2008, A DRAMATIC YEAR TO REMEMBER

2008 in my memory is the most dramatic. On all fronts, politics, sport, environment, nature and economic, the news were just too captivating and consuming. I have never read so much and so eager to follow the progress of all those news in my entire life.

2008 will go down the annals of financial market history as the most momentous and tumultuous event of the century. The avalanche of financial news that constantly rocked the financial world each day seems to spare not even the fittest. The financial meltdown of the world financial system was total devastation of some of the biggest firms like Bear Stern, Lehman Brothers, AIG, Freddy Mae and so many. Historians had yet to coin a universally acceptable title. Perhaps if I may try, if I had a hand, call it,
Economic meltdown of the Century
Ultimate financial bubble of the century
2008 financial tsunami
Financial Crash of the century
2008 World Economic Crash

What seems to be a manageable property bubble created by the sub-prime housing loan morph into an uncontrollable financial collapse that affected the entire world. No analysts had predicted the intensity of the contagion of the credit crunch and financial meltdown from US to the rest of the world. By throwing in fiscal and monetary measures and financial interventions, the government tried to avert bankruptcy and steer the country out of recession. Never did so many countries realise their financial impotence. The measures always seem just too late and too little. The avalanche of devastating news that came days after days was so depressing and continues to shatter and acerbate the loss of confidence.

They crumbling stock market caused by the failure of investment banks and insurance companies were unprecedented. The crash of the commodities prices were totally unexpected, when only a few months before, were traded at historical highs. Hedge funds, sovereign wealth funds, pension funds were all hammered. Inadvertently, this affects consumer sentiment that spread the hardship to manufacturing, transport and retail businesses. It also causes wild fluctuation of currencies that either rise or fall to historical highs or lows. The scale and speed of the deterioration has caught every government and institutions by surprise. Now so many big financial institutions were on life support with fate still unknown. I had followed economics news for decades, but what I read this last 6 months total what I read the entire decade.

2008 may pass us but the severe pessimism will definitely carried over to 2009. On the back of every one minds is how long the recession will last. How deep will it be? The recovery will certainly not be V shaped. There were so many predictions out there. The most optimistic predicted recovery in the second half of 2009. While some pessimistic analysts predicted recovery only in 2011 and at a very slow pace.

On the home front, we had Selamat Kastari escape from high security detention centre. It sound impossible in Singapore and yet the year had ended and we don’t even have the slightest clue on his status. On the sporting front, we were thrilled when Singapore bagged an Olympics silver after 50 years.

On the world political front, a first black man was elected as president of America and I do hope he can deliver and bring a new dimension to world peace and order. We see terrorist bombing in Karachi Marriot Hotel and the bombing of Taj Hotel in Bombay. As the images of this grand old dame were aired over TVs, I recalled the number of times I had actually stayed in that old hotel wing with smoke billowing into the air. Other news that dogged the air, were the riots in Tibet, Darfur in Sudan, political brinksmanship in Zimbabwe and not forgetting the usual unsolved Palestinian issues.

On the regional front, the March Malaysian election that saw the BN losing its 2/3 majority for the first time and lost 5 states to opposition. In Thailand, the continuing unrest that pits the old elite against the rural poor back by Thaksin will continue to undermine the stability of Thailand.

On weather, the Tropical Storm Nargis inundated large part of Myanmar. However it is remembered for the sad state of domestic politics that hampered rescue and humanitarian operation. But the most devastating news was the Sichuan earthquake the shatter the souls of millions of Chinese and kill almost 100,000. I had travelled over Mianyang, Beichuan and Wenchuan; close the epicentre of this earthquake, a year ago. I had passed through those cities on my way to Jiuzhaigou for my holiday.

I personally see a very slow recovery maybe toward late 2009, it not 2010. I said this as the entire world has committed so much money to prime start and prevent the economy from further deterioration. But all these measures need time to filter down the real economy. The most difficult part was the total loss of confidence, not only from individual, but from the lenders themselves. But my fear is that the recovery may be short lived. Just like a cancer patient, he recovered from treatment, but may fall into relapse. When that happens, nature had to take its course. Certainly, the world is in an uncharted territory and I tend to be bit edgy on this account.

