season’s greetings to all changi-ites and families

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RAF CHANGI ASSOCIATION including HQ FEAF December 2019 Issue No. 71 Season’s Greetings to all Changi-ites and families

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RAF CHANGI ASSOCIATIONincluding HQ FEAF

December 2019 Issue No. 71

Season’s Greetingsto all Changi-ites

and families

Changi-ite Newsletter 2 December 2019

Chairman/Archivist: John Dicks4 Langley Crescent, Kings Langley, Herts. WD4 8EW. Tel: 01923 269060

[email protected] Member/Newsletter Distributor: Mike James

12 Shiners Elms, Yatton, Bristol BS49 4BY. Tel: 01934 [email protected]

Secretary/Regalia Officer: Pat Holt14 Burrowfields, Basingstoke, Hants RG22 4XJ. Tel: 01256 477253

[email protected]: Richard Collins

115 Station Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex CM0 8HQ. Tel: 01621 [email protected]

Newsletter Editor: Les Davies4 The Bryceway, Liverpool L12 3HJ. Tel: 0151 228 9874

[email protected] Secretary: Malcolm Flack

14 Highfield Close, Amersham, Bucks. HP6 6HG. Tel: 01494 [email protected]

Publicity/Press Officer: Brian LloydApartment 26, Hardy Lodge, Coppice Street,, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8GY

Tel: 01747 850898 • [email protected]: Tony Holt

14 Burrowfields, Basingstoke, Hants RG22 4XJ. Tel: 01256 [email protected]

Reunion Liaison Officer: Peter Mersh24 Asher Reeds, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0AN Tel: 01892 862643

[email protected] Liaison Officers

Iberia: Brian Morgan Tel: 0034 951 573547 • [email protected]: David A. Wood Tel: 0402 195390 • [email protected]

New Zealand: Brian Churcher Tel: 0064 7 549 4230 • [email protected]: Lim Tow Soon Tel: 0065 9647 2953 • [email protected]

RAF Changi Association(Including HQ FEAF)

Founded May 1996

The aim of the RAF Changi Association is to bring together all thosewho were stationed at RAF Changi (including HQ FEAF) Singapore,

in order to renew old friendships and make new ones.www.rafchangi.com

© RAF Changi Association. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in any form or by any means, graphic, electronicor mechanical, including photocopying, without the prior written or verbal consent of the chairman or secretary.

December 2019 3 Changi-ite Newsletter

For the first time since she became RAFCA’s secretary, we do not have aSecretary’s Report to include from Pat Holt.

Unfortunately, she has been unwell and recently underwent major heartsurgery. Happily, Pat is now back home and taking one day at a time underthe watchful eye of husband Tony, who has himself been undergoing a longsession of cancer treatment.

After years of sending “get well” cards to all and sundry it is now themembership’s turn to offer Pat our good wishes for a speedy recovery and assure her that she isin our prayers and thoughts.

As each day passes you are one day closer to a complete recovery, Pat. So, guys, take onestep at a time, both of you, and be assured that we are all thinking of you. God bless!

As I write my report in mid-October (a little earlier than usual), a small influxof new members have suddenly been appearing which has kept me quitebusy (amongst other Changi items) for a few weeks. The result of thissudden change in trend is that our current membership now totals 807,which is very much in line with my previous predictions.

As always, may I remind members that the accuracy of the AssociationDatabase is dependent on the receipt of any changes in membership details

- in particular, the demise of any member, in order that we may action any changes to themembership.

Nevertheless, in any case, as I have mentioned before, keep us up to date with your currentcontact details so that your Changi-ite magazine does not go astray.

Malcolm Flack (Membership Secretary)

I can confirm now that I will not be organising another trip to Singapore nextyear, due to the high price of health insurance attributed to the age ofMargaret and myself and my recent hospitalisation.This does not mean that members and friends cannot make their ownarrangements. If you should require any assistance please contact me, as Iam sure that our contacts in Changi Village and Penang would love to seeyou again.

Regarding the Changi Committee, we are still looking for volunteers (yawn, yawn). Onevolunteer is worth ten pressed men any time. It has been estimated that we have about anotherfive years to go, before the loss of members and the current committee members’ ages make itimpossible to continue. So please give it some serious thought.

I will close in my usual way at this time of year by wishing you all a very Merry Christmas anda Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year; and I look foreword to meeting many of you in thenext few months. Kind regards to you all.

John Dicks (Chairman)

Chairman/Archivist’s Report

Secretary’s (Health) Report

IMMEDIATELY prior tosubmitting this issuefor printing, MalcolmFlack, our tireless andenergetic MembershipSecretary, suffered a devastatingfamily bereavement and I know youwill join me in offering our sincerecondolences and assurance that heis in our thoughts at this sad time.

On page 18 of Issue 70, I did ashort review of the recently-released book ‘200 Years ofSingapore and the United UnitedKingdom’. Shortly after, I receivedcontact from some members whohad tried to purchase the book butbeen told that delivery to the UKwas not possible.

I contacted Straits Times Pressrelating our plight and they kindlygave me a link and an offer of 20%discount to any of our memberswishing to purchase a copy (seepage 13). Please remember toapply Code “STP2019” to yourorder to enjoy the discount!

For the first time since myappointment as editor, we canhappily record that the number of‘new members’ is greater than thenumber of ‘obituaries’. Is this afuture trend? (I wouldn’t hold yourbreath!)

Don’t forget the annual reunionat Nottingham in May (all details inthis issue).

Finally, may your Christmassparkle with moments of love,laughter and goodwill; and may thecoming year bring contentment andjoy.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Les Davies

EDITORIAL

CONTENTSCommittee Reports......................3Fontini Piano Accordion .................419 Signal Regiment......................5Postcards from the Past..................6Searchline .................................7Changi Re-visited ......................8/9Your Letters ......................10/11/12Leave in Penang .........................13Mobilgas Economy Run ................14Changi Historic Area ....................15Memories of Christmas past ......16/17Romsey Locall Reunion ................18New Members/Obituaries/Events .....19Regalia Shop ............................20

Membership Secretary’s Report

Changi-ite Newsletter 4 December 2019

AS I walked into Block 42 in1958, the sound of Widor’s

Toccata on CBS stopped me dead inmy tracks.

At the time, I did not dream thatone day in the future, I would findmyself playing the Grande Orgue inAmiens Cathedral where I believeCharles Marie Widor himself hadplayed his mighty work.

Amazingly, Notre Dame Cathedralin Paris could fit twice inside NotreDame, Amiens. Having climbed the80-plus steps to the organ loft, Ilimited myself to playing a shortimprovisation on Cwm Rhonda(Guide me, O ou great Jehovah),but felt honoured to have played thesame instrument where the composerof one of the world’s two most famousToccatas (the other one being J. S.Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor)had thrilled the congregation with hispiece.

