RN Naval Base: Singapore

[airlana]

Perhaps this thread should be in the RN Forum, but I think there is enough revelance to start here with Australian Navy.
During the post war years hundreds, if not thousands of RAN personnel [not forgetting our RN friends] and many an RAN ship would have passed through the base.

The Singapore Naval Base dates well before WW2 when the British Government built the base and dock to service their Far Eastern Fleet. Consideration had been given to other locations including Sydney, Hong Kong and Trincomale but in the end Singapore was selected. Taken over by the Japanese, it reverted back at wars end to British control. Covering some 40 sq miles it was the largest naval dockyard/base outside the UK. 1971 saw the base handed over to the Singapore Government and nowdays it’s use is mostly for commercial shipping due to the Singapore Navy’s move to it’s new base near Changi Airport.

The aerial photo below was taken probably around March 1962. Dad was on HMAS Melbourne at the time and the carrier visited Singapore then on it’s Far East Cruise and Sea Devil Exercise.

I’m not the best at navy ship recognition and that’s where some help is needed.

The large carrier at the bottom of the photo, I presume is HMS Victorious with the V deck letter. She was in the Far East 1961/1962.

The smaller carrier, bottom left, I thought may have been HMAS Melbourne but there’s no deck letter M visible and the white[?] stern has me puzzled.

As to the third carrier at right, I have no idea. Thought it may be the troop transport HMAS Sydney but March 1962 doesn’t fit for her being in Singapore. What other carriers without angled flight deck were around the Far East then? Or maybe my date of March 1962 for the photo is incorrect.

As for the other 20 odd ships in the photo – well there’s a challenge. But seriously, any help with identifying the carriers would be appreciated.

Apart from that, I hope the photo brings back pleasant memories to those who passed through Singapore around that time.

Ash/airlana

[fearless_rs]

There is a photo that I have seen although not recently of the basin in Sembewang with a full house of, FEARLESS or INTREPID, 1 County class 3/4 Leanders, 1 Aussie Daring with B mounting missing, and a couple of RFA's, plus the LCUs from the LPD at the bottom of the picture. I dont know the Time line but wonder if its round about the same as your aerial photo.

[mik43]

Wel done ash, but has anyone got an aerial pic around 1950??

Mik

[astraltrader]

Excellent picture Ashley. I also agree with Mik that it would be interesting to see an aerial picture of the base from around 1950 and I would also be interested to see the same shot taken as it is today.
I bet it would almost be unrecognisable.

[kookaburra]

Originally Posted by airlana

The smaller carrier, bottom left, I thought may have been HMAS Melbourne but there’s no deck letter M visible and the white[?] stern has me puzzled.

Ash/airlana

Ashley, pretty sure that is HMAS Melbourne. The white stern is a deck awning arrangement that both Melbourne and Sydney [maybe RN ships also] used on Far East deployments. You can see it below in these Melbourne pics at the Tamar basin in HK. I've seen pics of the same thing used by Sydney in Vietnam 'Vung Tau Ferry' days. Cheers, K.

[John O'Callaghan]

Airlana.I'm not a ship recognition expert but the carriers that come to mind are Bulwalk or Albion.
Cheers John O'C.

[Powers]

Re; the two RN carriers in the very interesting aerial shot of Singapore at post 1. As already suggested, the Victorious is at the bottom of the shot and the commando carrier Bulwark (or possibly Albion) is at top right. Helicopter landing spots are fairly prominent on the commando carrier. Regards ....Paul

[airlana]

Originally Posted by mik43

Wel done ash, but has anyone got an aerial pic around 1950??
Mik

Originally Posted by astraltrader

Excellent picture Ashley. I also agree with Mik that it would be interesting to see an aerial picture of the base from around 1950 and I would also be interested to see the same shot taken as it is today.
I bet it would almost be unrecognisable.

Here you are Terry, as it is today, thanks to Google Earth. Most of the earlier buildings are still there with new ones on what was open land. The wharf layout seems little changed except for the extensions.

