Pasir Panjang Heritage

Clementi labelled as Pasir Panjang?

2008-06-20T10:38:00.001+08:00

Lam Chun See, at Good Morning Yesterday, asks a question based on a 1980s street directory: Why is Clementi labelled as Pasir Panjang?

As you can see from Chun See's scan (above) the area around Clementi Road and Ulu Pandan Road is labelled thus.

IceMoon, having read Chun See's post, comes up with two possible answers: electoral boundaries or postal districts.

However, he notes that there are issues with both theories.

How big is (or was) the Pasir Panjang vicinity and how was the area demarcated?

Southern Ridges Visual Guide

2008-05-19T11:36:00.005+08:00

I made the long walk through the Southern Ridges last Saturday. Here is my visual guide to the walk.

Telok Blangah Hill Park now linked with Mount Faber, Kent Ridge Park

2008-05-12T10:55:00.004+08:00

This nice infographic in yesterday's Sunday Times heralds the linking of the Southern Ridges via two bridges. Rather than letting it disappear in archives, we are reproducing it here. (Click to see it full size.)

The Pasir Panjang Guides are familiar with the eastern section of this walk, from the University Cultural Centre at NUS' Kent Ridge Campus to Reflections at Bukit Chandu in Kent Ridge Park. The unmarked road in NUS on the map is Kent Ridge Road. The short section indicated without any greenery - which is inaccurate as there are rain trees and tembusus - is part of Kent Ridge Crescent, leading to a short section of Clementi Road before turning into Clementi Woods Park.

Looks like it's time to whip out those walking shoes!

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Sunday Times, May 11, 2008

Two new bridges = a 9km scenic walk

Telok Blangah Hill Park now linked with Mount Faber, Kent Ridge Park

By Teo Cheng Wee

Spanning 274m across Henderson Road, the 36m-high wave-shaped Henderson Waves is Singapore's highest pedestrain bridge. The other bridge, Alexandra Arch, is located in Alexandra Road. -- ST PHOTO: ASHLEIGH SIM

The wet morning yesterday did not dampen the excitement of Telok Blangah resident Habib Ismail.

He was among 500 residents who watched Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially open two pedestrian bridges - Henderson Waves and Alexandra Arch.

With these bridges, Telok Blangah Hill Park is now linked to Mount Faber on one side and Kent Ridge Park on the other.

An avid walker, Mr Habib, 44, a father of two, joined Mr Lee and the other residents on a tour of the bridges.

The bridges complete a 9km chain of greenery in the Southern Ridges, which consist primarily of three large hill parks - Mount Faber, Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park.

Henderson Waves, at a height of 36m, is Singapore's highest pedestrian bridge. A wave-shaped, steel-and-timber structure, it spans 274m across Henderson Road. The other bridge, Alexandra Arch, spans 80m across Alexandra Road.

Bridging Ridges

The parks were previously separated by roads and wooded vegetation. Now, one can walk ridge-to-ridge, starting from HarbourFront MRT and ending at West Coast Park.

In 2002, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said it would link up parks in the Southern Ridges as part of the Parks and Waterbodies and Identity Plans.

The project, which took two years to complete, cost $25.5 million.

Apart from the two bridges, the Southern Ridges now also boast the Forest Walk, a 1.3km-long elevated walkway that cuts through secondary forest at Telok Blangah Hill Park; and Marang Trail, which links HarbourFront MRT to Mount Faber.

Mr Lee also officiated the opening of the $13 million Horticulture Park - or HortPark for short.

With 20 theme gardens, HortPark is South-east Asia's first one-stop gardening and lifestyle hub.

The 23ha park, which has been open since December last year, took two years to build and also serves as a park connector between Telok Blangah Hill Park and Kent Ridge Park.

In his speech, Mr Lee noted that such projects 'provide a first-class living environment for all Singaporeans'.

He also announced upcoming plans to link the Southern Ridges to the Keppel Waterfront as part of a broader plan to develop a recreational and leisure hub in the south.

This includes having a park connector from Alexandra Arch to Labrador Park, building a mangrove boardwalk at Berlayer Creek and having a waterfront boardwalk that connects Bukit Chermin to VivoCity, with waterfront views along the entire stretch of Keppel Bay.

Details of these plans will be released soon, the URA said.

About 1 million visitors to the Southern Ridges are expected annually, and with the bridges open 24 hours a day, lovebirds might be expected to make a beeline for them after dark, especially as Henderson Waves offers panoramic views of the city and southern islands.

Mr Habib, a senior research supervisor, had stopped his daily jogs at Telok Blangah Hill Park due to work commitments. He is digging out his sneakers again.

'I'm making plans to walk along the new walk with friends,' he said with a smile.

chengwee@sph.com.sg

Bricks from Alexandra Brickworks

2008-04-04T14:26:00.005+08:00

Alvin, over at the Tiong Bahru Estate blog, spotted bricks from Alexandra Brickworks. These came from a chimney (yes, you read that right) of a flat, which the owner had hacked.

As you can see from the map* above, the brickworks was located at the south eastern portion of Pasir Panjang, near the corner of Pasir Panjang Road and Alexandra Road, approximately where the PSA Building currently stands.

You can view a painting of the Alexandra Brickworks by Mr Ng Eng Teng at The Literature, Culture and Society of Singapore.

Alvin also points out that bricks from Alexandra were used in our now demolished National Library.

* Dol, Ramli . The Malay Regiment, 1933-1942. Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 38(1):199-243, 1965.

The fire and death on 'Opium Hill'

2008-03-22T11:12:00.002+08:00

Note: I saw a reference to this article in Fortress Singapore - The Battlefield Guide. Having found the original article in the microfilm archives at the National Library, I made a copy. However, the quality of the reproduction is poor. So, I have transcribed the text of this article for posterity.