Soon after I arrived at Changi, Imanaged to sign out an old pianoaccordion which, I was told, had beenused by the concert parties during theJapanese occupation. It had part of itsfaçade missing but was more or less intune and was just about playable.

You would not want to stand upand play it in front of an audience butit was fine for Boat Parties andBarbecues.

I was invited to bring it to abarbecue (my very first) and being abusker, was able to play most of thesongs the lads wanted. Brian Jenningsand Brian Newman played a bit ofSkiffle with me as I recall.

At the very end, Flight SergeantBerridge and Sergeant Moss asked meto play Bless ’em All which was duly

roared out into the still, tropicalnight. To this day, I rememberthinking “you’ve landed on your feethere old son”. Sometimes, however, Ifound myself accompanying bawdybut often very funny songs on anevening and then accompanyingMethodist hymns (never bawdy) onthe the O.D. Church Hammondorgan on Sunday mornings.

I wish that I had popped theaccordion into my deep sea chest,

brought it home and because of itsprovenance been able to donate it toa Services Museum. But I was scaredthat I would be accused of trying to‘half inch’ it. However, when Ihanded it in, nobody knew a thingabout it!

Although I was a signaller and verymuch a ‘fringe player’ when it cameto music in the RAF, I felt a surge ofpride when I heard the Royal AirForce trumpeters (the best, as far as Iam concerned) play at the wedding ofthe Duke and Duchess of Cambridgeand thus showing the world how itshould be done. My pride came fromhaving, like those lads, worn thatmost famous of colours, Royal AirForce blue.

Also, as a result of DurhamCounty being twinned with theSomme Department in Picardy, I wasinvited to take a group of singers toFrance and give some concerts, one ofwhich was at the St. Denis Church inPoix de Picardie.

ree British and one Canadianaircrew lie in the graveyard whichsurrounds the Church and as we wereperforming Requiem by GabrieleFaure, I was able to dedicate this mostbeautiful of works to those lads. I justhope we did it justice.

At the bottom of the previouscolumn there is a photograph of thepre-WW2 Fontini Piano Accordionreferred to above.

When signed out out by me in1957 it was still just about in tuneand just about usable for Boat Partiesand Barbecues.

After a pint or two of Tiger Beer,the tuning seemed to sound spot on,even to me.

In the December 2018 issue of Changi-ite, Neville Kirby (M734) gave an account of his return visit toSingapore with his wife Margaret. Since he is now 81, he realises it was probably his last visit to Changi.Neville’s passion is music; and here he recalls a tuneful tale which members may find interesting.

From Grande Orgue in Amiens toFontini Piano Accordion

The Grande Orgue inAmiens Cathedral

John Neville (‘Rip’) Kirby(1957) plays the piano accor-dion used by the concertparties formed by prisoners atRAF Changi during theJapanese occupation in theSecond World War . It made asound about good enough forBoat Parties and Barbecues.

December 2019 5 Changi-ite Newsletter

THE 19 Air Formation SignalRegiment was formed at

Huddersfield on 17th October 1943.During the following year the

Regiment was mobilised and sailed toIndia for overseas service in November1944.

Its first operational task was toprovide communications for HQCombat Cargo Task Force, anintegrated RAF/USAF force air-dropping supplies to the ground forcesin Burma.

e Regiment was based atComilla in Bengal, with Companies inthe Chittagong and Imphal areas.

As the Burma campaignprogressed, the Regiment movedsouth with the Air forces andeventually into Rangoon.

After the Japanese surrender,

detachments were then sent as farafield as Bangkok, Hanoi, Hong Kongand Shanghai.

In fact, it was the boast of theRegiment that it had detachments onevery airfield in South East Asia.

In 1946, the Regiment moved toSingapore where it has been based eversince.

In 1947 it had Squadrons inCeylon and Hong Kong, and in thisyear saw the start of a permanentaffiliation with the Far East Air Force.

In 1948 the Regiment establish-ment was changed to incorporateLocally Enlisted Personnel (LEP).

e Ceylon Squadron wasdisbanded in 1959 and Gan IslandSignal Troop was formed, and in 1962the Hong Kong Squadron wastransferred from the Regiment.

During Confrontation the Regi-ment had detachments in Brunei andLabuan.

Today, the Regiment now coversthe main airfields of Changi andTengah, the Microwave Stationsthroughout Singapore Island and inPenang and Butterworth, and theSignal Troop at Gan.

Press & Publicity Officer Brian Lloyd has been in contact with his new neighbour in Dorset, Lt. Col.(Rtd.) Pat Soward, who is the current Chairman of 19 AFS Association and also an Associate Member ofRAF Changi Association. On a recent visit to the Aboretum during the 19 AFS Reunion in Stafford, Patkindly provided Brian with copies of a couple of pictures he had taken; these are reproduced below. Patassures us that the memorial is in good shape and all eleven trees display their appropriate plaques.

A short history of the19 AirFormation Signal Regiment

This text is a shortenedversion of the history by JohnHill, which is included in the RAFChangi Association website.The 19 Air Formation Signal

Regiment continued to serve theFar East Air Force until thewithdrawal from East of Suez.The Regiment disbanded in

November 1971.

Changi-ite Newsletter 6 December 2019

cÉáàvtÜwá yÜÉÅ à{x ÑtáàCompiled by Mike James

View of Sago Lane, Singapore (1950s). Courtesy Malcolm Flack (M119).

Capitol Cinema & Building (1950s). Courtesy of Dave Dalzell (M24).

December 2019 7 Changi-ite Newsletter

Searchline

No. 71Compiled by Brian Lloyd

(Please respond directly to: [email protected])

1. ACCOUNTS SECTION 1948/1949. Whereare they now? In the picture above, seventh fromleft, top row, is deceased member DonaldThompson, known as ‘Ted’.Are you in the picture or do you remember Ted?

Happy memories from those days. Did you travelon the HMT Dunera around that time?

2. CPL. JOHN COUCH, circa 1969/1971 - 48Squadron Hercules. Member’s enquiry.3. SGT. SHORT, Turbine Propulsion, 48/FECS,

A and B Flights, 1955 to 1957.4. VICTOR JOHN MORGAN, 1955/1958,

known as John. Had a son about five years old outthere on family posting. Family enquiry.

WELCOME to new memberGraham Turner (M2445),

Physician at Changi Hospital, who hadtwo tours of duty, January 1959 toJuly 1961 and March 1970 toSeptember 1972. For the latter part ofhis second tour Graham was attachedto ANZUK and after 34 years’ service

with the Royal Air Force, he retired with the rank of AirCommodore. One memory of his service involved aCase-vac flight in a helicopter when he was called toattend to a soldier suffering from a head injury when thesoldier was injured on patrol in the jungle.

