One of a Kind (2nd Edition)

APPENDIX I

360

APPENDIX I

craft built locally by Vosper Thornycroft in 1956. It was launched by Lady Gimson, wife of

the Governor, Sir Franklin Gimson. Meanwhile, on 27

January, 1951, after modification and

refit, a former 1,890-ton Japanese minelayer, Wakataka, built in 1942, was presented to the

Singapore Government as the second HMS Laburnum. She was berthed at Telok Ayer Basin

and became the headquarters of the MRNVR. Her propellers and rudder had been removed

and she had to be towed to and from the yards for refitting. MAJ (RET) R. V. Simon of the

Republic of Singapore Navy recalls that the Singapore Division also possessed HMS Panji,

a motor launch used for ship-handling training and HMS Canna, a logistics-cum-workshop

vessel.

As it was unlikely that these two vessels could have survived the Japanese occupation

of Singapore, they were probably acquired after the war. HMS Panji was reported to have been

transferred to Malaysian service but not to have reverted to Singapore after separation, while

there was no record of HMS Canna’s fate either before or after the Malaysian interregnum.

In the meantime, Malaya had become independent as the Federation of Malaya (31

August,

1957) and the Singapore Naval Volunteers had reverted to the SRNVR, the Straits Settlements

having ceased to exist with the incorporation into the Federation of Malaya of Penang and

Malacca. The ‘Malay Navy’ had become the core of the RMN, which was based in Kapal Di

Raja (KD), Malaya in Woodlands, Singapore. RMN also maintained its own Volunteer Reserve,

the RMNVR.

In 1962, the Singapore Women’s Auxiliary Naval Service (SWANS) was created. On 16

September, 1963, with the creation of Malaysia, all Singapore naval Volunteers were transferred

from the Royal Navy to Royal Malaysian Navy, becoming the Singapore Division of the

RMNVR. All its ships bore the prefix KD. The Singapore Division plus one officer and 17

ratings from the SWANS was called up with other RMNVR divisions—Selangor and Penang—

for operations against Indonesian Konfrontasi.

On separation from Malaysia on 9

August, 1965, the Singapore Division of the RMNVR

reverted to Singapore. On 1

January, 1966, these assets were renamed the Singapore Naval

Volunteer Force or SNVF and placed directly under MID, charged with Singapore’s seaward

defence and anti-smuggling operations. The prefixes for the ships changed to Republic of

Singapore Ship or RSS. Laburnum was renamed Singapura, but Panglima retained its name.

The SNVF also acquired RSS Bedok, a 40-foot ex-Police patrol boat. For a brief interval,

the naval Volunteers were called People’s Defence Force – Sea, but in September 1967, it

was renamed the Sea Defence Command. Around this time, the Singapura being difficult to

maintain, was sold for scrap. The Sea Defence Command also relocated from Telok Ayer

Basin to Blakang Mati (Sentosa Island). On 1

December, 1968, the Sea Defence Command

was renamed Maritime Command. On 24

January, 1974, the Maritime Command moved

again, this time to the newly completed Naval Base at Pulau Brani. But, by now, the Volunteer

Navy had become a combined regular and National Service force, which on 1

April, 1975,

became an independent service named Republic of Singapore Navy.