The Straits Times, p 6
Monday, 13 February 1967

Tomorrow the Malay Regiment commemorates the 25th anniversary of its
gallant defence of the western salient in the Battle of Singapore.
From war despatches and memories of the few who survived this brutal engagement. This story is told by Haji Mubin Sheppard.

The fire and death on 'Opium Hill'

Lt. General A. F. Percival's long awaited despatch on the Operations of Malaya Command from Dec. 8, 1941 to Feb. 15, 1942. was published in the Second Supplement of the London Gazette of Friday Feb. 20, 1948.

The despatch covered 100 pages of print and gave a detailed account of the campaign which ended with the surrender of Singapore to Lt. General Yamashita.

Two sections of the Despatch made special commendatory references to the Malay Regiment, and are quoted below:

"Section LIV. Events of Feb 13 1942: The main Japanese offensive during Feb 13 developed along Pasir Panjang Ridge on the left of our position [Labrador Fire Command]. Here the Japanese 18th Division, which had fought in the Mersing area and later taken part in the initial attack against Singapore island, came into action.

Mortars

"After two hours of heavy shelling and mortaring, it attacked the Malay Regiment which was holding this feature. The latter fought magnificently, but suffered heavy casualties, and by the afternoon the enemy had reached the Gap, a dominating position where Buona Vista Road crosses the ride..."

Section LV: Events of Feb 14, 1942: During the day the Japanese renewed their attacks. Their main thrust was again made against the western front of the southern area.

"Here heavy fighting at close quarters went on throughout the day, in which the Loyals and the Malay Regiment especially distinguished themselves.

"By the end of the day our troops had been driven back by the weight of the enemy attack to the line Alexandra -- Gillman Barracks -- Keppel Golf Course."

The Battle of Opium Hill is one of the examples of heavy fighting at close quarters, to which General Percival referred, and tomorrow is its 25th anniversary.

In this battle, 'C' Company, 1st Battalion, the Malay Regiment, though depleted by casualties on the previous day and heavily outnumbered, stubbornly held a low hill at the eastern edge of Pasir Panjang Ridge, near the Government Opium Factory, throughout the day.

Shock troops

The hill was only captured when all the officers except one had been killed and the majority of the men had either been killed or wounded.

The Japanese had succeeded in landing about 13,000 shock troops on the north west shore of Singapore island on the night of Feb. 8. They quickly doubled their strength the next day, although they were prevented from repairing the 70-foot gap in the Johore Causeway by artillery fire.

Japanese light artillery and over 150 light and medium tanks were ferried across the narrow straits in landing craft to assist the offensive.

The Japanese Air Force was in complete control of the air.

The initial Japanese assault was directed at Tengah Air Base and was continued along the western side of the island.

Advance

Their rapid advance inland made it necessary for the Malay Regiment, which consisted of two battalions, the second of which was only formed on Dec. 1 1941, and was very much under strength, to take up new positions facing inland.

They had originally been alloted the South Western sector of the Coastal Defence, in the event of a sea-borne attack. They now defended the line of Ayer Raja Road and later the Pasir Panjang ridge which ran almost due east to west, separating Ayer Rajah Road and Pasir Panjang (Coast) Road.

The ridge had no prepared positions and the officers and men lay in the open along low scrub, day and night.

Friday, Feb. 13, 1942 opened with aerial bombing and a heavy mortar artillery barrage. Artillery fire continued throughout the day. The whole sky was clouded with smoke from the burning Normanton oil depot, which lay a short distance to the north of the ridge. Many patches of dry undergrowth also caught fire.

The first battalion headquarters at the Gap received a direct hit, which seriously wounded the Adjustant Capt. Wort, and three other officers.

Direct hit

Another direct hit wrecked the signal H.Q. of the 1st. Batallion. To maintain contact with his companies, Lt. Col. Andre, the Commanding officer and his second in command Major Denaro, made frequent personal visits to the forward troops.

Part of Mataguchi's 18th. Division made a frontal attackon the Ridge during the afternoon, and eventually gained control of the central feature, -- point 270. They then turned west to Pasir Panjang Village, which was defended by 'C' Company, 1st. Bn.

C. Coy was supplemented by remnants of 'A' Company, 1st. Bn. which had been shattered earlier in the day and by two Bren carriers of the Loyal Regiment.

Though outnumbered and almost isolated, they stubbornly held their positions. The Japanese finally withdrew late at night.

Casualties

During this engagement, Private Ya'acob bin Bidin of 'C' Coy. and another Malay soldier stalked an enemy mortar position, from which the company had suffered a number of casualties. After crawling through burning undergrowth they silenced the mortar with their Bren gun.

Pte. Ya'acob was later awarded the Military Medal.

At midnight, 'C' Coy. was extricated from their isolated position by ten Bren carriers and were alloted a new area of defence on a low feature near the eastern edge of Pasir Panjang Ridge -- Point 226. This has become known as Opium Hill because of its proximity to the Government opium factory.

It is with this background of unrelieved pressure and mounting casualties that 'C' Company's gallantry can be fully appreciated.

Capt. H.R. Rix, 'C' Company Commander, held a commission in the Peral Bn. of the F.M.S. Volunteer Force and had joined the Malay Regiment in August 1941.

He arranged his four platoons in the darkness, to provide all round defence. He had taken over the command of one platoon, after the death in action of its commander. He sited this with Company headquarters, facing north west.

Lieut. Adnan bin Saidi and his platoon faced due north. Lieut. Stephen faced south west, and Lieut. Abbas bin Abdul Manan and his platoon faced south east.

There were no trenches and no protection of any kind. The company had a Bofors anti-tank gun, a 2-inch mortar, Lewis guns, hand grenades and rifles, but the Bren gun which Pte. Ya'acob had used so effectively the previous day had been put out of action.

No sleep

No one had any sleep that night. The only food or water which was available was the hard biscuit and the contents of the water-bottles which each man carried.