Graham travelled in a helicopter to a clearing (DZ)during the early hours, coming down through the hightrees. The helicopter was accompanied by a fixed wingaeroplane to ensure the landing site was found. When itwas dark, it was common practice for magnesium to bedropped to increase the area of light for the helicopter

pilot get clear visibility, since conditions were not goodfor dropping 200 feet through a small gap in the trees. Thepatient survived the return journey and fully recovered inBMH Singapore.

Graham’s principal recreation at Changi was sailing ina GP14, later a Snipe - and finally a Lark. Graham and hiswife competed in the “Around-the-Island” race, finishingat 2100 hours, just ten minutes before the cut off time.

He was the last winner of the historic Island SailingTrophy, a cup to be raced for annually to commemoratethe reopening of the Nanas Channel in 1959. The channel,which is on the far side of Pulau Ubin, had been closedbecause of Communist activity in Johore, so thereopening was a memorable event.

Names recalled by Graham from those sailing days are:Norman Kilpatrick, Richard Dixon and Hank Henstridge.Do you have any recall of these names? Or perhaps youcrewed for a member of the Yacht Club, which is nowdesignated the Changi Sailing Club.

Changi-ite Newsletter 8 December 2019

IN mid-June 2019 ninety-one-year-old Eric Harvison, who had served

at Changi in 1947-49 as a SignalsClerk at S.S.C., made contact withthe Changi Association (only a fewdays before his departure) about hispending first ever visit back to Changiwhich his family had arranged forhim.

By chance, his home address wasno too far from our MembershipSecretary, who was quickly off themark and took the opportunity tohear about Eric’s time in those veryearly years at Changi.

Eric and his wife, Kathleen,welcomed Malcolm’s visit and a verypleasant day followed. ey soonmade it known about their pending70th Wedding Anniversary and themeeting was concluded with aviewing of Kathleen’s wedding dress,still in excellent condition, thematerial for which had beenpurchased from a shop in ChangiVillage during Eric’s tour of duty.

Eric did not take long in decidingto become a member of theAssociation and a few days laterMalcolm made a visit to present Ericwith his new member’s pack,including a selection of material fromthe Association’s archives; it was inmid-June and they were ready todepart on the trip together with theirdaughter Marie and her husband,who had made all the arrangements.

Eric wrote the following report ofhis trip after his return home:

At the beginning of our trip we werein Heathrow departure lounge, waitingto board the aircraft, when a lady(whom I now know as Lyn Dido) –originally from Cheshire but nowAustralian) asked me if this was my first

trip to Singapore, I told her it wasn’tand that I had first visited Singapore 72years ago as a National Serviceman andwas now returning, hoping to see someof the places I remembered from1947-1949.

She must have been so intrigued bythis because she told one of the BA airstewardesses, as a result halfway throughthe flight the stewardess came to me witha BA embossed card signed by the wholecrew together with a bottle ofchampagne wishing me a happy returnto Singapore. Towards the end of theflight the Captain, in his farewelladdress to the passengers, mentioned myname and told everyone that they had a90-year-old veteran on board and hopedI had a memorable return. is wasfollowed by some applause from thepassengers and although it was ratherembarrassing, it was nice just the same.Lyn has since been in touch viaFacebook hoping my visit was successful.

anks to the help prior to the trip,I had contacted Lim Tow Soon inChangi Village to tell him I was comingand after a couple of days of landing Icontacted him to arrange a time.

By chance he was in Singapore centreand came to our hotel to meet us; wehad a very pleasant hour chatting overcoffee and he was most interested in myold photographs of Changi and tooksome copies of them, together with somereceipts from local outlets at that time,which he was going to display in hiscafe.

A couple of days later we went toChangi village and had lunch with himand his wife Joey at his cafe, after whichhe took us on a tour of the ‘new’ village.e village I had known was no longerthere - something of a disappointmentfor me, because that was one of the main

purposes of my trip, although I did seethe memorial to the RAF with theComet mounted behind it but beyondthat I didn’t see anything that remindedme of my old haunts.

On another day we went to PalauBlakang Mati – now renamed Sentosato see the old British barracks and gunemplacements at Siloso.

We also took a trip to Batam inIndonesia and visited all the usualtourist spots in Singapore; however, Iliked Chinatown the best.

We went back to Changi village yetagain a few days later and took a ferryto Pulau Ubin and talked to manylocals who were fascinated by my ageand the fact that I had returned.

A young man introduced himselfand actually thanked me for my serviceto Singapore which surprised me.

He was a pilot in the Singapore AirForce, flew fighter jets and said heobtained his Master’s degree at Oxfordand knew High Wycombe (which isnear to my home address). He requesteda photograph and all the locals nearbyjoined in too.

Changi Re-visited in June 2019Our Membership Secretary, Malcolm Flack (M119), tells Changi-ite the special story ofEric Harvison (M2448), a nonagenarian, who joined the RAF Changi Association lastJune, only a few days prior to his departure for Singapore on a nostalgic first trip back

to Changi which his family had arranged for him.

Lim Tow Soon meets up with Eric andKathleen at his restaurant.

December 2019 9 Changi-ite Newsletter

Of course we visited Raffles Hotelwhere they made a bit of fuss over usand I ended up having three Singaporeslings and a damned good evening.

I was initially very disappointed inthe new Changi village, but I was veryimpressed with Singapore and the peoplewho were so friendly and respectful ofBritain; it was all quite emotional andvery, very memorable. – I thoroughlyenjoyed every minute.

Eric, in his ‘thank you’ e-mail toLim Tow Soon for the hospitalityshown during the visit, remarked that

as well as his visits to Changi, he wentpretty much everywhere in Singaporeand saw all the wonderful attractions.

Singapore has certainly changedand the result is a very modern butalso impressive country; so it’s notsurprising that Changi village shouldhave also changed. In fairness, I waswarned, but I suppose I just didn’twant to believe it.

Eric has now ‘linked up’ with aBuddie. Upon returning home, Ericwas contacted by Malcolm, theMembership Secretary, with the news

that according to the records, lapsedmember ex-Changi-ite buddie DavidAlston (M2155) (see picture below),now of Bromley, Kent, had beenlooking for Eric for many yearswithout success.

As a result, David, who has amonthly column in his localnewspaper (e News Shopper) will,in agreement with the editor, run a“Christmas in Changi” feature thatwould include a photo of himself withEric and two others taken outside acinema in Singapore on ChristmasEve 1948.

Malcolm says it is all part of theRAF Changi Association service; andneedless to say Eric and David arenow in touch once more.

On Pulau Ubin: Eric is in striped T-shirt and his daughter, Marie, is on hisright. His son-in-law is wearing a blue T-shirt and his wife, Kathleen, isfront (centre) in the wheelchair. The Singapore Air Force pilot is wearingthe white T-shirt and the remainder of the group are locals and tourists.

Singapore Christmas Eve 1948 (leftto right): Clive Preece, Unknown,David Alston and Eric Harvison.

Far East Communications Squadron 1955-1957

A Flight and B Flight.