Early photos seem elusive, but there is one from 1953 on the RAF Seletar Assoc website.

I recall seeing an aerial photo of the King George VI dock and surrounding area taken before the fall of Singapore. Probably in one of my books - will have to go and search.

Ashley/airlana

[airlana]

Originally Posted by kookaburra

Ashley, pretty sure that is HMAS Melbourne. The white stern is a deck awning arrangement that both Melbourne and Sydney [maybe RN ships also] used on Far East deployments. You can see it below in these Melbourne pics at the Tamar basin in HK. I've seen pics of the same thing used by Sydney in Vietnam 'Vung Tau Ferry' days. Cheers, K.

Thanks Jeff. I should have known that but didn't twig. Maybe I'm experiencing a pre 'seniors moment'

Originally Posted by John O'Callaghan

Airlana.I'm not a ship recognition expert but the carriers that come to mind are Bulwalk or Albion.
Cheers John O'C.

Originally Posted by Powers

Re; the two RN carriers in the very interesting aerial shot of Singapore at post 1. As already suggested, the Victorious is at the bottom of the shot and the commando carrier Bulwark (or possibly Albion) is at top right. Helicopter landing spots are fairly prominent on the commando carrier. Regards ....Paul

Good work guys and thanks. Providing my date of March 1962 for the photo is right, then it's the carrier HMS Bulwark. Too early for Albion.

Ash/airlana

[astraltrader]

Thanks Ash for the 2009 picture.

[mik43]

Hi ash

Had a look at the RAF etc site but couldn't find an aerial pic at all, which surprised me - plenty of buildings, the odd MCU craft, rogues gallery, but no aerial!!

Mik

[airlana]

Originally Posted by mik43

Hi ash
.................... but no aerial!!
Mik

Scarce as hen's teeth, Mik.
I've searched books and the net with not muck luck.
Quite a few early photos of the King George VI Dock but no aerials.

Must be some somewhere

Ash/airlana

[Kevin Denlay]

The images below show aerial photos of the Singapore Naval Base while still under construction. From the book; The Rise and fall of the Singapore Naval Base by W David McIntyre.

The other is a recon shot from 1945.

You will also find aerial photos of the naval base circa a February 1945 US bombing raid; prior to bombing, during bombing and after bombing at the following links. Of note is the floating drydock, afloat pre bombing, then burning furiously, and then another of it settled on the bottom. There are many photos there from the raid, just click on film strip at bottom of their page.

PS. You may have to copy and paste the links to get them to open.

www.footnote.com/image/29022448/Bombing|Force|Photos|US|malaya|WWII|Air|malayas/#29022222

www.footnote.com/image/29022448/Bombing|Force|Photos|US|malaya|WWII|Air|malayas/#29022573

www.footnote.com/image/29022448/Bombing|Force|Photos|US|malaya|WWII|Air|malayas/#29022513

www.footnote.com/image/29022448/Bombing|Force|Photos|US|malaya|WWII|Air|malayas/#29022243

[Bear]

The 1962 photo doesn't include HMAS Sydney. She paid off in 1958 and was not back in operational commission until July 1963 when she re-commissioned as a fast troop transport.
I was at the Singapore Dockyard many times during my service in the RAN in the 60s and early 70s. It was indeed an amazing place.The dry dock gates were blown off and the machinery destroyed by the RN before captured by the Japanese. This was not fixed after the Japanese surrender and the old dock became what was known as the 'Stores Basin'. It was large enough to tie up many ships. The RN depot attached and a few miles up the road was HMS Terror and there were restaurants, wet canteen, swimming pool and extensive sports' grounds to go with the barracks. We used to run from the dockyard to the depot, swim 30 laps of the pool and either run or take the free bus service back in time to start work in our ships. Oh to be still that fit--or perhaps make that stupid. The memory of that sort of exercise in the tropics makes me wince these days.
I thought the base passed into the hands of the US navy some time after the British left, but I could be wrong about that.
Here is a link to photos of the dockyard. Of special interest are the pictures of ships in the old dry dock.

http://www.hmsgangestoterror.org/Ter...reDockyard.htm

[Kevin Denlay]

Originally Posted by Bear

.The dry dock gates were blown off and the machinery destroyed by the RN before captured by the Japanese. This was not fixed after the Japanese surrender and the old dock became what was known as the 'Stores Basin'.

