Have you ever tried to trace your father’s footsteps?

[Philipkee]

Have you ever tried to trace your father's footsteps to see what he was like when young?

[Philipkee]

His army photos.  I even recognised him in one of the photos 😂

[mGx-Alander]

Moi papa was voluntary
Police last time

Now ish security guard

[Philipkee]

His army certs.  He told me it's equivalent to "o" levels so after getting the cert he could work for any British company for any job that required o levels or the skills he got from the army.  Apparently the army skills certificate is also recognised by any British company, even private ones

He was a trained marine engineer

[Philipkee]

I even have his combat medal.  Apparently he fought in the confrontation in borneo

[Philipkee]

I have given all the certs to National archives liao so I don't have anything with me.  Medal o think lost liao

I even wrote to mindef to say we should honor the locals who joined the British army in the 1950s cos it's still part of our history.  Tiagong from my dad that when the British army left Singapore, any locals there were given jobs in SAF if they wished with a two rank promotion upon hiring

Mindef said they will consider and that's that

[Philipkee]

In 2016 I did meet up with my dad's old army friends.  My dad passed away in 1998.  But I came across a now defunct website of the BALEP (British army local enlisted personnel) and they met every Sunday at holland V at a specific coffee shop and a specific table and I joined them out of the blue.

They were caught off guard because this group was tight knit and it's not like there are new members since the British army left in the 1970s or something. So I took pictures with them but I dunno if I should share here. 😝

[default]

my father nv served army coz he is 82. he got say before when they were drafting enlistees, they checked age then he escaped by being 2 yrs older or just barely.

so i guess those under 80 all got serve. i might be wrong.

he said they round them up then checked their particulars. then end up dunno is give them $2 each and let those no need to do NS one go home

1967 NS was implemented for all 18 year olds- wiki, but nv state is only 18 or up to 21 or 22

my father born in 1942......... so he was 25 yo

i got an ex army officer boss - admin officer la, was retired officer, they told me he was first or first few batch at that time, so hes close to my father's age. at least 75 and above bah now

dunno leh, all these must go ask these above 75 yr old people then they know

[default]

I even have his combat medal.  Apparently he fought in the confrontation in borneo

wah wtf this one big piece of history sia

[Philipkee]

my father nv served army coz he is 82. he got say before when they were drafting enlistees, they checked age then he escaped by being 2 yrs older or just barely.

so i guess those under 80 all got serve. i might be wrong.

he said they round them up then checked their particulars. then end up dunno is give them $2 each and let those no need to do NS one go home

1967 NS was implemented for all 18 year olds- wiki, but nv state is only 18 or up to 21 or 22

my father born in 1942......... so he was 25 yo

i got an ex army officer boss - admin officer la, was retired officer, they told me he was first or first few batch at that time, so hes close to my father's age. at least 75 and above bah now

dunno leh, all these must go ask these above 75 yr old people then they know

He was in the British army.  Army boys trade school.  They taught you a trade (not sure how it works) and you served the army.

He was supposed to go to school when someone told him about this and he just went and joined.

The commander asked all Christians to go to the left, Buddhist and Taoist to the right, Hindu to the back and muslims to the front.  My dad and some others were atheists.  Then the commander pointed to the chaplain and said "chaplain we have new converts "

And they started training after the consent form was signed.  My grandfather knew nothing (cos my dad was supposed to go to school).  So he waited everyday for my dad to return.  But for a long time he never did

I asked my dad how he got the consent form signed he just said he forged the signature

Then my granddad heard in the market my dad was in the British army and he got hopping mad cos good sons don't join the army.  But think he came to terms with it eventually

[Philipkee]

My dad went for officer training and he told me it was different then

Phase one was basic drill and skills

Phase two was specialised skills for combat

Seems like OCS
Phase three was like command skills BUT because it was during confrontation, anything major happen the phase three cadets will instantly get commissioned and sent to war.

Eventually my dad became a seventh day Adventist and told his commander he cannot kill.  But i think cos of good conduct and the medal the discharge was an honourable one

I always told my dad it was wasted cos when the British left, the soldiers were given the choice to leave or redeploy to UK.  I could have been a uk citizen.

But that's roughly all I know about his army life but some pieces like what he actually said was filled in when I met his old friends in 2016.  Dunno if they lied or mis remembered but it was good to hear those words even if they were fake.

[default]

My dad went for officer training and he told me it was different then

Phase one was basic drill and skills

Phase two was specialised skills for combat

Seems like OCS
Phase three was like command skills BUT because it was during confrontation, anything major happen the phase three cadets will instantly get commissioned and sent to war.

Eventually my dad became a seventh day Adventist and told his commander he cannot kill.  But i think cos of good conduct and the medal the discharge was an honourable one

I always told my dad it was wasted cos when the British left, the soldiers were given the choice to leave or redeploy to UK.  I could have been a uk citizen.

But that's roughly all I know about his army life but some pieces like what he actually said was filled in when I met his old friends in 2016.  Dunno if they lied or mis remembered but it was good to hear those words even if they were fake.

ya la old people will forget or blow cow a bit one

but even if u UK citizen also not always good. it was good like 10-20 or 30 yrs ago

but now it's a shit place dont u see? so got good and bad

only good thing is bigger place, more opportunities to start biz and can move to europe and more place to rest and relax

but now is mayhem so many refugees and crimes

[default]

u seventh day adventist? ur father after out of army got join them?

[Philipkee]

u seventh day adventist? ur father after out of army got join them?

Protestant.  That's the frustrating thing.  He became a SDA that's why he left the army

A few years later he joined brethren church then the BP circle.  That's why I say it's wasted

Nominally I am still Anglican but I usually listen to Methodist sermons

[Philipkee]

ya la old people will forget or blow cow a bit one

but even if u UK citizen also not always good. it was good like 10-20 or 30 yrs ago

but now it's a shit place dont u see? so got good and bad

only good thing is bigger place, more opportunities to start biz and can move to europe and more place to rest and relax

but now is mayhem so many refugees and crimes

Not true

Cos if he went to UK and be a UK citizen, his parents are still in Singapore.  Maybe I can come over as FT