A BRIEF HISTORY OF LIFE IN REME

A Craftsman’s Story 1948 to I953

 Contributed by: Phil KEMPSTER

Chapter Eleven.

Back To My Job With The Inspectorate.

It was now Febuary1950 and it was getting near to my twentieth birthday, I had been out here over a year now had only two more years to go.

I returned back to my unit, the REME Inspectorate, at the District Workshop, Ayer It Rajah Road, Singapore. I went back to my driving duties but with a new vehicle, a Fordson 15 Cwt truck. I was sorry to lose my Dodge but the cost of spares and running costs on Canadian and American vehicles was very high so they were being replaced by British vehicles from the U.K. I soon had our new truck fitted out, by beg steal and borrow, with car seats and cushions for the team of S/Sgt Mack, S/Sgt Kellow, S/Sgt Howe, Cfn Jock? Our Clerk, and our boss Captain Vyse who always sat up front with me.

S/Sgt Mack. Photos of the others, named above, appear in the preceding chapters.

This time the team were inspecting optical instruments i.e. binoculars etc. It was found that, in this humid climate, fungus was affecting optical lenses, the team actually designed a binocular case that prevented this. I used to pick up Capt Vyse first thing in the morning at his posh married quarters then drive the short distance to the T&T.T.Centre, this was in the Base Workshops complex, to collect the rest of the team. I would then drive them to different camps in and around the Island of Singapore including one of the small islands offshore called Paula Brani. I used to drop them off at Jardine Steps close to the docks and there they would get on an R.A.S.C. Ferry to take them over to the camp there. I then had to wait until they returned and this gave me the opportunity to clean my truck. One day when I was waiting I noticed a troopship anchored close by, it was the Empire Windrush. This was a large ship and had two funnels, I took a photo of it, I nearly always had my little Brownie camera tucked in my pocket. One of the furthest away camps we used to visit was a large training camp belonging to the Malay Regiment, this was at Nee Soon not far from the border with Malaya and quite close to R.A.F. Seleta and the Royal Naval Base. One day coming back from Nee Soon we called in to look at the Military Cemetery at Kranji, what an awesome sight that was. Row upon row of white crosses that seemed to go on for ever, trust me to not have my camera with me that day and I never got the chance to see it again. When this inspection project came to an end the team disbanded. Capt Vyse returned to the UK, I don’t know what happened to the other team members, it would be nice to get in touch with them.

Published: 15th October 2007

Chapter Twelve.