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A NEW BEGINNING
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FIFTEEN
III. A CHANGE OF TONE
and thunderflashes with mortar fire simulated by an Amonal field. In the meantime, a ramp
had been bulldozed to the top of (another) Spot Height 210 in Lam Kiong Estate, where a
covered temporary grandstand had been built. It gave a good view of the whole proceedings.
Loudspeakers would broadcast the radio traffic during the ‘operation.’ In an open area before
the grandstand, there was a weapons and equipment display where visitors would get a
briefing on each item, some of which were already in use, while others were being considered
for adoption by the SAF. A small-scale firepower demonstration was also included.
The rehearsals were demanding and repetitive. From ‘A’ Company, only those who had
passed the course would participate. Though only the two initial objectives would be
engaged with live-firing, for the first time the assault would be preceded by 81mm mortar
fire on the objectives, supplied by the Mortar Platoon of 2 SIR, which CPT Daljeet Singh
had commanded in 1965. There were three companies to be coordinated by the battalion
tactical HQ through their approach to respective forming-up places and the assault on their
designated objectives. The pace would have to be fairly cracking if the spectators were to
be impressed and their attention spans locked in. The follow-on attack on Spot Height 210
would come over its steep eastern slope and it was tough going through the scrub vegetation
known locally as ‘belukar,’ which covered most of the hill features in the Pasir Laba area.
Except for a minor incident where one of the cadets in the assault force on Spot Height 210,
Martin Choo Kok Kye, sustained fairly extensive burns on one arm from the Amonal field,
the event was a great success. It was a fine day and everybody in SAFTI was determined to be
at his best for the Prime Minister and the Minister for Interior and Defence. All the spectators
were duly impressed by the combat readiness of the troops and what had been achieved
within the space of 13 months since SAFTI took in its first trainees. The Advisors had
justified the faith vested in them. The air of purpose among SAFTI personnel was infectious
and a far cry from the laid back days of pre-independence military life in Singapore. For the
cadets, it was the final hurdle cleared, as it was ‘B’ Company who provided the watermanship
demonstration at the Jurong River.
Of the 140 who started training as officer cadets on 28
th
November, 1966 in ‘A’ Company
after section training, 23 were not granted a commission with the First Batch. One of them
was the cadet who had been summarily dismissed from the course about two weeks before
it ended for having left his rifle behind at the Pasir Laba boatshed after an exercise. Some of
the others would repeat the course successfully with later batches, as did the dismissed cadet
who had been appointed Sergeant. Some would quit the SAF and some would stay on as
Sergeants to achieve rapid promotion in the NCO ranks, working with their commissioned
colleagues in SAFTI, units and various HQs. Some would go for specialist courses. All
those who were not commissioned were informed privately at interviews by their Platoon