I can safely predict that the financial world would never be same again. The derivatives created by highly paid investment bankers will haunt the world for a very long time. The risk threshold will be lowered and investors become more sanguine. Greed has blinded both investors as well as investment bankers. The era of fat bonus will be gone for a long time. Future financial instrument will be easy and simple to understand and liquidate. The ideas of ‘growing your money’ or ‘returns’ will be taken with scepticism.

I just hope for a slow but a sustainable recovery. Keep my job and retire with sufficient fund to lead a simple and healthy life.











--------------------------I live to see the world----------------------------------------

RESERVED SPACE

for future post

RESERVED SPACE

reserved for future posting

JOINING SIA TO START A NEW CHAPTER

STARTING A NEW CHAPTER OF MY LIFE

3 months after ROD, I applied for a aviation job with Singapore Airlines.

There were 3 posts available, cadet pilot, cadet flight engineer and cadet flight navigator.

I was successful in all 3 posts. Most likely is due to my NCC(Air) background couple with my
naval officer experience especially in navigation.

To be accepted as cadet pilot, I need the Singapore Air Force approval. I was not able to get
that approval and was left with the choice of being a Navigator or Flight Engineer.

I decided on being a Flight Navigator and I join SIA in December 1976.

That starts a new chapter of my life. It is to be a very long chapter.

I will dedicate my time to write my beautiful experience after my retirement.

ROD on 25 Jun 1976

Navy and ROD

It was ‘THE’ day every NSman looked forward to. It was called ROD but today refer as ORD. For me, it’s 25 Jun 1976. To me, this chapter of my life was most defining. I knew some wish to forget, but I had cherished this period thereafter. Among the 40 of us who made it as officers, about 10 had signed on to be regulars. How they felt, I really cannot tell. Majority of us will be going to University of Singapore. Some were going for overseas university. One or two went to run their family business.

The intensive training, that never seems to end, had nurtured us from boys to men to officers. We learnt to take the challenges, overcame the obstacles, persevered and ultimately prevailed. These were the share feelings we had when we met later into our adult life. Some of us may be idealistic and naïve at the start, but most of us eventually learnt to be pragmatic and accept that not all things were fair and achievable.

The mood among us was really mixed. Sad that it had to end but happy that a new beginning awaited us. We had gone through some very tough times, in the classroom, to on–the-job-training and the unforgettable storm that tormented us over the Bay of Bengal. But we also had many fond memories of the wonderful times we had among ourselves and the ship’s crew, both officers and sailors. I dared say that unanimously; we felt tremendous pride and satisfaction when we ROD.

A few of my mates, like me were not going to university. I did really envy those who had the opportunity to continue to study. But I had made up my mind years ago, that after NS; I would be independent and looking for opportunities to build my own future.

NS had also defined my first moment of financial independence. My first pay cheque was $90 as a recruit. I gave $50 to my parents and spend the rest. When I started my officer training after 3 months, I was paid around $300. By the time I was commissioned, I was earning about $450. For someone fresh out of school, it was substantial. (Especially in the 70s). By the time I ROD, I had saved a few thousand dollars. I had intended to use this money to do part time study while I work.

So I enrolled in a private course in accountancy. My plan was to work as account trainee and study part time until I qualify as accountant. My intention was to move to the business world. At the same time, I was searching for a job. I was offered a course in nautical studies by Singapore Polytechnic. Upon graduation, I was required to be bonded a few years and teach at the Poly. I was also accepted by a shipping company as a ship officer but I had to take the relevant courses while working. I turned both down as I was not really keen to spend my entire life at sea. Finally I was accepted as Trainee Flight Navigator for B707 by Singapore Airlines. I was thrilled that my childhood dream and passion for aeroplanes was realised. The rest became history.

It had been a lot of effort trying to recollect the early part of my life. I am glad I had fulfilled my objective. This blog on my childhood and growing up years of my life will end here. The rest of my life history will be reserved for my retirement.


---------End of Chapter. Must wait long long for the next installment----------

MOST MEMORABLE PART OF NS

Posted to RSS Endurance

After 6 months, I was posted to LST. It was a familiar ship; I had lived there during my 2 months of sea training. This time I wouldn’t to sleeping in the crowded and hot aft mess. I was a functional and qualified naval officer. I will be having my own cabin. I was appointed Assistant Navigation Officer. I served my remaining 6 months on this ship till my ROD on 25 Jun 1976. It was the most enjoyable and memorable part of my NS Life.

