease fire when Singapore surrendered". (1) 

Jon, being an Archeologist, was able to pick up a large amount of British empty cartridges at 8, Adam Park. It was believed that the Cambridgeshire sand-bagged the base of the house and pointed their weapons towards the road. It must have been a fierce firefight between the two forces at Adam Road.

We were then brought to 19 and 20 Adam Park. It was said that a bloody battle was fought between these two bungalows. The British had occupied 19 Adam Park in the night. With 20 Adam Park unoccupied, the Japanese moved into it and by the morning, all of them had new neighbours. Both sides used whatever weapons they had to try and dislodge each other. After a good fight, the British finally forced the Japanese soldiers out of 20 Adam Park.

The house at the end of the road - 16 Adam Park. This property has its own golf course and that was where the Japanese had put in a sneak attack too. The fight was taken on the lawn of this bungalow.

When the British surrendered, the entire Adam Park was turned into a Prisoner-of-War (POWs) camp. As the POWs were locked in, they created their own chapel. Jon deduced that through his research and studying of aerial maps, the likelihood of where the chapel was located seems to point towards 11 Adam Park. There was even a canteen on the ground level of the bungalow that was managed by a folks.

This was indeed a very good tour of Adam Park; led by a very good guide in Jon; and at a very good time - in the lead-up to the commemoration of fall of Singapore on 15 Feb 1942.


References

1.  Afflerbach, H., Strachan, H. (Eds). 2012. How Fighting Ends: A History of Surrender. Oxford University Press: Great Britain.

2. Regiment Gets Freedom. October 16, 1946. The Singapore Free Press. P3.

[Historical Site] WWII: Ford Motor Factory

A Japanese bayonet and cap as seen on display at the Ford Factory Museum

A bayonet and a cap sat quietly in a showcase. These items are more than 70 years old but they still strike fear in the hearts of those who have lived through those times. A bayonet, when affixed onto a rifle, was a harbinger of pain. Extinguishing lives before their due. While the cap shades the Japanese soldier from the sun, it also adds on to the fearsome demeanour of the Japanese soldier.

Both these items and more are currently being kept in the Old Memories at Ford Factory Museum along Upper Bukit Timah.  

Frontage of the old Ford Factory

History of the Ford Factory in Singapore

The factory's assembly plant was already running in July 1941 and the cost of the entire set-up came up to $1,000,000. (1) The British government was using this plant to build military vehicles and trucks for use in the war against the axis powers. The Singapore-based plant had also provided a source of income for more than 400 workers.

Photo of Ford Motor Company taken in 1942. Source: National Archives of Singapore

The Surrender Papers

 

This factory was also an important landmark as it was where the fate of Singapore was decided on 15 February 1942. After just eight days of fighting on local soil, Lieutenant-General Arthur Ernest Percival had no choice but to surrender as the island was running out of food, water and ammunition.

More lives would have been lost if Percival had chosen to fight on. He was then asked by the Japanese Imperial Army to surrender unconditionally at the Ford Factory, which the Japanese has made it their Imperial Army Headquarters. Victory was on the faces of Lieutenant-General Tomoyuki Yamashita and his staff, while Percival and his men looked forlorn. Both parties walked into the room location at the far left of the factory.

Lt. Gen Yamashita demanded the surrender of the British-led forces. Source: National Archives of Singapore 

Significance of the Table, Chairs and Clock

The dark wooden oak table was of great monumental significance as it saw the pounding of Yamashita's fist on it to demand that the British surrender immediately. It also held up the surrender papers that Lt. Gen Percival signed. The chairs that were used by both the British and Japanese to sign the surrender papers must have felt the strain with the unfurling of such an important event.

Miraculously, all these items survived the war and are now on display in the Old Memories at Ford Factory Museum. Symbolically, the timing on the wall clock shows that it is 6:20 - the exact time that Percival signed over British control of Singapore to the Japanese.

Original table and chairs used in the signing of the surrender documents

Grand Story Teller

To see if we can learn more about this historical place, my colleagues and I made a trip down to the Old Ford Factory. We met a museum staff, Mr Leung Keng Hong. Though he claimed that he was not an official guide, he was extremely kind to have brought us through the exhibits. He gave a very balanced view about why Percival needed to surrender and that war should be avoided at all cost.

Mr Leung in front of the Peace Sculpture

Nugget of Information

Through our entire tour, Mr Leung shared many interesting points which helped to give life to those artifacts that have been silenced for so many years. The tree trunk that was placed in the museum to which he said that the people were so hungry that they stripped the tree of their barks for food. Also, POWs crushed the lalang to extract starch and sugar for their survival.

One interesting point that Mr Leung had raised was that there was a railway track that ran behind the Ford factory. I further quizzed Mr Leung but he could not shed much light to this railway track.

If there was really a railway track at the back of the factory, where could it have been located?


References

1. The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942). 12 July 1941.

Military Trucks Run Off Assembly Line In Malaya. Page 7

Changi Prison Museum: Lest We Forget

It was a phrase used by the Australian and New Zealand (ANZAC) as a remembrance to the soldiers who were felled during the war, and there were truly many brave fighters who took on the Japanese during World War II.

The British, Australians, New Zealanders, Chinese, Indians, Malays and Eurasians all fought side by side but was no match to the Imperial Japanese troops. Singapore fell on 14 February 1942.

The pain has not totally healed for these defeated soldiers, but many still come to this Museum to seek solace. It was a useless war that brought pain and suffering to all parties involved in this episode of life. Many lives were lost in this prison, and from here, many were sent to meet their deaths while building the Death Railway in Burma.

Though located in Changi - East of Singapore - it is still a museum worth visiting if you want to understand the hardship of what the 1942 populace had gone through during the Japanese Occupation.

My paternal grandad, being educated in English, was executed as he was a civil servant and was deemed to be in collaboration with the British. While my maternal grandad escaped the Japanese tyranny by hiding in a drain and only returning home after three days. He then made peak caps for the Japanese just to get that little bit of food supply to keep the family from starving.

More than 60 years have past and all of my grandparents have passed on, and this little museum holds the history to that era of suffering. Lest We Forget.


Address:
1000, Upper Changi Road North, Singapore 507707

Operating Hours:
9:30am - 5:00pm daily; last admission at 4.30pm

Admission: Free

Website:
http://www.changimuseum.com/Home.aspx

For direction, please visit http://www.changimuseum.com/contact.htm