The Japanese began to advance along the ridge soon after first light on Feb. 14, but they were soon made aware of the presence of 'C' Coy on point 226.

An enemy barrage of artillery and mortar fire followed, which further depleted the defenders' number, but failed to affect their morale.

Capt. Rix visited his other platoons at intervals, and his personal bravery helped to sustain the determination to resist the enemy. Second Lieut. Nordin, operating the Bofors anti-tank gun prevented an advance by Japanese light tanks along the coast road. The enemy decided to attack on foot.

Assault

The assault on Opium Hill began early in the afternoon. It opened with a ruse. A detachment of Japanese were dressed up as Punjabi troops and advanced in close order, pretending to be friends, in front of the northern sector. Lieut Adnan quickly decided that there could be no genuine Punjabi stragglers in that area and he personally operated a Lewis Gun, which in one long burst, killed or wounded more than 20 of the enemy.

The remainder fled. Describing the incident to Lieut. Abbas soon afterwards, Lieut. Adnan said, 'After that, I shall not mind if I die here.'

An interval followed, during which the Japanese prepared for an all round attack in overwhelming strength. When it came, the enemy advanced along the ridge from the west, and up the slopes 'crawling like monkeys'.

They were held back for a time with Lewis gun fire and grenades, but the three western platoons were finally overrun by sheer weight of numbers.

Captain Rix was shot and his body was later found with the bodies of 12 Malay soldiers who had died fighting beside him.

Bayonetted

Lieut. Adnan was shot in hand to hand fighting and then bayonetted. His body was hung up by the Japanese from a nearby tree. No one was allowed to cut it down. Six other ranks, including Corporal Din who was captured in the final assault, were tied up and bayonetted.

The other five died, but Corporal Din, though badly injured, succeeded in crawling away after dark.

At the eastern edge of the ridge, 2 Lieut. Abbas (now Brigadier) and his platoon fought until only about half a dozen men survived uninjured.

He then, led them in a desperate attempt to withdraw to Battalion H.Q.

Burning oil, from Normanton Oil Depot which flowed down a wide drain running past his flank, had served as a partial shield from the Japanese attack, but it now presented a fiery obstacle in the line of his withdrawal.

Burned

Japanese bullets left the men no option but to jump. Four of the exhausted soldiers failed to clear the drain. Two men fell into the flaming oil and were burnt to death. Two others, though they had reached the edge had to be pulled out by Lieut. Abbas and another soldier and wer unable to continue owing to burns.

Lieut. Abbas and three of his men eventually reached Col. Andre's H.Q. on a low hill near Alexandra Brickworks, after dark and reported the action in which 'C' Company had been virtually wiped out.

Many regiments include the names of famous engagements in which they played a prominent part in the list of their Battle Honours.

The Battle of Pasir Panjang Ridge, which culminated in the Battle of Opium Hill, on Feb. 13 and Feb. 14 1942 deserves to be held in honoured memory for all time in the archives of the Malay Regiment and in the history of the nation.

Pioneer Secondary School Learning Journey to Reflections at Bukit Chandu

2008-03-21T18:07:00.004+08:00

A teacher documents her students' visit to Reflections at Bukit Chandu in photos. View the photoset here.

The ever changing Ridge

2008-03-07T13:55:00.008+08:00

Past

Photo by Little Goldorak, from here. Used with permission.

Present

NUS has occupied the western portion of Kent Ridge since the late 1970s, forever altering the landscape of the ridge. However, the campus itself keeps on evolving.

Compare the photo taken today, to another photo, taken approximately 10 years ago. You can play one of those spot the differences games with the past and present photos.

It's nice to know that even though some trees were cut down, the remaining ones have grown and continue to provide a majestic shelter for the NUS community.

P.S. Then again, I think the bridge, from where I took the photo, has an upper level. So, the older photo might have been taken from a higher vantage point, making the trees look shorter in the old photo!

P.P.S. Did you know that Kent Ridge Road, which now comes to a dead end at LT 4, used to connect to Kent Ridge Crescent? The road was known as Island View Road, because you could see the beautiful beach along Pasir Panjang. What I would give to travel back in time to gaze at the scenery...

UPDATE The bridge does have an upper section!

Wikipedia: Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent

2008-03-04T18:56:00.001+08:00

According to Wikipedia, this painting is by Philip Alexius de László, 1934. She was in Singapore in 1952.

Haw Par Villa

2008-01-28T12:16:00.000+08:00

This may not be part of the Pasir Panjang Commemorative Walk we do each February or the July Heritage Trails. However, as a child, one of my memories of Pasir Panjang (PP) was of Haw Par Villa. There really was not much of a reason for me to traipse over to PP unless we had some relatives from the USA or Anambas Islands who came to visit. This was on my mom's list of 'TO-SEE' places for our guests. Much to my chagrin, I often had to go along with her to Haw Par Villa, especially when the rellies from Anambas came over.

What was it about Haw Par Villa that I hated? Let's see, it had to be the Seven Chambers of Hell. No trip was ever complete without moral lessons from my mom about why I shouldn't misbehave. The first time I was old enough to remember the Seven Chambers, I had nightmares 2 nights in a row. As I got to primary school, I told my mom I would wait for her elsewhere when she went to that ghoulish sector.I am sure every kid felt the same.

Everything else about Haw Par Villa seems so retro and kitschy in today's context. I have never re-visited it since it became the short-lived amusement-theme park in the late 1990s. As one website put it, it is 'serene and creepy' at the same time. I agree. It's as if ghosts from the pasts are going to pop out any minute and sneak up on an unsuspecting visitor. Today, when one drives past it, it seems so out of place, amidst the condominiums and expressway that has grown around it.

We do tend to forget that the park had an illustrious past. I remember as a kid that it was the one of two similar parks in Asia, built by the Aw Brothers of Tiger Balm fame. The other one was in Hong Kong, which, if memory serves me well, was demolished sometime in the 1980s. I remember too, hearing from my dad, a taxi driver and Oi Yee that the Aw family also had a swimming pool in the area, that was opened to members of the public.

