213 / 409
BARRACK LIFE DURING SECTION TRAINING
197
TEN
Some reached Penang on the free railway warrant.
in one place, of which many would go on either directly or after a brief interval for officer
training. In about seven months, he could expect to get more than 100 newly minted Second
Lieutenants to further his plans for the SAF, the beginning of a pipeline that, as it turned
out, would go on indefinitely with the introduction of National Service the next year. Dr.
Goh’s vision for the SAF was encapsulated in one phrase of his address: “I expect all of you
to be like the redoubtable Gurkhas.”
After the parade, each trainee had to return his rifle to the armskote. Most had the good
sense or force of habit to run the cleaning rod through the barrel with some oil knowing
that the rifles would be out of use for several days, but otherwise, no further cleaning was
necessary. Each company’s storeman manned the company armskote for that evening. Once
the rifles were in, the trainees joined the reception that had been arranged for the guests
in the dining halls, which had, among other decorations, potted bonsai plants loaned by
the father of ‘B’ Company trainee Lee Hock Seng. That over, ‘A’ Company went off for its
dinner at which, from the accounts and the photographs taken, a good time was had by all
and some more than others. ‘B’ Company may have had an even more enjoyable time with the
musical groups, singers and skits (private rehearsals and/or impromptu performances) plus
a considerable quantity of duty-free beer. Trainee Koh Whatt Teo had arranged for several
‘A-Go-Go’ girls to perform on stage and some of the instructors and trainees were visibly
eager to reciprocate later in the evening in more private circumstances. On the following day,
various groups of close friends departed for Malaysia by train.