Taman Jurong (Edited version)

37 years served in Arty 8

Those 6 blocks of 3 storey HDB flats for 20 SAB - block nos 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, and 85 - were no longer exists at Taman Jurong. The spot where 20 SAB was in 1968,  is a garden today (2011).  In contrast, the ground within the compass of Corporation Drive, Yuan Ching Road, Kang Ching Road, and Tah Ching Road was an open area provided for our training ground in 1968, and today had built up with many HDB blocks.

Taman Jurong Camp consisted upper and lower camp, across the road - Corporation Drive -  at lower camp we had our parade square, soccer field, small arms ammunition dump, obstacle course, and mortar garage.

The mortar garage was the place where lessons were conducted everyday by the non-commissioned officers (NCOs), after which we manhandled the four 120 mm light mortars to the abovementioned open area to practice mortar drill. We stayed there whole day long to carry out training. Lunch and dinner were sent  to us. Unlike today, during field training, soldiers get lunch boxes packed in isolation bags to keep food warm,  and then we were dining with messtins. (attached photo)

Night lessons conducted at the mortar garage, there were a lot of mosquitoes, we had  experienced that the  mosquitoes could penetrate our temasek green uniforms to sting us.

 

Outside the Mortar Garage there was a hawker center and a wet market.  Some of our officers and NCOs lived in the block nos 90 and 91 HDB flats. They were WO1 Said Sali, WO2 Wan Chin Hup (senior medic) and Lta Charlie Kumaran. From their homes the kitchen window, could overlooking the Mortar Garage. So whenever we on guard duty doing  sentry at the Mortar Garage gate, even at midnight, we had to be alert at all time. Nonetheless, until we had completed the basic artillery course and the technical assistants’ and surveyors’ course, we were not assigned to do guard duty. 

We lived at block no. 80, and opposite at block no. 79 was the YWCA hostel,  housed a number of factory girls, most of them came from federation to work in Singapore. It could have been a good opportunity to find a girlfriend, but unfortunately they were older than us, they did not fit us in any case. However, we often went to YWCA hostel canteen to make friend with them.

There was an open-air theater for $ 0.50 ticket admission, we often went there to watch film show and later an air-conditioned  cinema – Jurong Theater, the admission ticket was still $ 0.50. By 1972, there came the Jurong Drive-in.

Most importantly, there was only one laundry shop. After training, our dirty uniforms were sent there. Washing, pressed with starch and the long sleeves pleated into a short-sleeved, with four fingers width, cost only cost $ 0.70 a suit of shirt and trousers.  

I could remember the Spring Time Lake where boat rowing we had carried out accompanied by girl friends from block 79. And the most delicious was the fish ball noodle stall at Yung An Road, near the entrance of the YWCA hostel. I must eat before I booked-in.