I found some photos from the 60s of my parents and cousins at Haw Par Villa on a picnic. When I get a break, I'll scan some of it here. I have been wondering since I became a part of the PPHG, if the gardens were built in 1937, would it not have seen much of the battles of WWII in the area? Any comments on that anyone?

Back to School!

2008-01-25T13:17:00.001+08:00

Pasir Panjang Guides re-examine ridge plants. See "Plants of Pasir Panjang," by Kenneth Pinto. Toddycats, 13 Nov 2007.

We have had two sessions on plants late last year, and one session on history and the map last night. All this in preparation for the 2008 walks.

Musings of a PPHG newbie

2008-01-25T08:59:00.000+08:00

Till today, I still don't quite know how I stumbled into the group. Kenneth will probably attribute it to my 'too nice and can't say no' ways while Siva will say it's due to my 'aunty and kay poh' nature. It's just one of life's little mysteries. I suppose I have always wanted to carry on with some heritage and public education gig, though I have left both fields for quite awhile now.

My first 'encounter' with Siva was after some awards thing at the Grassroots Club. I had been trying to reach him as I had to get the logistics going for RBC's July Heritage Trail. He didn't seem to respond to my emails, which got me into quite a quandary with my higher ups. I sure felt like a sandwich then! When we did meet, Siva mumbled something like 'you are the kancheong person' and that's when things got rolling. I met everyone else thereafter when we ran the the trails and the rest is history!

I have never been a sciencey person, don't think I will. Maybe except when it comes to baking. But the first time I pounded the pavements during 2006' trails, I was impressed by this dedicated group of volunteers. They were friendly, knowledgeable and passionate about their craft. The faces of the most jaded participant at the end of each walk was enough to see they had successfully told their stories. So 2 successful runs of Heritage Trails, 1 September WWII Commemorative later, I find myself a probabtionary guide with the PPGH. Don't even remember how I ended up here!

Regardless, being a part of the group gets me out of my shell, which is in danger of being focused on only work (or lack there of) and job hunting at the moment. As I get older, I realise I don't really hang out with many friends or club or party or do social stuff. Volunteering with PPHG keeps my mind active and my social life from dying out.

More importantly, I think I have come to enjoy the friendships made with the rest of the PPGH. I must say I was extremely touched when Airani,Anand, Oi Yee and Kenneth took time off from their busy schedules to pop by my dad's wake. They lifted my spirits during some very dark days for me. So if there was a silver lining from my previous (work)life, it would have been invited to be a part of PPHG.

Guiding dates in 2008

2008-01-23T00:58:00.001+08:00

Battle of Pasir Panjang Commemorative Walk
Sun 10 Feb 2008: 7am
Passive advertisement on Habitatnews.

International Museum Day
Sat 24 May 2008: 5.30pm, 6.30pm
To update 2007 webpage. We will not be including MOFF this year as participants are too tired to really explore the gallery, which does not do it credit.

Heritage Fest
Sat 19 Jul 2008 & Sat 26 Jul 2008: 8am - 12pm
To update the 2007 webpage.

Talking about Pasir Panjang Heritage

2008-01-23T00:55:00.001+08:00

I was at a workshop for teachers last Friday at the Singapore Management University (SMU). During that session, NHB revealed the interesting heritage calendar of theirs.

I was there, supposedly to give pointers about heritage projects. However, my talk was preceeded by none other than the Pei Hwa Secondary students and teacher from the Jalan Kayu Trail. During their rehearsal I realised they were going to cover similar issues so I hastily amended my slides while watching them.

Indeed the Pei Hwa students and teacher did an excellent job of covered all the learning points the audience possibly needed to hear about. I enjoyed the presentation and could empathise very well with their experience!

By the time I went up on stage, the teachers had been listening to a lot of serious stuff since the first presentation about NHB activities. So asking them to to sit back and relax worked very well as the final element. I had decided to resort to pure story-telling about Pasir Panjang. By emphasising stories, I hope it would remind them about the core around which we build our activities.

I had actually been scratching my head right up to the moment as to the exact delivery method and point to emphasise. However, once I went up on stage, their faces provided the feedback I needed and we had fun.

The teachers responded very well and several came to say they enjoyed it. That was good to know and I thought even as they thanked me that the teachers probably knew everyone needs encouragement and positive feedback was an important thing to provide.

I also ran in to our friends from the National Archives - Stanley, Sujin and Eileen. We conspired as usual, and since I had worked out my annual plan for Toddycats, I was able to confirm the 2008 dates really early this time.

The next post will have it!

Penrod Dean (video) on NAS webpage

2008-01-22T23:49:00.001+08:00

In response to news of Penrod Dean's passing in 2006, the National Archive of Singapore posted a webpage called "A Tribute to Lt. Penrod Vance Dean (19 Nov 1914 - 16 May 2006)." This includes two short video clips of him honouring the memory of the Malay Regiment soldiers.

You can view the longer version of the clips at the shows screened at Reflections at Bukti Chandu and Memories at Old Ford Factory.

Thanks to Kenneth for highlighting this earlier.

Best read book this year - "Singapore Samurai"

2007-08-01T21:11:00.000+08:00

My friends have been reading Penrod Dean's "Singapore Samurai" in quick succession since Ladybug brought it back from Boston. This started when Simon Goh of Changi Museum alerted me to the existence of highly relevant content in Dean' book and the fact that it was no longer available in Singapore. Immediately I checked with Amazon.com and true enough a reseller had a copy. That delivery was delayed due to some mix up at VPost, so I ordered another and had it sent to our friend's place in Boston.