Pembroke Valletta Vampire and Devon

A Pressed Steel Plate (PSP) hard standing providedthe aircraft parking area, always hot and very noisy asaircraft moved around. Any fluid spillage created askating rink and during start ups on early Vampires,wet starts were frequent, sometimes resulting inburning kerosene running along the connectingchannels, so fire extinguishers were always ready! Abusy area with first-line maintenance, refuelling andground testing being carried out in the open; sunburnwas unavoidable, no protective clothing, no earprotection, no sun creams, but within a short periodof time we were like ‘locals’ with all new intakes beingclassed as ‘Moonies’ until they themselves ‘brownedoff’. John (Jet) Kenny (M2450)

A trip down with your letters and photos to Changi-ite

DURING the mid 1950s the RAFdecided that code and cypheroperating should change from beingdone by telegraphists to being doneby Clerks G.D.

It had to be sergeants or above dueto high security levels.

As I was Sergeant Clerk G.D. atthat time and also on PWR(preliminary warning roll for overseasservice), I was one of the first to beselected for training.

I was serving at RAF Dyce (nowAberdeen airport) and was detachedto RAF Compton Basset in Wiltshirefor the course.

I cannot remember exactly howmany of us were on the course but Ithink it was probably around 20; allwere sergeants and none of usvolunteers.

Some of them managed to gethome over the weekend but as I wasin married quarters at Dyce that wasjust not possible for me.

One of our number was away eachweekend and when I asked where hehad been he said he had been toLondon and had stayed at the Ritzhotel!

at, of course, was just notpossible on a sergeant’s pay, but whenI expressed my doubts he showed me‘proof ’ in the form of a book ofmatches from the Ritz.

Eventually the truth came out,and although he had indeed been tothe Ritz hotel in London, he had beenworking in the kitchens to earn a bitof extra cash; you can judge the levelsof RAF pay at that time!

Having successfully completed thecourse I was then posted to the FarEast Air Force along with GingerBurrows and Jack Caldwell.

On arrival at Changi we were seen

by the Command Cypher Officerwho told us that two of us wereneeded at Singapore Signals Centre(Changi) and the other was to go toAHQ Malaya at Kuala Lumpur.

As the fairest way to decide, therewas the spin of a coin.

Ginger Burrows lost and went offto K.L. while Jack Caldwell and Iwent to S.C.S., where we workedshifts covering 24 hours a day 365days a year.

It was hard work with little timeoff, but happy days nonetheless.

Leslie Kemp (M733)

SEARCHLINE 70, Item 4, MTSection 1963-64, brought back anamusing memory.

e NAAFI at Changi in thosedays was the retreat of a select littlegroup of boozers.

It was a ‘men only’ domain andfrequented often by a few MT Sectionlads. I remember one in particularcalled Taff Davey.

On the day that some of his SACcolleagues were standing outside theSection CO’s office waiting to be toldin turn that they had been promotedto Corporal, Taff joined them.

When they’d all been seen and Taffwas the last man standing, the COcame out of his office and saw him.

He asked what Taff was doingthere.

“I’ve been told to stand here, sir. Iwas told you had something to tellme.”

e CO grinned and wasted notime in telling him something verysharply – “Get out!”

I remember that there were hootsof laughter in the NAAFI that

evening. Keep up the good work –much appreciated, and thanks.

Best wishes.Phil Mills (M504)

IN 1956, while stationed at Changias a Ground Wireless Mechanic, I wasposted to the small island of Labuan,North Borneo, on detachment to thecivilian airport.

While there, I visited the largeCommonwealth Cemetery and wrotein the Visitors’ Book “F. E. Worrall,Bedford, England”, not my fulladdress, since I didn’t expect anyoneto be interested.

e next person to visit thecemetery was a missionary fromSarawak, down the coast on mainlandBorneo.

He was from Bedford and hewrote to his mother in Bedford to seeif she could find out more about me.

She failed to get answers andcontacted the Bedford Recordnewspaper for help.

An article appeared (I still have acopy), headed “e Long Arm ofCoincidence”, which asked forinformation.

On receiving numerous replies, themissionary, Mr. William Marshall,wrote to me from Kuching invitingme to visit.

Although this would have beenquite possible normally, I shortly afterreceived a re-call to Changi to returnto the UK by Comet.

A couple of years later, Mr.Marshall’s father died and he returnedto Bedford.

He contacted me and we hadmuch to talk about. He later returnedto Borneo.

Frank Worrall (M2397)

We welcome your letters, whether they express concern, offer advice,present constructive criticism, or just recall happy memories or events fromChangi days. Please send your contributions to the editor by post or via emailto [email protected] and include your name and membership number.

Changi-ite Newsletter 10 December 2019

I WAS raking around the house anddiscovered a poem written by my twinbrother, Stewart, when he was passingthrough Singapore in 1973 on aNimrod which was going around theworld, from Cornwall, U.S.A., Fiji,Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore andRAF Masirah (where I was stationedand piped off his crew for a few jarsin the Turtle Club).

Stewart was a PhotographicProcessing Analyst (PPA), trade group14, while I was a Telegraphist, tradegroup 11.

My brother writes a lot of poetryand he’s also a very good artist(learning his craft at the Duncan ofJordanstone College of Art when Iwas in Aden and Leuchars).

I had a load of copies of the TengahTimes which I brought back to theUK, but while acting as a guide at theScottish National Museum of Flight(East Fortune, East Lothian), aSquadron Leader Nimmo, who wasthe Tengah education officer (early1960s), told me he was writing ahistory of RAF Tengah.

Unfortunately, he died soon afterand his son dumped all of themagazines which covered mainly1964 to 1971.

So much for having done a gooddeed!

Here is the poem (written atR.A.F. Tengah, Singapore in 1973).

I hope it can be published.Charles Carruthers (M1452)

Monsoon RainA wall of water creeps ever near,Hot, humid air appears unclear.From the jungle, it spreads itself around,rashing trees and plants which

abound.My shirt is drenched in seconds flat,My hair is soaked - even with a hat!Rivulets of water dripping down my

clothes,Over my lips, eyes and nose.en suddenly a flash of lightIn a sky that looks the darkest night.under crashes like a roll of guns

Overhead, all around, it drums anddrums;

en the rain fires down on roof andplanes,

It bounces off the runway drains,It roars down channels in cascades,It races past the hangar sheds.It washes away the earth, the waste,e rich, red ground is left a paste.en all at once, it stops, the rain,e air smells sweet, refreshed again;Orchids, lilies and all exude a scent,e cycle of nature is well-meant.

Cpl. Stewart CarruthersRAF Kinloss

(Photographer & Portrait Artist,East Lothians Rabbie Burns)

READING e Ghosts Return in theDecember Newsletter took me backto early 1954 when I arrived atChangi to serve in the Old ControlTower, and although I remember theAstra, I do not recall the series towhich Dave Hucklesby refers, but Ido have a “Ghost Story” that I canrecall.

