GOODBYE, AYER RAJAH CAMP

Tucked away in a remote corner of Queenstown at Portsdown Road, Ayer Rajah Camp recently closed its gates as the land on which it sits will be returned to the State by this year. As its tenant units are relocated to Kranji Camp 3, PIONEER takes you on a trip down memory lane.

With a history that dates back to the colonial days after the Japanese Occupation of 1945, Ayer Rajah Camp has been called home by many different units.

The earliest were the British Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, which provided maintenance support for the British military's vehicles and training for their troops.

Following the withdrawal of the British from Singapore in 1971, the workshops in Ayer Rajah Camp were handed over to the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Ordnance Maintenance Base (OMB). OMB was formed in 1970 to maintain SAF vehicles.

Later in 1978, OMB was reorganised as General Support Maintenance Base (GSMB) and it established the SAF's first Vehicle Inspection Centre after Singapore introduced compulsory vehicle road worthiness testing. In 2006, GSMB was renamed 1st Army Maintenance Base (1 AMB).

The camp's second tenant, Headquarters (HQ) Maintenance, was formed in 1984 and re-established in 1994 as HQ Maintenance and Engineering Support (HQ MES).

Ordnance Engineering Training Institute (OETI) moved from Dover Road Camp to Ayer Rajah Camp in 1989 to become its third tenant unit. Formed in 1982, the institute undertakes all ordnance training in the SAF.

Pieces of history

Juxtaposed against some of the newest developments in the vicinity such as the Biopolis and Fusionopolis, Ayer Rajah Camp seems quaint-looking in contrast, with bits of it untouched since its colonial days.

In the camp, the richest piece of heritage can be seen in the parquet flooring at the Military Transport Line, next to 1 AMB's parade square. Formerly known as Block 10, the building served as a court martial centre for the British military.

Explained Military Expert (ME) 4 Lim Seng Hin, the Formation Sergeant Major of HQ MES: "Parquet flooring was valuable in colonial days, so its use was befitting of a colonial military court martial centre."

In fact, some of the floor tiles were removed and preserved, and presented to the tenant units of Ayer Rajah Camp during its closing ceremony on 28 Oct.

Another notable feature of Ayer Rajah Camp is its sawdust collectors, as the General Maintenance company under OMB used to undertake paintwork, upholstery and carpentry on military vehicles.

"As part of the maintenance involved wood works, sawdust collectors were placed next to the workshops to collect the sawdust after woodworks were done and before the sawdust was sold for recycling," said ME4 Lim.

Fond memories

Besides the multiple reorganisation of units in Ayer Rajah Camp, one significant event that took place in the camp was 1 AMB creating the largest logo in Singapore at their 31st anniversary celebration in 2008. The unit's logo, made of ammunition boxes, ropes, plastics and camouflage netting, was entered into the Singapore Guinness Book of Records that year.

Memorable events aside, it is the ordinary sights and sounds experienced in the daily work of the tenant units that many will miss.

Said 1 AMB's manpower officer Mr Lim See Tee: "I'm going to miss the workshops and the sight of soldiers in coveralls doing repair and maintenance work for Army vehicles.

"I'll also miss the scenery because the camp is surrounded by trees. The environment here is very quiet, and it s nice that the buildings here are rather spaced out."

Also bidding a fond farewell to the camp was ME3 Andrew Sun, who heads the Training Management branch of 1 AMB. "We call the mess Club ARC (Ayer Rajah Camp). There's a lot of sentimental value attached to it because it is the place where people from OETI, HQ MES and 1 AMB come together to mingle."

He added: "As a young Regular almost 30 years ago, Ayer Rajah Camp was the first camp I stepped into when I attended courses at OMB. This place holds special meaning to me as it marked the beginning of my Army career."

While this chapter for the tenant units closes, their next at Kranji Camp 3 is waiting to be written as their personnel look forward to improved facilities such as better equipment in the workshops and new offices.

Said Mr Lim: "The workshops in Kranji will have newer cranes for hoisting vehicles for repairs and better equipment. The workshops there are also brighter and more airy."

ME3 Sun concluded: "Although this camp contains a lot of our memories, it's good to move to a new place for a change in environment and a fresh start."