Exercise Starlight

Our government had an agreement with the Taiwanese government to allow the army to train in Taiwan. As RSS Endurance was a transport carrier, naturally she was tasked to ferry all the military vehicles needed there. I could vividly remember the ship’s main deck and the tank deck were stacked with Land Rovers, 3 tonners, unimogs and ambulances. It must be about 60 vehicles in all. The ship beached at East Coast next to Bedok Jetty. This area was reclaimed land and the area was cordoned off to public. The East Coast Park and Marine Parade was not developed then. The beaching operation was exciting to execute. I was too inexperience to be directly involved and just watch from the bridge. The trip to Kaohsiung took one week. So a round trip with one week in harbour took 3 weeks.

Navigating South China Sea

If I remembered correctly, it was the early part of 1976, maybe March. The sea was mostly calm. We navigated with celestial navigation and LORAN as well as some coastal fixes. When we arrived at Kaohsiung Harbour, we were met by harbour pilot who guided us in. Of course we were met by very senior Taiwanese naval officers on arrival. In 1976, the Taiwanese was still under Marshall Law.

Rest and Recreation

As part of the naval tradition, a port call is consider incomplete without R&R for the crew. So a tour was organised for us to visit Taichung, Sun Moon Lake, Hualien and Kaohsiung. I remembered staying a night at Sun Moon Lake. It was freezing cold. We failed to see the famous sunrise from the sea of cloud due to overcast condition. Nevertheless, the other sightseeing was very enjoyable. We acknowledged that this was national service and we couldn’t have bargain for anything more.

Kaohsiung

It’s the 2nd largest cities in Taiwan. Hokkien was the local dialet and so I had no problem and most of them spoke mandarin. There were lot of shopping to do for the ship’s crew. The ‘imitation’ book was so cheap which I bought a few. Then there were red jade and ornamental stones. Many of my ship crew befriended the girls. It seems so simple to hook one up but I refrained. Apparently, most of these girls wanted to get out of the country due to hardship. There were hardly any luxuries. I learnt that apple and even coffee were considered luxuries. On the subsequent trip to Kaohsiung, the crew came with crates of apples and bags of coffee to impress their newfound friends. Subsequently, I heard of many ‘broken hearts’.



2nd Taiwan trip. Most scary

The second trip to Taiwan was mainly loaded with ammunitions in the tank deck and utility vehicles up on the main deck. Towards the end of the cruise, we hit a storm that lasted a few days. The sky was perpetually overcast, wind was howling with rain. Because astro-navigation was not possible, we had to depend on DR (dead reckoning) or in another word, estimates. Without knowing the prevailing currents, it’s impossible to determine an accurate position. It must have been stressful for the CO and NO. On top this; the scariest part was the dangerous cargo we were carrying. The ship was really tossing up and down, rolling too much to left and right. We worried the cargo may broke loose and explode on impact or collision. I don’t really think anyone onboard where ready for that kind of emergency. The storm passed and the CO and XO must be really relieved.

4 hours late

We messaged our HQ with primitive radio using morse-code of our ETA based on our estimation. But alas, we were late by 4 hours. We subsequently heard that the Head of Army with his Taiwanese counterparts were waiting at the wharf for our arrival. Imagine how embarrass he was when we were 4 hours late. My CO had a trashing and we really felt sorry for him. We were thinking, how to explain to an army bloke about the storm, loss of navigation, primitive navigation and communications equipment. How to let the army guys appreciate the ship cruise at 6 to 10 knots and if we were out by 30 miles, it meant 4 hours! Under the circumstance, an error of 30 miles over a trip distance of 1350 was not really unacceptable. Unfortunately this error can only be confirmed by the ship’s radar within 50 miles of landfall. The CO must have learnt a hard lesson. On hindsight he could have given a later ETA and hold the ship over water to achieve a punctual arrival.
When the job was done, it was time for R&R. The sailors brought their secret weapons of apples and coffee, ready to impress. We all had our shopping lists this round. I couldn’t remember which tour I took.

3rd Taiwan trip

By now, we were familiar with the operation. But this operation was special. It was to ferry our tanks and armour vehicles. To watch the ship beached, then the tanks rolled into the ship was like a set from the movies. The cruise to and fro was really uneventful and routine. Onboard, the officer after so many months together had also bonded. We often played cards in one of a diehard gambler’s cabin. During the R&R, together with my fellow officers, we went to Tainan and Chiayi by rail.