You will notice that I use the word‘Tower’ advisedly as the control towerat that time looked more like a seasidebungalow! It was in use untilSeptember 1954 when the new airconditioned Tower took over, whichis the Tower that many of you maywell remember.

e Old Tower was located overthe top of the WW2 Gun Battery.ere had long been a story doing therounds about the ghost of a Japanesesoldier who could be heard in thedead of night, (when else would it be?)marching along his assigned routeover what is now the remains of theBattery.

You could hear him step by step,get to the end of his route, pause, andthen return. And yes, on a dark andstormy night you could clearly hearhim, or so we thought. So one nightmy mate Steve Hutchison and Idecided we would try to lay this ghostonce and for all!

e area of all this activity was bythe old WW2 Gun Battery, the gunsof which were by then in a museumin Australia. So “one dark and stormynight” we got ready at either end ofthe identified route, Steve at one endand me at the other. We could clearlyhear the footsteps of our ghost, so ata given signal we fired off our Verypistols and looked to see who or whatwas there causing all the noise!

A long pause to light the area butwhat did we see?

NOTHING!Strange to say, however, just few

minutes later you could hear the“footsteps” quite clearly once again!

So what was it that we could hear?I suppose that it may have beendripping water somewhere in thespace of the Gun Site, but why did itstop and start again? Could it havereally been the ghost of a deadJapanese soldier?

Who knows what it really was, butit made for a good tale for the nextintake to man the tower on a dark andstormy night!

Albert Barnhurst (M1652)

I WOULD like to relate a littleincident from my square bashing dayswhich I think might resonate withmore than a few of our members.

e year was 1958 and we rookieconscripts were a week or so into ourbasic training at RAF Wilmslow inCheshire. is day involved trainingon the firing range and, in particular,being introduced to the Bren gun.is involved lying flat on our frontwith the Bren on a bipod.

e 30-round magazine was halffilled with 15 rounds of 303mm shellsand the corporal in charge specifiedthat these were to be discharged insingle and short bursts at the targetwhen he gave the order to us one at atime. Among us was a very nervous,to put it mildly, 19- or 20-year-old ladwho weighed about 7 stone, soppingwet, and he was shaking from head to

December 2019 11 Changi-ite Newsletter

Changi-ite Newsletter 12 December 2019

foot at the prospect of using thisweapon.

When it came to his turn thingstook a dramatic turn!

Quite unable to apply smallrandom but controlled pressures tothe trigger, as instructed, the younglad jammed his finger on the triggerin a total panic; this caused the Brento leap into the air discharging all 15rounds in about three seconds and ina violent arc – as though shootingthose imaginary ducks flying up thewall .

As the poor lad lay prone andshaking, the corporal went straight tohim and, banging the lad’s helmetwith the butt of his heavy old LeeEnfield .303 rifle he uttered theimmortal words . . . “Who the ####do you think you are, Audie bloodyMurphy?”

is sarcastic, rhetorical questionwould have been lost on the ladwhose head must have been ringingfrom the nasty blow for the rest of theday!

ere was a mixed outcome to thisepisode. It was probably witnessed bya senior officer because the corporal inquestion was later charged withundue aggression and demoted. eyoung lad had a somewhat betterending as his overall physique andtemperament were subsequentlydeemed to render him to be unsuitedto service life and he was discharged,quite honourably I understand, aweek later.

Many of us will no doubt recallthat Audie Murphy was the mostdecorated soldier in the U.S. army inWW2, receiving some 33 medals forbravery and conduct, all before his21st birthday; and he went on to starin around 50 films, mainly in the

1950s. Sadly, he died at the young ageof just 45.

Don’t feel left out though; maybewe didn’t get to Buck House andkneel in front of ‘Brenda’ (apologiesto Ian Hislop and Private Eye), butmany of us can be proud of our OBEstatus, i.e. “over bloody eighty”.

P.S.: Referring to Her Majesty asBrenda is not meant in the least to bedisrespectful to a wonderful person,the best monarch ever. I have asneaking feeling that even she wouldfind it quite amusing?

John Stevens (M2107)

I WAS interested to see a photo onpage 9 of the August edition ofFootball League winners 1947.

My father went to Changi in 1946and we followed in January 1947since my brother was a baby and wehad to wait until he was three monthsold.

My mother, God bless her, took ababy of three months, a toddler of 18months and me, aged five-and-a-halfyears old out on a ship, six weeks’travelling. (It broke down in the RedSea.)

We came back in 1949 and mydad was in the troops side.

My father was at headquarters, andused to have something to do with afootball team.

We used to go in a bus and go toaway games for both football andcricket. We would sing songs, like“I've got sixpence”, “Show me theway to go home” and “You are mysunshine”.

Back to the picture.ere is a man in the front row

whose name was C. Doig

(committee). I’m fairly sure he wasScottish and he was also a very goodfriend of my father, because when hemarried out there, my father gaveaway the bride.

I had two photographs in mycollection of many hundreds (possiblythousands), but can I find these twoin my smaller collection of Singaporepictures? No! I am so cross as I cannot imagine where else they could be,unless they ended up in the hundredsof other photographs by mistake.

I went to school in Changi. Wetravelled on an RAF open-top lorryand were lifted up into the back of itby one of the drivers.

Open top, little kids sitting onbench-type seats!! ere was no healthand safety then.

How did we survive!We went to Christmas parties in

the different clubs. School was half-a-day, but I also went on Saturdaymornings, too.

Beach visits were also popular andthe ‘Pineapple man’ would comeround selling slices of pineapple.

I played in monsoon drains (andboy, didn’t it rain!). However, it waswelcome relief for our prickly heatrashes!

Our amah was a lovely lady whobrought her family to meet us, andmy mother also let me go to herhouse, in what I remember to be thejungle.

It was in a wooden hut and was sointeresting; they treated me like aprincess.

I remember her husband was a taxidriver.

So many happy memories.ank you for reminding me.Kind regards.

Eileen Bates (M2304)

Please submit any items to be considered for inclusion in the Newsletter to

[email protected] please include your membership number

December 2019 13 Changi-ite Newsletter

WHILE serving in the RAF at Changi ourchance to get away for a holiday was usually

to go to Penang. On one occasion while in Penang ,after travelling by rail,sitting between the carriageswith a .303 rifle in case thetrain was invaded, we had awonderful time. We wentwith quite a few friends andsomeone said we should hirea car and tour the island.What a wonderful idea, theonly person with a drivinglicence was me!

So off to George Townwe went and foundsomeone who was willing tolet us hire a car – a big American job. ere were nineof us and this seemed to be just the thing, wemanaged to get five in the back and four in the frontsomehow and off we went.

Half-way round the island we stopped for a photo,and here it is.

