A BRIEF HISTORY OF LIFE IN REME

A Craftsman’s Story 1948 to I953

 Contributed by: Phil KEMPSTER

Chapter Ten.

Recovery Mechanics Course, Changi, Singapore. 1950

We were billeted under canvas in large tents, close to the beach on one side and overlooking R.A.F. Changi in the far distance, and to our left, palm trees, tracks, ditches, swamp and shrub land. This was to be our training area for approx 8 to 10 weeks. There were about 15 of us doing the course and about 8 staff, our C.O. was a Capt Baxter and our chief instructor was C.Q.M.S. Healey. Then there was Cfn. Banks our Scammel driver, L/Cpl. Derek Fairbrass our Ford Wrecker driver and Instructor, Cfn. Don Higgins, he was the Admin clerk, Cfn. Dave? (Lofty) he was an old soldier, he was our Scammel driving Instructor and camp Snake catcher, he was quite a character, Cfn. Das? I think he was Malay he looked after the Mess and bar. I can’t remember any other names. The craftsmen on the course were from units around Singapore, and quite a number from up country in Malaya. I have forgotten most of their names; there was Cfn. Joe Logan an old soldier, Cfn. Yeo (Yo-Yo) Cfn. Bungard (Bunny), Cfn. Charlie? Cfn. Snow (Snowy), Cfn. Johnson, and the rest I only remember as Geordies, Taffy, Fairy, and others. Most of them are in my photographs.

Rear Row: 1.Taffy, 2.n/k, 3.Blondie (me), 4.Don, 5.Lofty, 6.Joe, 7.n/k.

Middle Row. 1.Yeo (Yo Yo), 2.n/k

Front Row. 1.Cpl (Scammel driver), 2.Jordy, 3.n/k. Changi 1950

I enjoyed my time on this course, it was hard work but you learned a lot in a very short time, I never dreamed that I would learn how to drive a Sherman Tank (A.R.V.) and be taught how to recover bogged down tanks and vehicles with the aid of cables anchored to the ground with anchor pins, pulleys and couplings, using the winch of the Scammel Tractor. What an amazing feat this was.

Our two Sherman ARVs. We only trained on one of these awesome giants, mostly learning how to operate and drive them. They were far too heavy for the type of terrain we were training on. They were nice to drive and had aircraft engines to power them. They also had a synchromesh gearbox and could travel quite fast.

Scammel Recovery Tractor pulling itself out of the mud, what a fantastic vehicle this was. It was the workhorse of REME Recovery during WW2 and was still to go on for a long time yet.

Left to Right: 1.Don (Camp clerk), 2.Daz (Camp barman), 3.Banks (Scammel driver), 4.Dave (Scammel instructor and general dog’s-body including snake catching)

Scammel hard at work with a front pull and the Stewart tank in the background. Recovery course, Changi 1950

The Scammel was a fantastic vehicle and was used by REME in all theatres during W/W 2 and into the 1960s. I remember we had an ex W/W2 Stuart Light Tank that we used to tow and bog it down to practice our recovery skills. One of the instructors decided to have a look to see if there was any fuel in the Stuart and found it had quite a lot in, the batteries were flat so they tow started it, and they used to tear around the site at a rate of knots, I think it was capable of doing around 50 plus M.P.H. We trainees didn’t get to drive it though unfortunately.

It wasn’t all work and no play, the beaches close to the site were beautiful and the sea was warm and the beach had a gradual slope and was quite shallow inshore, ideal for larking about. The staff made a raft out of empty oil drums with a wooden platform for diving off, we also had some truck wheel inner tubes that we inflated. I spent hours floating about on one of those. We were also invited by the R.A.F to use their N.A.A.F.I in the evenings and at weekends, it was really posh, they looked after us okay. One of the R.A.F Officers was friendly with our C/O and used to visit him for a drink or two at our bar sometimes, he was a nice chap.

It was December now and Xmas was drawing near so preparations were being made for us to celebrate it in style under canvas, a new experience for some of us. We decorated the place up with bunting etc. The Camp Chef made us a slap up dinner and the drink flowed freely with bottles of Tiger and Anchor beer galore. Snowy flaked out under a table, he had drunk a little too much. We just left him to sleep it off. We had a great time, a Christmas I shall never forget.

Christmas 1950, a photo of staff and trainees, apart from the chap standing on the left who was an officer friend of Captain Baxter, from RAF Changi.

Christmas 1950 Changi.

It was about this time when some trouble broke out in Singapore and there was a lot of rioting and some British military vehicles were attacked and set on fire by the rioters. All our forces were put on alert including us, we were armed to the teeth with pick axe handles (yes it’s true!) and had to patrol our camp site during the night to apprehend any intruders, luckily we didn’t get any. REME Recovery units from Base Workshops were used to recover the burnt out vehicles, it was a tricky situation and made us realise how volatile things were out here at this time. Fortunately the riots were soon brought under control by the Police and our Security Forces.

The riots in Singapore 1950. I was on a Recovery Course. We were put on Alert and armed with Pick Axe Handles. (It’s true, honest….)

We were now well on with our training at Changi and getting quite a lot of theory work to do. I hated this, I was never much good at paper work but we had to do it to pass the course so I had to get on with it come what may.

It was now well into Jan 50. The two Sherman A.R.Vs were being sent back to Base Workshops as they were unsuitable for the type of terrain we were training in, they were far too heavy. The only training we had on one of these A.R.Vs was learning to drive it and how the equipment on board was to be used on recovery operations. The second Sherman never had the covers taken off, it was a shame as it would have been interesting to have done practical training with them. Anyway we loaded them on to the heavy Rogers Trailers and off they went behind the Scammel tractors to Base Workshops. I believe one of them was polished up and used in the Queens Coronation parade.

Loading Sherman ARV on to a Rogers trailer. Changi 1950.

Loading a Sherman ARV on to a Rogers trailer for return to 42 Base Workshops. Changi 1950.

It was now time for our passing out assessment tests, most of the lads passed out okay. I passed out on all my practical tests but failed my theory test unfortunately, I was disappointed but I thoroughly enjoyed the course and made some good friends.

Rear Row. Left to Right. 1.Banks, 2.Joe, 3.Lofty.

Front Row. Left to Right. 1.Higgins, 2.Charlie. Recovery Course. December 1950.

More photographs related to this chapter can be accessed from the link below.

Published: 15th October 2007

Chapter Eleven.