Located opposite the KK Hospital and Kampong Java Park, these are technically not Nissen huts. But I included them because they look quite interesting and probably unique in Singapore.
Photo no. 2 – Keat Hong Camp at Choa Chu Kang
I think there are at least 6 of them, and all in quite good condition. Pity they will probably have to give way soon to yet another condo; or shopping centre perhaps? Reminds of a Dionne Warwick song – know the title?
“No we don’t need another condo,
There are condo’s and plazas enough to roam, enough to last,
Till the end of time.”
Photo no. 3 – Kranji Camp
This is along Kranji Road near to the railway track. I am not sure which SAF unit used to occupy this camp. I know there used to be 7 SIR in Kranji. Also there is a 41 SAR at Choa Chu Kang Way which is also known as Kranji Camp. So which one was it?
More photos and description can be found at Victor’s blog.
Photo no. 4 – Bukit Timah Fourth Avenue
This is the Police Logistics Dept complex which I blogged about earlier – here. The entire camp has now been flattened for the construction of Sixth Avenue MRT Station – part of the Downtown Line. Within the camp itself, there were a few Nissen huts; but because of the high walls, I could not get a good shot (see photo below). Further up along Fourth Avenue there were two sets of Nissen huts. The ones shown in my photo have been demolished. The other ones have been converted into some kind of pre-school.
This photo was taken from Fifth Avenue
Photo no. 5 – Jurong Lake Park
Only one person gave the correct answer. I took 2 photos in 2008. If I remember correctly, it was located within a fenced-in compound next to the Far East Flora nursery, and near to the former Tang Village. It looked like some kind of tools shed. But when I went there yesterday for exercise, I could not find it. Maybe it has been demolished, or I got my orientation wrong and could not remember the exact location. I am clueless about what this place was before. Hope some readers can throw some light. Here is another photo. Mine are probably the last two photos of this mysterious Nissen hut.
As you can see, out of the four Nissen huts shown in my quiz (not counting no.1), 3 have disappeared from the face of this earth. The ones in Keat Hong camp will be gone soon. Let’s hope that those mentioned by YG in his comment are still around – personally I seriously doubt that. Hope somebody will take up the challenge (Icemoon? Victor?) and investigate.
6 comments:
Photo No. 3 is the Ordnance Supply Base (OSB) supplying military vehicle spare parts to the maintenance bases. I was there on a 3-month conversion course. There were a lot of SAF women and old regulars, so we end up all the guard duty. It's not a live-in camp (no cookhouse) and we eat at the canteen. The guard duty rations were from the camp opposite. (Arty camp?)
Thanks Algae for sharing that info. In my 2007 street directory, this place is listed as ST Logistics.
Which year were you there? Can you recall what the Nissen huts were used for. From what I have seen so far, their main purpose seems to be as a warehouse. In fact, that Police Logistics Dept at Fourth Avenue was formerly a British army depot of some kind. A few months ago, I received an email from an ex-British serviceman who said that when he first arrived in Spore, he was posted to this depot. Unfortunately I have lost his email and cannot remember the exact name of this place. His email actually was relating more about how he used to participate in the Grand Prix races at Upper Thomson.
If I am not wrong, your place for the Nissen Hut was occupied by 1 Sub-depot Base Ordanance Depot which reported to 3 BOD at depot Road. This was how depot Road gots its name.
I was there in 1979. My impression of the place was it's full of mosquitoes. We were there to study the Kardex System - the stock/warehouse retrieval system. We never get to go inside the Nissen huts. I believe the huts house the stores - Unimog and 3 tonners spares. If I'm not wrong, the Police Logistics were once part of OSB. I remember 'kena' sentry duty there once. The 3 sentry and 1 COS will leave OSB (Kranji) in a Landrover for Bukit Timah in the evening. If the DO wants to check on them, the guys at Kranji will alert the guards at BT and we are all prepared for him. The maintenance bases at that time were at Ayer Rajah before the AYE was built. From there, I was posted to SOA at Sungei Gedong in charge of special equipment. Never get to go to the supply base to draw stores.
Photo No 3 is known as Woodlands Camp III, not Kranji Camp. The last unit was OSB before it was leased to ST Logistics.
We never get to go inside the Nissen huts. I think the huts house the stores Unimog and 3 tonners spares. In fact, that Police Logistics Dept at Fourth Avenue was formerly a British army depot of some kind.
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