Promoted to Lcp (Edited Version)

37 years served in Arty 13

At the end of 20 SAB bn ex, we were posted out to take up various TAs posts in 20 SAB. We moved out from block no 80 barrack and moved to block no 84, where A and B Bty barracks, and block no 85, where the HQ and C Bty barracks were. I could  only remember 6 of us were posted to HQ Bty and the rest of them to A, B, C Btys.

6 of us posted to HQ Bty were: the FDC Sgt:  Ang Teik Ban, FDC TA1: Tan Lee Hong, FDC TA2: Lau Beng Huat, the Svy Sgt: Tia Teng Peow,  Svy plotter: Wee Douglas,  and myself  was the Svy computer,

WO2 Razali often repeat: “I was 7 years private soldier before I was promoted to Lcp.” We had our first wave of promotion in March 1969, and 6 TAs got promoted to Lcp. They were: Lcp Ang Teik Ban (FDC Sgt), Lcp Tan Lee Hong (FDC TA1), Lcp Tia Teng Peow (Svy Sgt), and the three Btys’ TA Sgts. However, I could  not recall the names of the Btys’ TA Sgts.

In those good old days, there were two command posts, CP1 and CP2, in each Bty..

I had met some of our contemporary who attended the same BMT together with us at M Coy in Pulau Belakang Mati. After their vocational training and passed out as medical orderly, immediately they were promoted to Lcp.

In 1969, there were another two bn ex, one was doing with Lta Chan Jwee Kay as BnRO. I could remember, whenever we completed an ex and having rest, hawkers selling ice cream came touting, Lta Chan certainly treated us ice cream. He was very generous.

Another bn ex was doing with Lta Mukhtiar Singh as BnRO. I was still the Svy computer, and the Svy Sgt was still Lcp Tia Teng Peow, but the Svy plotter Wee Douglas had replaced by the Ong Kheng Huat.  I did not know why they had exchanged their appointments.

Before moved out for bn ex, Ong Kheng Huat suggested to supplement some canned food for field combat rations. Ong spoke in Malay to Lta Mukhtiar Singh, asked him what he could eat and what he could not eat, before he proceed to purchase the canned food.

We went to the southern islands again for L/F. We had enjoyed the cooking of field combat rations on Pulau Semakau.

In September 1969, the second wave of promotion, more TAs got promoted to Lcp, Lau Beng Huat was one of them.

Finally, the third wave of promotion, which was also the last one, in March 1970, I was promoted to Lcp.

Not everyone got promoted to Lcp. There were people completed the two years full time national service were still private soldier. Wong Tai Chong was one of them who did not get promotion, his appointment was an Observation Post Technical Assistant (OP TA).

In those good old days if you were an officer, you had to serve 3 years, and for Cpls or below serve only 2 years full time national service stint. However, policies change from time to time, later in 1972, all officers and Cpls were had to serve 2.5 years.

I could recall one case, an outstanding TA of 22 SA, a TA who worked in Ops room, came to see me for help, requested me to speak to his GSO (General Staff Officer, in today term is Ops officer or S3), Cpt Henry Quake, not to promote him to Cpl because he did not want to extent his length of service for personal problem.

Cpt Henry Quake approved the request and remarked, “Lcp XXX should have seen me, and not see his former instructor in Sch of Arty for personal problem.” Lcp XXX finally ROD (Run out Date, in today term is ORD, Operationally-ready Date) after his 2 years full time and had not been promoted to Cpl.