If the above in bold is correct, and we are talking about the KGVI drydock then the Japanese repaired that drydock ASAP after capture by them (Feb 1942) and then used it throughout the war. (There are many photos of IJN ships in that drydock during the war.) And it is my understanding that the 'Stores Basin' is on the opposite side of the base to the KGVI drydock. That is, it is shown in the 2nd image across that I posted above, no?

[airlana]

Thanks Kevin for posting those. Some interesting ones too of the USAAF bombing.

Bear, I have read the the US Navy used the base/docks when their ships visited Singapore. This was after the British left in 1971, but don't recall they took it over as such.

Your dates re HMAS Sydney are spot on, and although the carrier in question did look like Sydney, I eliminated that possibility in the opening post "March 1962 doesn’t fit for her being in Singapore" as at that time she was undergoing refit as a troop transport.

Some good photos in the site you linked, thanks for posting.

Ash/airlana

[Jan Steer]

re post no 1: Is that HMS Centaur in the stores basin?

best wishes
Jan

[Kevin Denlay]

Just to answer my own question from my previous post, and clarify the relative positions for those that haven't been there, as i thought the Stores Basin is on the opposite side of the base to the Drydock and an 'entity' unto itself, rather than being the 'unrepaired' drydock as was suggested.

Originally Posted by airlana

I have read the the US Navy used the base/docks when their ships visited Singapore. This was after the British left in 1971, but don't recall they took it over as such.

As for the USN, whether they ever 'officially took it over after the Brits left I am not sure, but it is my understanding that the certainly 'ran' the facilities for many years, as a friend of mine, A USN Captain now retired, oversaw the dry docking facility for many years in the early 70's and his superiors were USN.

[Bear]

Originally Posted by Kevin Denlay

If the above in bold is correct, and we are talking about the KGVI drydock then the Japanese repaired that drydock ASAP after capture by them (Feb 1942) and then used it throughout the war. (There are many photos of IJN ships in that drydock during the war.) And it is my understanding that the 'Stores Basin' is on the opposite side of the base to the KGVI drydock. That is, it is shown in the 2nd image across that I posted above, no?

Uh...crikey, you are quite right. My memories of 40 odd years ago were faulty in the extreme.

[John O'Callaghan]

I was in Singapore a couple of years ago and as best I can tell part of the old dockyard and living quarters is now a Singapore Naval Base and much of the rest is now a civilian ship repair business.Privatised I Guess.
Cheers John O'C

[Rushy]

I believe all the bars along the strip have long gone

[Bear]

I went back to Singapore about 5 years ago, but didn't visit the old naval base unfortunately. My understanding from other ex-sailors that have been there recently is that the old 'Melbourne Bar' and one other still exist. Apparently Sembawang itself is now mostly housing estate instead of the old village that many of us recall from years ago.

[John O'Callaghan]

Bear Old Son. The Singapore we new in the 'Good Old Days' is long gone.The days when you caught a Taxi at the Base and drove for miles through Villages and Jungle to the City.Now the journey is through (high rise) Suburbia.There are acouple of watering holes in the area but everything is much changed.
Cheers John O'C.

[oldsalt]

In 53 if you wanted to go into Singapore you caught a bus, it took ages, if you stayed ashore all night you would be charged with leave breaking unless you had a bed chit from the Nuffield.

[alexrad]

Here's a photo taken in 1976. I can't remember where I downloaded it from.
I do recall, that the Pommie frigate next to Vampire had had it's turret replaced by an Ikara launcher.
The other photo was unusual for the time, the Basin being nearly empty.