So now I have two books, and they happened to be different editions - the first edition (1988) and the second (1990) edition which I loan out - with its dramatic cover and compact size, its the better book to circulate. After I had read it with great relish, i handed it to fellow Pasir Panjang guide Kenneth Pinto. His hair was almost standing on end when he returned it to me with bright eyes. Roused out of his blogging hiatus, he penned a review that would inspire at least one librarian to high browse it and another to promise to read.

Next was senior Pasir Panjang guide Kok Oi Yee, who laughed loudly in great delight at Dean's honest style. Next was Daphne Fautin, a busy visiting academic who I had come to find out had a great interest in the war. She agreed that it certainly was a fast read that she had enjoyed. Next was Teuteberg returned the book yesterday afternoon. As he waited for me to join him for lunch, he read aloud the part in which Dean and friends meet an English officer from the Malay Regiment trying to recruit the feeling soldiers to join them in holding the line.

I had already incorporated some of Penrod Dean's stories into my account of the Battle of Pasir Panjang during our commemorative walk in February. You see, his inspiring account of how "The Malays" fought off the Japanese at Reformatory Road (later Clementi Road) still makes my hair stand - you can hear his account in a 20 minute feature called "The Malay Regiment," which is screened regularly at the Memories at Old Ford Factory. Thankfully the Oral History Department of the National Archives of Singapore had conducted a series of interviews with the old boy before he passed on last year. I am told there is lot more in National Archives beyond the clips we saw and I rub my hands in anticipation of viewing them one day.

Having just read Singapore Samurai, many more aspects from his stories reverberate in my mind right now: his account of the battle, of course, from yet another perspective, it fits in like one of many more pieces of a jigsaw I will never complete. Images of a "Buena Vista" littered with bodies and body parts conjured up by his words. His immediate plans to escape from Changi when others were too accepting, and I think of John Larkin who says his father talked about'choko soldiers,' poor buggers.

He sabotaged rubber plantations that the Japanese had got working and an opportune destruction of a railway, meeting Chin Peng, evading capture, racial attitudes, the water torture, the horror of Outram Road goal (which Oi Yee's mum used to point out to her in horrified remembrance of war time torture), an incident of unlikley relief involving a sword and scathing views of almost everyone which leaves only a few characters and the Malay Regiment emerging with honours.

Penrod Dean was also very contemptuous of the War Crimes Trials in Tokyo, emphasising sad impressions I had gathered elsewhere only recently. His conversational tone throughout makes the book a one-sitting read. Kenneth and I agreed that he ad his mate were exceptional soldiers and to bear that in mind in relation to his assessment of others.

Many of his stories were incorporated during's last Saturday's Pasir Panjang guiding that we had done in conjunction with the Singapore Heritage Fest '07. I just wished I could have handed out copies of his book as a parting gift - I think my well-read participants would have appreciated it.

The book is available National Library.

In the midst of writing this, Kenneth pointed to "Not Just a Foreigner's War: A Review of "The Battle of Pasir Panjang Revisited," by Edgar Liao. Citizen Historian, 31 July 2007. He highlights other relevant literature and a pertinent issues we actually discuss during the walk! Hmm..we should recruit Edgar for the Pasir Panjang guides next engagement: the Battle of Pasir Panjang Commemorative Walk in February 2008.

First posted to Otterman speaks, 01 Aug 2007.

Battle of Pasir Panjang layered over Google Earth

2007-07-14T21:35:00.000+08:00

Kenneth (inspired by SingGeo) sent the Pasir Panjang Guides a kmz file of Dol Ramli's "Map showing the Japanese advance on Pasir Panjang from 12 to 15 Feb 1942." It was published in Ramli, D., 1965. History of the Malay Regiment 1933-1942. JBRAS, 38 (1): 234.

The black did not stand out well against the heterogeneous background so curious, I tried colouring the roads, which are thick black lines, yellow or red instead. The roads form a bisected rectangle and it is sprinkled with permanent markers that allow everyone to orientate themselves - I try to convey a sense of geography during the walks as it then allows everyone to tie together the various elements of biology, history and military action.

Adjusting the contrast of the image brought out the roads the best. We should link the layer to a transparent file whose roads and battle fronts are brightly coloured. Next time perhaps.

Meanwhile, at least this highlights the rectangle I'm talking about. For my next talk.

First posted at Otterman speaks, 14 Jul 2007.

MIA 2007- Plunge into Darkness....

2007-05-26T23:34:00.000+08:00

The MIA Trail 2007 was made up of 2 sessions, one at 5.30pm and another at 6.30pm. The revision of timing was made as the last year's event ended rather late (12-1am!) and both the participants and the guides were worn out. Manpower, however, was more of a problem this year. With many of the guides unavailable for various reasons, Ooi Yee, Airani, Wendy and I set out bravely to bring a total of 80 participants on a trail that they (hopefully) would not forget!

Ooi Yee and Airani took the first session while Wendy and I took the second session. Being the man and all (just kidding, last year it was done by Airani!), I took up the role of the Bus Guide, who is in charge of introducing the Trail on the bus by using the on board microphone. Being a poor karaoke singer, the fear of handling the mike coupled with my rusty guiding technique spelled for a rocky introduction. As I silently swore under my breath, I prayed that the guiding session at the Raffles Museum would go much more smoothly.

When we reached the Raffles Museum, which is home to more than 500,000 specimens from all over the region, we caught a glimpse of the guides and participants of the earlier session. They have overshot the supposed timing! Well it wasn't surprising as the Museum gallery, with it's multitude of amazing specimens, has a wealth of interesting stories to be told.

Now it was my turn to give a tour around the Museum! With a time limit of an hour (which seemed very long to me), I secretly hoped that the previous year's training, my secret cheatsheets and hours of Discovery channel would help me spin interesting and realistic stories of the various exhibits. And that is what I did!

