One of a Kind (2nd Edition)

APPENDIX I

352

APPENDIX I

The fourth major phase of the Corps—the first three being the private SVRC from 1854

to 1857, the gazetted one from 1857 to 1887 and the SVA in 1888—could be said to have

begun with the addition of a rifle unit in 1900 in response to requests from certain quarters

of the resident European population who preferred a non-artillery service. By now, St. Clair

had become the Acting Commander of the SVA with the rank of Major. He refused to be

confirmed in the appointment, nominating instead Major A. Murray, who had just been

appointed from Ceylon as the Colonial Engineer. St. Clair, however, organised and equipped

two rifle companies, designated the Singapore Volunteer Rifles, which he handed over to

Murray when the latter assumed command.

It proved to be the beachhead for units of other

arms. An SVA Bearer Section (precursor to the Field Ambulance unit) was formed on 27

April, 1901. A more significant development was the creation of a Chinese infantry company

in November 1901, arising from a meeting in London of Mr. Tan Jiak Kim, a leading citizen,

with Lord Onslow, Under-Secretary of State for Colonies. Among its original members were

Dr. Lim Boon Keng, Mr. Song Ong Siang (later Sir), his brother Mr. Song Ong Joo and Mr. Tan

Soo Bin (son of Jiak Kim and later, the first Chinese to be promoted to the rank of Major in

the Volunteers).

1901 also saw the revival of Eurasian Volunteer activities in the shape of an

infantry company (disbanded in February 1909 due to depletion, only to be reconstituted in July

1918). Yet another new category of Volunteers came with the Singapore Volunteer Engineers

in December 1901. The incorporation of non-artillery units resulted in re-designating the

Corps as the Singapore Volunteer Corps (SVC).

Another notable event was that a Cadet Corps was formed at Raffles Institution in 1902 and

attached to the SVC. St. Joseph’s Institution and Anglo-Chinese School followed in 1906. The

idea had been that the cadets would feed into the SVC, but it failed to take off and in 1918, the

Cadet Corps were de-linked from the SVC.

VI. WORLD WAR 1

This fourth phase of the Corps’ history proved eventful. Whereas the Boer War during the

closing years of the nineteenth century stoked a heightened interest in enrolment among

the British expatriates, which came to nothing, the World War of 1914 to 1918 dragged the

Volunteers into unique operational situations. The SVC was mobilised in August 1914 and

turned out 450 personnel. Though it is now not clear from where the personnel came from,

a cyclist company of one cyclist section and one motorcyclist section was formed, while the

bearer section was reconstituted into the Singapore Field Ambulance Company. The terms

of the mobilisation included deployment for installation security and being on call. To beef

up strength, the Volunteer Rifles, which had to be disbanded in 1903, was re-formed and the

Veterans’ Company was created, bringing the SVC strength to 687.

V. TAKEOFF