Left to right: John Cowling, Peter Bull, Berney ?,Jerry Mundy, David Woodand Trevor ?; the last three Idon’t remember. What a daythat was, we went rightround Penang Island andthen back to Elysian for afew beers. e leave centrewas a great place to holidayin those days, no high rise,beach to ourselves, and nohassle. I haven’t been back toPenang since but I believeit’s all built up with high riseand tourism. We were so

lucky to have had the time there when we did.e world doesn’t stand still and at the time we

didn’t realise what we were living in. What a pity thatthe young can’t experience the same life that we did!

David Wood (M2196) writes fromAustralia recalling happy times at the

RAF leave centre in Penang.

FOLLOWING the review of this book in Changi-ite (Issue No. 70) several members contacted usto say their attempt to purchase a copy had been unsuccessful due to distance of delivery. We wrote

to the publishing company explaining the dilemma and Straits Times Press responded positively. RAFChangi Association members can purchase the book by pasting the following link in to your browser:

https://stbooks.sg/products/200-years-of-singapore-and-the-united-kingdom

By applying the code STP2019 members can enjoy a 20% discount off the purchase price.

200 years of Singapore and the United Kingdom

SEARCHLINE No. 70 (Item 6) asked whether anyoneremembered the Spitfire TP205 gate guard at Changi

and requested pictures of the aircraft. Margaret Moore(M2388), who was an Ops Clerk at Changi from1965-1967, sent us her photograph (left).

e Spitfire F Mk. 24 was displayed at KallangAirport, Singapore (1954-1960); RAF Changi (1962-1970); RAF Bicester (April 16, 1970-1972), arrived fromRAF Belfast; RAF Kemble (June 30, 1972), RAFMuseum, Colerne (November, 1972-1975), RAFShawbury (August 21, 1975), R. J. Mitchell Museum,Southampton, (February 7, 1976-1984, and Southamp-ton Hall of Aviation, Southampton (May 1984-2002).

If any member can identify errors in this report wewould be very pleased to hear from you.

Changi-ite Newsletter 14 December 2019Changi-ite Newsletter 14 December 2019

MOBILGAS ECONOMYRUN IN SINGAPORE

Easter 1958By Malcolm Flack (M119)

EARLY in 1958, during myNational Service time at Changi

as an MT Driver, I became aware of anotice in the MT rest room forvolunteers to take part as ‘observers’on the 1958 Malayan MobilgasEconomy Run during the Easterholiday weekend.

e purpose of the economy run,organised by the then Mobilgas OilCompany, was to demonstrate thefuel economy of which tuned, well-maintained and carefully-drivenmodern production cars are capableof when run over varied public roadsusing a premium grade of pump fueland a high quality lubricant.

As service personnel we hadalready learnt “never to volunteer” –but the opportunity seemed attractiveenough and expenses were includedfor travel and accommodation.

So, being single and off duty thatweekend, I put my name forwardalong with others. Exactly who, I amunable to remember by name after allthese years, especially as I had not yetgot to know too many ‘buddies’ in theMT Section. In addition, there mayhave been other sections whosepersonnel were also given theopportunity to volunteer.

e event was billed as the “4thMalayan Mobilgas Economy Run”and had attracted a record entry of 76cars, comprising 29 different makesand 52 different models which had

been lined up for scrutiny in KualaLumpur on Good Friday. At the timeit was thought to be a world recordfor the event.

On receipt of instructions, we weretransported down to Singapore main-line railway station on Good Fridaymorning and boarded the train forKuala Lumpur arriving late afternoon.

After transfer to our accom-modation at the Federal Hotel in thecity, I was allocated a twin room witha chap I had been paired with for thetwo-day event.

Following an early breakfast onSaturday morning, we were shown theway to a nearby public car park for thestart. We checked in with theorganisers and after a short briefingwe were taken to the huge array ofvehicles and as ‘observers’ wereallocated a Fiat 600 for the event.

After introduction to the Chinese/Malay local driver and his navigator,we eased ourselves into the rear seatswith our knees nearly touching ourchins! We settled down, and weresoon on our way, at one minuteintervals, for the journey north toIpoh and back which was a total ofalmost 150 miles.

We passed through somespectacular scenery, but the heat ofthe day soon became evident andlimited fluids and refreshments whichhad been provided needed to beconsumed with care and considera-

tion as the journey was not going tobe against the clock but completedeach day within an eight-hour period.

e first day of the run over, wewere back in KL by late afternoon andreturned to the hotel where a much-needed cool shower was taken.

e evening saw an exploratoryventure into the city, where a Tiger ortwo and some food was found.

A memorable item seen in KL thatevening, which has always stayed withme, was a colourful, constructeddisplay piece on the front of theCathay cinema building portrayingan animated scene, together withsound effects, promoting the filmBridge Over e River Kwai, andincluded the spectacular “blowing upof the bridge”, subsequently to berepeated about every half -hour; and,of course, that now very famoustheme tune.

On Sunday we returned to thesame car park and located our carcrew before setting off for Singaporeon the final day of the run. is was alonger, single journey to the finish inOrchard Road. We witnessed somespectacular sights and had somenarrow escapes through very ruggedjungle roads.

It was an experience I would nothave had but for my Changi postingand one I look back on as an amazingopportunity and privilege which fewpeople had in those days.

In 1958, British Singapore was home to many motor sports enthusiasts, expats and locals alike. TheSingapore Motor Club, formed in 1948 by Freddie Pope, organised motoring events of all kinds, the

favourite of which being the Johore Grand Prix. Other popular events included half-mile sprints, speedtrials, hill climbs and economy runs, organised by the Singapore Motor Club and many other car

associations such as the Automobile Association (Singapore), the Automobile Association (Malaya), theMalayan Motor Club, the Perak Motor Club, the Penang and North Malaya Motor Club . . .

1958

December 2019 15 Changi-ite Newsletter

The Big Gunsof Singapore

All that remainsof the three gunsite of the big15-inch guns of theJohore Battery isthe undergroundbunker of the onlygun in Singaporein 1942 that couldnot turn aroundand fire landward.is gun had afiring arc of 180degrees, and thuscould only pointout to sea. eother two big gunsof the JohoreBattery were on a different navalturret type mounting which enabledthem to turn round and fire at theJapanese. If those guns were stillaround today they would stretchacross the runways of Changi airport.e big guns were supported bysmaller 6-inch gun batteries nearChangi Village and at Beting Kusah.All the guns were directed by ChangiFire Command which was on top ofChangi Hill.

Near the site of the big guns ofSingapore stood the "Changi Tree".is 46 metre tall tree, which wasmarked on maps at the time, toweredabove the surrounding landscape. In1942, the British blew the top off thetree in order to remove a marker thatcould be clearly seen by the Japanese.