Amongst other things, I talked about the various types of natural habitats found in Singapore, how to handle a live tree climbing crab (with alcohol-preserved specimens), King Cobra Encounters "Do's and Don'ts", ultra environmentally destructive Facai harvesting, man eating sharks... Wendy managed to do it too! It seems that as long as you have a passion for nature and willingness to learn, you can tap the treasure trove of information of the Museum Gallery! Hence guiding is a piece of cake, so do come join us if you are interested. You'll have a swell time too!

Next stop: Kent Ridge Park. The view of the Pasir Panjang port, ships at sea and the Southern Islands from Kent Ridge Park was stunning. So many lights!

The participants were brought through the "Tembusu Grove", where the enchanting scent of the flowers of the Tembusu filled the air. Participants would be more at ease with the aromatherapy if only the guide hadn't linked the fragrance to the female vampire, the Pontianak, of Malay Mythology. A little mischief on our part :-)

But it seemed that the park was up to some mischief itself, for when I tried to find cicada moults on the rough tembusu bark to show the participants, I had no luck. It must have been the recent rain that washed the moults away.

And when I tried to look for graffiti on the barks of the Eucalyptus tree bark, I too had a problem cos they were all MIA. I guess the park was trying to fit into the night's theme as well.

Then came the final straw. The bats were all MIA too! Oh well, except for one, which gave me face by flying over our heads while we were on the broadwalk. The rain does seem to affect life in the forest in many ways, most of which I have yet to learn.

We then headed to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, which is an interactive visitor center which is focused on the Battle of Pasir Panjang. There, the National Heritage Board (NHB) guides gave an in-depth description of the events leading up to the Japanese invasion of Singapore and the valor of the Malay Regiment who fought bravely to defend the island during the Second World War.

I took a break at this point, and slipped into an uneasy repose as the "Sounds of Battle" interactive show raged on. My unease was quite expected as the realistic explosions and screams tend to switch us into a reflective mood, as we remember the horrors of war and the value of living in peaceful times.

The final stop was at Memories at Old Ford Factory. As there were NHB guides too at this location, Wendy and I said our goodbyes to our charming participants who were very engaging and inquisitive. I hoped that they had as much fun as we had guiding them. See you next year!

Quick recce in the morning

2006-07-13T21:53:00.000+08:00

I rode up to Kent Ridge Park to survey the place in order confirm the routes for the Pasir Panjang Heritage Trail on Sun 23rd July 2006. Site visits are always necessary and biking up made it all that more enjoyable.

SACA is having the competition rather soon after prepping the trail and I decided to make things easier by minimising the crossings with the new mountain bike trail.

Next year we can plan better. For now, if both walkers and riders are alert on the trails, we'll manage.

A section of the forest was stripped, possibly for the plantings NUS will be doing, as its next to our plot. Looked scary though, whole place stripped down like that. Better find out as our visitors are sure to ask. But at least I got to take some profile pictures on Adinandra dumosa.

My bag was laden with computer, camera, documents and spare clothes and this was heavier than I thought! The blazing sun didn't help. Though I survived, my poor shape made competing with the bus out of the question this year.

First posted on Otterman speaks, 13 Jul 2006.

Gap on the map

2006-06-28T21:52:00.000+08:00

The Gap on Pasir Panjang/ Kent Ridge, on a map. This was commonly called the Gap before the 80's and some herbarium records even list "The Gap". This was mysterious to us biology students until someone must have told us, likely D H Murphy.

Pity the Gap is right where the rather brittle GSGS 4923 Series (1: 63,360) map is torn. This Edition 2-GSGS map was published in 1964 by the "D Survey War Office and Air Ministry."

Must pass to the Herpnet team to catalogue tomorrow. I suspect I need to figure out map citations too.

Originally posted at Otterman speaks, 28 Jun 2006.

The MIA Night Tour reviewed

2006-06-12T10:17:00.000+08:00

On the 26th of May 2006, the Raffles Museum's Pasir Panjang (PP) guides, in collaboration with the National Heritage Board's National Archives of Singapore, conducted the MIA Night Tour. What is MIA? It represents both Museums In Action and Missing In Action! This activity involves a trip to three members of the Musum Roundtable: The Public Gallery of the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR), Reflections at Bukit Chandu (RBC) and the recently opened Memories at Old Ford Factory. "In Action" aptly describes the turnout by staff and volunteers of NAS and RMBR that night for event. As for other dual meaning, Missing In Action is the theme of this event, that was revealed along the way.

We started the trip at 2 timings: 6pm and 7pm. Late night explorations always fascinates people and it added a veil of mystique to our MIA content. The trip began with RMBR where the PP guides introduced the public to the interesting specimens of the museum. Many of the specimens showcased were once commonly sighted in the Singapore of the past, but in recent times, they are all effectively MIA. While not extinct but with habitat loss and mindless poaching, their numbers are steadily dwindling.

The next stop was supposed to be Kent Ridge Park, but a thunderstorm left some of us wet and most of us in awe of the spectacular lightning show! It was thus decided to go directly to Reflections at Bukit Chandu. It was disappointing for participants and even more so for the guides - we knew they were missing the interesting sights and animals that was only possible at night. For instance, the night view of the Harbor from Kent Ridge Park is beautiful, and the bountiful fruit bats feeding at the Broadwalk is a sight few people have seen! Still it was important to be safe.

When the first group arrived at Reflections at Bukit Chandu, the rain had stopped but the lightning threat was still significant - the guides witnessed streaks of blue lightning arc across the sky, starting from a spot in the clouds which did not seem too far away!

Reflections at Bukit Chandu (RBC) was a good spot to hold up at. Fully air conditioned and filled with interactive and static information about the invasion of Singapore, RBC is a good spot to learn about the war history of Singapore as well as the relatively unknown Battle of Pasir Panjang. The story of this Battle is hardly known so the PP guides always bring participants to RBC. The trip there was enjoyable as the staff were friendly and the interactive shows were engaging and informative. Unfortunately the participants missed out an interesting show as the interactive show "Sounds of Battle" was under maintenance.

The final stop was Memories at the Old Ford Factory. This new heritage site showcases exhibits about the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. The participants were treated to a documentary on the Japanese Occupation, which started from the Invasion of Singapore to the surrender of the Japanese in 1945. They were then brought around the Ford Factory by the friendly staff of NAS, who also introduced them to their Wartime Garden. This is where NAS staff have meticulously planted and maintained a number of crops grown by people during the Occupation. Their effort is truly commendable as they have even managed to grow and harvest two batches of Padi Rice!

The MIA participants were very pleased with the whole trip. Some even wanted to tip the guides for their good performance when they realised that we were volunteers!

Some suggestions for improvement were raised during the debrief at the Raffles Museum:

- Some participants had difficulty locating the guides at the meeting point. This will be rectified by the confirmation email which will include advise to look for someone wearing a luminous pink cap!! This is more proactive than simply using a banner which is a waste of money and an additional item to fetch and carry.

- Guides had difficulty identifying the participants after they made contact (meeting point was a public bus stop). This will be solved by giving participants a sticker like they do in a some tours!

- Although Kent Ridge Park had to be skipped due to the lighting threat, the tour bus could have made a detour there just to get a glimpse of the beautiful night view.

- Some participants indicated that the RBC stop was too long. This was due in part to the fact this section was largely unguided as is our usual procedure after a long walk in the park. In this scenario, more guiding should have ben carried out. Also since we spent more time there waiting out the schedule, the guides could have gathered smal groups for more stories in the canteen at the rear of RBC.

- The long break could be scheduled as a rest and snack point as it is a long journey.

- PP guides should be co-opted as RBC guides and know the existing resources. It was later learned that it was possible to view other documentaries in the AV room where the Sounds of Battle is usually shown.

- The tour was about 6 hours in duration. Some participants were unprepared for this despite being provided with the itinerary beforehand. Also, it was conducted on a Friday evening, and participants who came from work were very tired. Hence the MIA tour should be conducted on a Saturday in the future, with emphasised instructions for participants to bring food which can be consumed at the RBC stop.

See also Raffles Museum News

Penrod Vance Dean, R. I. P.

2006-06-06T11:52:00.000+08:00

Penrod Vance Dean, R. I. P.

We were lucky to have the accounts of Penrod Dean - most recently, National Archives put together a documentary you can see at Memories at Old Ford Factory. There he gives an account of "The Malays" in the hours leading to the Battle of Pasir Panjang.

"The Malays started to fight the Japanese on Reformatory Road," said Lt. Penrod V. Dean of the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion. "They had dug slit trenches but they didn't have a lot of weapons. They started fighting the Japanese just with rifles virtually. And when the Japanese broke through them, the Malays took to them with bayonets, they put bayonets on the rifles and with a bayonet charge they drove the Japanese back across Reformatory Road."

"They were very brave people. They fought very hard, but for every Malay soldier there was about 10 or 12 Japanese soldiers. So it was inevitable what was going to happen."

- Transcript by Trey tm at Mind's Eye.

The Pasir Panjang Guides were just informed by Kenneth that Penrod Dean has passed away. RIP.

"Changi conquered on courage." By Mark E. Dean. The Australian, 06 Jun 2006.

Penrod Vance Dean
Farmer, soldier and writer.
Born Perth, November 19, 1914.
Died Melbourne, May 16, 2006, aged 91.

PENROD Dean was a survivor of the Changi prisoner of war camp in Singapore, where he learned Japanese and later had the satisfaction of giving evidence against his captors at the war crimes tribunal in Tokyo.

Dean was the fourth of five sons born to Edward and Alice Dean. His father was the chief draftsman for Perth and laid out several of the early suburbs there. Alice Dean was known as a woman of strong disposition and drove the streets of Perth in an aging, open-top V8 Fiat purchased at a bond warehouse sale.

Dean was educated at Hale School in Perth but following the early death of his father in 1930, during the Great Depression, was forced to leave school early to work and help support the family. In his late teens he worked as a stockman on Roy Hill station in Western Australia.

His early years are evocatively described in Singapore Samurai, an autobiographical account written of his extraordinary experiences in World War II. He describes waiting at his post above the Straits of Johor for the arrival of the Japanese army, reflecting on his days as a child playing on the banks of the Swan River, sailing his skiff and catching abundant blue manna crabs.

In 1937 he met Mabel Molloy and they were married shortly afterwards. Nellie Melba had coined the name Bunny for Mabel in 1927 and it stuck. Bunny's uncle, Thomas Molloy owned and operated His Majesty's Theatre in Perth and a number of nearby hotels.

In 1941 Dean joined the AIF, completed officer training at Randwick in Sydney and was commissioned lieutenant. He left for Singapore later that year and following the surrender of the allies in February 1942 became a prisoner of war in Changi prison.

Shortly before his capture he was involved in an intense battle at the village of Bukit Chandu on the coast of Singapore. The battle was fought in and around a rubber plantation and plantation house. In 2002 he was invited by the Singaporean government to the opening of a war museum established in the plantation house. The museum contains interviews with Penrod and excerpts from Singapore Samurai reproduced in an audio-visual installation. During this visit he also attended services to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the fall of Singapore at Changi and the Kranji War Cemetery.

The story of his years as a prisoner of war are an extraordinary tale of courage and the will to survive. On March 12, 1942, he escaped from Changi with another prisoner John MacGregor. They were captured after living in the jungle for three months and tried before a Japanese military tribunal in the High Court building in Singapore. Both were sentenced to two years solitary confinement in a military prison. They escaped the death sentence because the Red Cross was in Singapore at the time and was investigating allegations of war crimes and atrocities committed by the Japanese on allied prisoners of war.

During his two years in solitary he was taught Japanese by one of his guards.