Sook Ching Massacre Sitesere are two documented Sook

Ching massacre sites in the ChangiHistoric Area. On the evening of 20February 1942, Japanese troops intheir bloody purge of ‘anti-Japanese’Chinese took 70 Chinese males out toChangi Beach and shot them at thewater’s edge. Four survived because

they were mistaken to be dead. eyfled after the Japanese left. WhenPOWs from Changi were ordered bythe Japanese to dispose of the bodiesnext day, they found another Chineseman alive and they smuggled him outof the area.

At Tanah Merah Besar Beach, onwhich Changi Airport is now builtaccording to two massacre survivors,Chua Choon Guan and ChengKwang Yu, between 400 to 600Chinese were machine-gunned by theJapanese at low tide on the evening of22 February 1942. ey testified atthe 1947 war crimes trial into theSook Ching Massacre that they hadmiraculously survived becauseJapanese troops were not able to checkthat every victim was dead bybayoneting them all. e Japanese arerumoured to have returned everyevening for the next three days afterthe first massacre to machine gunmore Chinese at low tide so the seawould come in and take away their

bodies. However, ifthere were anysurvivors of thesemassacres theynever told theirstories.

Changi POWHistoric Sites

e 50,000Allied POWs werenot, as popularmyth has it, putinto Changi Prison.ey were placed inthe former quartersof the troops of thegarrison protectingthe Changi area.

e Australianswere stationed in Selarang Barracksand the British were in RobertsBarracks, which are now barracks forthe Singapore Armed Forces. Only inMay 1944, would the POWs moveinto Changi Prison, and even thenthey were also housed in huts outsidethe prison walls.

e POW cemetery was createdbetween Selarang Barracks andRoberts Barracks. After the war it wasmoved to Kranji and now comprisespart of the Kranji War Memorial.

At Roberts Barracks, the BritishPOW Stanley Warren painted theChangi Murals depicting the imagesof the New Testament in an indoorchapel at the hospital, later known asBlock 151. ese murals wererestored after the war by StanleyWarren on his visits to Singapore in1963, 1982 and 1988.

ere were also outdoor chapelscreated by the POWs. ere is areplica of one of these at the ChangiChapel and Museum. (# 1000 UpperChangi Road North, Singapore507707). is replica was created in1988 outside Changi Prison, andmoved to its present location in 2001.

Changi Historic Area 1942-2002

Malcolm Flack(M119)

Changi-ite Newsletter 16 December 2019

Christmas in the 1960s was in many respects celebrated akin to any other decade in the 21st century:family gatherings, laughter and fun. But whereas today the celebrations are often centred around the presentsand multimedia, a 1960s Christmas was much more homespun. The days of post-war rationing and austeritywere still recent memories so, especially in the early years of the decade, festive fun still retained a feelingof frugality compared to today. Mary McDonald (M2201), daughter of Wing Commander David J. Penman,DSO, OBE, DFC (1919-2004), recalls fond memories of their tour in Singapore from 1961 to 1964 . . .

DAYLIGHT pushes fingers ofbrilliant sunshine throughthe slats in the wooden

shutters which cover the glass-lesswindow in my bedroom.

A chit-chat darts up the wall on itssticky pads while the ceiling fanwhirrs overhead.

I fight my way out of the mosquitonet and unfasten the shutters.

Looking out over the garden, thepurple bougainvillea nods on its trellisto the yellow allamander. Orchidsgrow profusely in the flower bedswhile wafts of exotic scent from thecreamy frangipani flowers float on thegentle tropical breeze.

It is already 28 deg. C and it’s only7am. It will be around 32 deg. C bymidday. No, this is not the result ofglobal warming. It is 1961 and this isthe first of our three Christmases inSingapore.

My father, Sqdn. Ldr. DavidPenman, DSO, DFC, had been toldin June, while Commanding Officerat RAF Amport, that our next postingwould be to RAF Changi. At thesmall village school I attended, thisnews created quite a stir in class, as wescrabbled with the pages of the atlasto find the tiny dot which was tobecome our new home for the nexttwo-and-a-half years.

Our bungalow on AbingdonRoad, Lloyd Leas, was positionedalmost at the end of the runway atRAF Changi.

On most mornings, we would bewoken by lumbering Argosies takingoff and landing, or shaken byShackletons doing their ‘circuits andbumps’.

is was Christmas Day and onlythe birds broke the peace of the earlymorning. e mynah birds chatteredceaselessly to each other in the treeswhile a flash of yellow signalled theoriole’s arrival as it swooped lowacross the coarse grass of the lawn. Asparrow chirped happily as it enjoyeda dust bath in the dry monsoon drainwhich surrounded the house.

ere would be no hawker today,peddling her wares from woven rattanbaskets which swung from a bamboopole across her bent shoulders. Shewould shuffle along on her wornflip-flops, shaded by a coolie hat anddressed in a black sam-foo. She spokeno English but the wide, toothlesssmile in her wrinkled face made itimpossible to turn her away.

e Magnolia ice-cream man hada day off too! No tinkling bell todayas he cycled along with a small freezerunit attached to the front of histricycle. Only the mangy cat looking

for food and the slithering snake,which had taken a wrong turn intothe house, were unaware of thesignificance of this day.

Despite the occasion, we were stillenduring drought conditions andwater was strictly rationed, with nosupply to the house at all. Instead, abowser was stationed on the street,from which we filled buckets totransport water back to the house.Water for drinking and cleaning teethhad to be boiled and cooled first,before storing in the fridge.

We were allocated enough water toquarter fill the bath twice a week andwould take it in turns to be first in thebath and thus have the cleanest water.At the end of the day, some of thebath water was used to flush the toilet.

We couldn’t have traditionalcrackers because of the highhumidity; and decorations in ourbungalow were sparse because of thedowndraught from the ceiling fans.

However, we did put up a smalltinsel Christmas tree in a shelteredcorner, which we decorated withlocally-crafted, fabric Chineselanterns. I still have these to put onour own tree today, a sparkle oftropical memories amid thetraditional festive fayre and Britishwinter weather.

Christmas, Long Ago and Far Away

December 2019 17 Changi-ite Newsletter

Having attended numerous partiesand concerts at school, the mess andthe Officers’ Club, it was fitting togather as a family that evening, on theveranda, to reflect on a very privilegedand unique setting for the festiveperiod.

We thought of our wider familyand friends in the UK as thin waspsof smoke spiralled up from the

mosquito coils and the cicadas createdtheir hypnotic symphony in the treesas darkness suddenly descended.

Our last Christmas in Singapore in1963 was the most nostalgic. All ourbelongings had been packed intocrates for their six-week journey by seato Britain. Anything else that wasreturning with us, had to fit into twosmall suitcases for the long flight back

to the UK in an RAF Britannia,stopping to refuel at Bombay andIstanbul.

We flew home on 6th January1964, descending through a greycurtain of mist and wearing ourtropical tans as we disembarked,shivering, onto the snow-coveredtarmac.

So many happy memories!

The first high-altitude ascent was made in1804 by Gay-Lussac and Biot in a hot-airballoon. They reached a height of 4.3miles.