He and MacGregor were among a small number of survivors who completed their sentences before being returned to Changi, where they remained until the surrender of the Japanese in 1945. Prior to returning to Australia he assisted in the surrender by working as an interpreter.

Following the war he was one of 12 Australians, including nurse Vivian Bullwinkle and Brigadier Arthur Blackburn VC, to give evidence to the war crimes trials in Tokyo. His affidavit is held at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

The family lived on a farm at Roleystone in the Darling Ranges near Perth, where they grazed cattle and grew oranges. They moved to Victoria in 1953.

In Victoria Dean pursued a career in business and was a director of a number of private companies and ran his own importing business for many years. Golf became a passion and he won the annual handicap at Greenacres golf club in 1955. Between 1962 and 1968 he was a director of Moomba.

In 1971 he and Bunny moved to Sorrento and more recently they lived in Mount Martha, returning to Melbourne in 2005.

Simon and Schuster published Singapore Samurai in 1998. Writing in The Weekend Australian on July 5, 1998, Red Harrison described the story as one of extraordinary courage, resilience and comradeship.

In November 2005 Bunny died with Penrod by her side. Over the next six months he adapted to life without her and lived happily at Waverley Valley, where he was cared for with great concern and good humour.

Dean was a voracious and wide reader; he borrowed five books every week from the Hawthorn library. He also continued to write and was completing a work of fiction when he died.

During his long and eventful life Dean displayed many fine qualities but his enormous courage was always at the fore and he will be deeply missed by his five children, younger brother Kerry, 14 grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

© The Australian

Night tour of the galleries [origins of the MIA trail]

2006-03-27T22:02:00.000+08:00

I met up with Stella Wee and Amy Marlina (both early wakers) from Museum Roundtable for breakfast in Holland Village last Saturday. SW and I decided we'd better finalise our plans for the week of the International Museum Day and AM popped down to surprise SW; just as well, else we'd never have finished talking about cats (SW has more fascinating stories than I do).

After s short discussion, we fixed on a tour for 80 people to Reflections at Bukit Chandu, Kent Ridge Park, Raffles Museum's Public Gallery and Memories at Old Ford Factory. That oughta last 'em until midnight when we send them back to town to catch a Night Owl or Night Rider bus, or simply to Bukit Timah to catch a late night dinner at Al-Ameen or Al-Azhar!

Enough of the Pasir Panjang guides confirmed right away! Amazing how it all fell into place when we simply met up.

Ironically I won't go but the guides are going to have fun. Surprisingly, TSH remarked it would be scary! Guess with my focus on nocturnal flora and fauna, I don't think of much else. However, this sort of angle might satisfy MC who needs something 'edgy' to talk about; sigh, marketting people...

Suspect the places will be snapped up quite quickly; we can only take 80 - about as far as we can stretch our guide and building capacities.

Firs posted to Otterman speaks, 27 Mar 2006.

Pasir Panjang - "splendid scenic views"

2006-02-23T14:07:00.000+08:00

"Pasir Panjang means "the sandy stretch, long beach". It became a popular resort like Tanjong Katong towards the end of the last century, which accounts for the many seaside residences,notably Haw-Par Villa and Labrador Villa. What DIsneyland is to the Occidentals, Haw-Par Villa is to the Orientals. It is a special tourist attraction, like its Hong Kong counterpart."

"Parts of Pasir Panjang give splendid scenic views of the adjacent islands and back country. The Gap is one and named Marina Hill after the late Duchess of Kent when she visited it [Singapore] with her son, some years ago. Also Kent Ridge. Bouna Vista Roads (North and South) were so named because of the views they offer (bona vista means good view)."

- S. Ramachandra, 1969: p36. "Singapore Landmark."

Thanks to Timothy Pwee (National Library) who transcribed part of the text and emailed me a photo of the page this afternoon, in response to my urgent SMS! This was referenced by "Toponymics. A study of Singapore Street names." By Victor R Savage & Brenda S A Yeoh, 2004 (2nd edition). Eastern Universities Press, Singapore. 436pp.

See also Oi Yee on the Ridge, and the Kent Ridge Commemorative Plaque.

"I never knew that the ridge was formerly known as 'Pasir Panjang Ridge'."

2006-02-20T23:50:00.000+08:00

"Footnotes in Life" reflects on our 2006 Commemorative Walk for the Battle of Pasir Panjang (not the fall of Singapore). Seems incomplete but the fact he learnt abut the Ridge's original name is reassuring for us guides!

"Toddycats." By Footnotes in Life, 20 Feb 2006.

The walk started at a quarter past 7am or something like that, and it started with a briefing telling us what we were going to see and the historical background of the ridge. I never knew that the ridge was formerly known as 'Pasir Panjang Ridge'. The fact that it was a ridge never crossed my mind too. I just thought that NUS was in a strange part of Singapore which was still hilly and haven't been leveled to reclaim more land.

Penrod V. Dean on the Malay Regiment

2006-02-14T11:14:00.003+08:00

Trey tm at Mind's Eye has a photoblog and on 13 Feb 2006 he remembered the "Malay Regiment - The Last Stand"

Australian troops fighting nearby looked on with horror at what happened next. "The Malays started to fight the Japanese on Reformatory Road," said Lt. Penrod V. Dean of the 2/4th Machine Gun Battalion. "They had dug slit trenches but they didn't have a lot of weapons. They started fighting the Japanese just with rifles virtually. And when the Japanese broke through them, the Malays took to them with bayonets, they put bayonets on the rifles and with a bayonet charge they drove the Japanese back across Reformatory Road."

"They were very brave people. They fought very hard, but for every Malay soldier there was about 10 or 12 Japanese soldiers. So it was inevitable what was going to happen."

Source not stated; but is sounds almost exactly what Penrod said in the documentary by National Archives called "The Malay Regiment"which is showing at "Memories at Old Ford Factory".