* * *The red kangaroo can produce twodifferent types of milk from adjacent teatsat the same time.

* * *The female nine-banded armadilloregularly bears litters of identical quads.

* * *Jericho is the oldest walled city on earthat 9,000 years old.

* * *Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is 1,250miles long.

* * *The first petrol-driven car took to the roadin 1885.

The custom of carrying a flaming torchfrom Athens to the site of the OlympicGames was started by Adolf Hitler in1936.

* * *American inventor Thomas Edisonpatented almost 1,300 inventions in hislifetime.

* * *Mexico City is built on top of anunderground reservoir.

More than 8,000 varieties of rose havebeen developed for garden cultivation.

* * *The dachshund dog was originally bred forhunting badgers.

* * *Jupiter is 89,400 miles in diameter,whereas Earth is only 7,926 miles.

* * *Silbury Hill in Wiltshire is the largestman-made mound in Europe, yet nobodyknows why it was built 4,500 years ago.

* * *When George I married Caroline of Bruns-wick he’d been wed for ten years to MariaFitzherbert – and could not speak English.

* * *The only place in the world with a nilbirthrate is Vatican City.

essential things youdidn’t know you

didn’t know

Christmas Songsfrom the 1960s

SLEIGH BELLS (Gene Autry)BELL ROCK (Bobby Helms)

LITTLE SAINT NICK (The Beach Boys)FROSTY THE SNOWMAN (Patsy Cline)

PLEASE COME HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (Dion)THE CHRISTMAS SONG (Bing Crosby)

SANTA BABY (Eartha Kitt)STEP INTO CHRISTMAS (Elton John)WINTER WONDERLAND (Dean Martin)

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR? (Carpenters)SILVER BELLS (Elvis Presley)

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN (Beach Boys)SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN (Crystals)

RUN, RUN RUDOLPH (Chuck Berry)OH HOLY NIGHT (Nat King Cole)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY (Otis Redding)JINGLE BELL ROCK (Chubby Checker & Bobby Rydell)

BLUE CHRISTMAS (Elvis Presley)THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME (Carpenters)

SLEIGH RIDE (Neil Diamond)MY FAVORITE THINGS (Supremes & Diana Ross) RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSE REINDEER (Cadillacs)

ROCKIN’ AROUND THE CHRISTMAS TREE(Brenda Lee)

WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS (Percy Faith)LITTLE DRUMMER BOY (Pete Seegar)WHITE CHRISTMAS (The Drifters)

I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (Fats Domino)FELIZ NAVIDAD (Jose Feliciano)

SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS (John Lennon)BLUE CHRISTMAS (Fats Domino)

Changi-ite Newsletter 18 December 2019

ANNE MOORE (M1901), thelocal co-ordinator, once again

greeted the regular members fromalong the south coast as they arrivedat the Royal British Legion Club inRomsey on Friday, 6th September, forthis year’s ‘catch-up’ on days gone byat Changi.

ere was a good response and thepopular, comfortable venue, as ever,proved an ideal place for the 39members and their guests.

Attendance might well have beenhigher, but taking into account theever-increasing age of our member-

ship, it was no surprise that elevenapologies for absence were received.

Our founder member, MikeJames, was unable to attend and senthis good wishes for a successful day.As did our Secretary, Pat Holt, whoruns the Regalia stall. Pat sent herapologises via husband Tony, ourwebmaster, who was able to make itat the last minute. Both Pat and Tonyhave had more than their share ofhealth issues this year and theAssociation sends them good wishesfor a speedy recovery.

As always, John Dicks was kept

busy with the display of photographsand memorabilia and no doubt tookaway some ‘not-seen-before’ images toadd to the present collection. A goodselection was on display for all to see.

A plentiful finger buffet wasavailable (the chef had over catered)and the bar opened throughout theafternoon. Once more, members oldand new went away with manyrecollections of bygone days andhappy memories of another successfullocal Changi Reunion.

Pictures courtesy of Tony Holt, theAssociation’s Webmaster.

Romsey Local Reunion 2019

OBITUARIESIt is with deep regret that we report the deaths of the following members.

We offer our sincere condolences to their families and friends.

Mem. First Name Surname Rank at Service No. Trade Squadron/Section/ Arrival Departure DeceasedNo. Changi School Date Date

401 James Hodgson Cpl/Tech 4165232 Draughtsman HQ FEAF (Tech) April ’55 Dec. ’57 July 2019

438 John Carter SAC Y172338 Airframe Fitter Trans. Air Serv. Sect. Jan. ’50 Sept. ’53 Sept. 2019

675 (LM) Norman Webb LAC 2741241 General Mechanic Tech Wing April ’55 Nov. ’56 July 2019

1204 Charles Lawrie Sgt. K4146391 Supplier/Mover HQ Far East Tanglin May ’65 Nov. ’67 Sept. 2019

1940 William Thompson SAC 1933709 Armourer 205 Sqn & Armoury July ’61 July ’62 June 2019

Mem. No. First Name Surname Maiden Name Service No. Trade Sqdn/Section/School Arrival Departure Block No.

2449 Peter Grantham N/A X1946879 Cpl. A. Tech. P. 48 Sqdn. Hercules Sept. ’69 April ’71 Hiring

2450 John Kenny N/A 3520106 SAC Engine Mech T/P F.E.C.S. June ’55 Nov. ’57 Block 141

2451 Brian Pickup N/A E4292171 Cpl. TG11 Telecomms. Admin. Jan. ’69 Dec. ’72 MQs Seletar

2452 John Crangle N/A 2322288 Jnr. Tech. Fitter 2A SASS Oct. ’49 March ’52 Block 151

2453 Derek Clayton N/A B2367451 Flt. Sgt. Supplier Air Movements June ’65 June ’68

2454 Brian Thorne N/A 4088568 LAC Clerk Progress P.R. Sqdns & FEAF May ’53 Dec. ’54

WELCOME ABOARD!We welcome the following six new members who have joined between 27 June 2019 and 20 October 2019

Rank orFather’s Rank

AM=Associate Member AF=Affiliated Member LM=Lapsed Member

122G TanahMerah Besar

December 2019 19 Changi-ite Newsletter

Forthcoming Events in 2020for your diary

May Friday 15th/ Midday 24th ANNUAL REUNIONSaturday 16th at The Novotel Hotel, Nottingham

Bostock Lane, Long Eaton NG10 4EP (Off M1 Junction 25)Full details and booking form in this issue of Changi-ite

Sunday 17th 10.30am 18th Annual General Meetingfollowed by departures

Monday 18th Departures

May T.B.C. 10.30am LONDON AREAVeterans’ Day at R.A.F. Museum, Hendonat Grahame Park Way, Hendon (Sat. Nav. NW9 5QW) RAF Changi Association will be in attendance.

Changi-ite Newsletter 20 December 2019