A few weeks after return from Kaohsiung, I ROD with mixed feeling.

SERVING OUT MY TIME IN THE NAVY

6 Months on RSS Freedom

I was posted to RSS Freedom P70. The ship had 4 officers and about 20 men. The officers were the CO, XO, NO and GO. I was the additional officer. I was not given any specific duties as all the key appointments were already assigned to well qualified officers. I was merely there to learn and get my competency in harbour and shore duties and keep watch as understudy at sea. I was thrown all the administrative duties as well as to handle the ship’s correspondence.

Unlike a midshipman, an officer was accorded due respect by the other ranks. Rank truly have its privileged. I was truly happy that due respect and recognition as accorded to a young man fresh out of school. Of course, I too was very conscious of my responsibilities that came with it.

During free time, the CO would gather the entire officers to play his favourites games, Poker Dice. It was quite addictive but we enjoyed it very much and we played for very small stakes. As time passed, we became better acquainted with each other and enjoyed the time together. We talked all things under the sun and shared our hope and aspiration. One of their major frustration and complaint was that they made a mistake joining the navy and wanted out. I was glad it did not ‘sign on’.

Living on Pulau Brani

I also became a member of the Brani Wardroom, (a naval officer mess). We were invited by some senior officers for drink. On one occasion, I was coerced to drink so much I became drunk and puked in the toilet. I remembered that terrible feeling and the heartbeats so fast liked it was exploding anytime. I learned and was more careful when caught in the group of drinkers.

I was also given a room in the officer block on the hilltop of Pulau Brani. It was a very small room and sparsely furnished. During the evening, while off duties, I learnt to roller blade. But most of the time, we spend time playing card. Sometimes we booked our self out for ice-skating or just hang out.

Qualified as Naval Officer

After 3 months on this ship, I was given the ‘Certificate of Competency’ which qualifies me to be Officer of the Day in harbour. I would be responsible for the safety of the ship and crew when in harbour in the absence of the CO, conduct the sunrise and sunset ceremony.

From time to time, while on duties, the ship crew will report of any system failure. I had to learn fast and need to decide if there was a need to inform the CO. There were also time when some crew will try to wrangle the way to get a night off for their personal reason. But sometimes they were genuine and I need to show compassion and accommodated their request.

On the 5th month, I was awarded the Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate’. This meant I was competent to discharge my duty as ‘Officer of the Watch’ day or night, during operations such as patrol, SAR etc. It was a heavy responsibility especially keeping watch a night in the busy sea lane along the Straits of Singapore.

Close call

During a patrol around St John’s Island, I had a near miss with a large tanker. It was frightening experience seeing a big mass passing so close. I must have been complacent and misjudge but was really a good wake up call.




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COMMISSIONING CEREMONY AT ISTANA

Commissioning Ceremony


After 18 months of training, I was told I have passed and will be going to Istana to attend the commissioning ceremony. The sad thing was a few of my mates never made it.
We were to wear the ceremonial dress for this event. Parents were also invited. The day arrived and all of us were ferried to the Istana. As usual, in any military events, we were hours ahead of schedule. My Mom and Dad hired a car and I remembered, they were to enter Istana from Sophia Road entrance. From there they were ushered to their seats.

Dr Goh Keng Swee

The Defence Minister was the guest of Honour. One by one, our names were called and we proudly walked up to receive our sword and certificate from Dr Goh. It was a moment of tremendous pride and satisfaction for me. It also meant responsibility as a commissioned officer. Of course there was the speech which I cannot remember followed by 10 course Chinese dinner.

Proud Father and Mother

My father was very happy and proud. He must be profoundly aware that not many parents had the opportunity to be invited to the Istana for dinner as only a small percentage of young men made it to officer grade. My mother was rather stressed and anxious; maybe the event was rather overwhelming for her. For me, it was one way to repay and show gratitude to the struggles and hardship my parent gone through to bring me up.

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TRAINING ON OPERATIONAL SHIPS

RSS Freedom, 'A' Class Patrol Craft

My first posting was to RSS Freedom. The captain has the reputation of being the ‘most on’ in the navy. The XO was highly intelligent. Apparently he scored straight ‘A’s at “O” Level but didn’t want any further study. From the time I stepped on board, I was asked questions after questions. Of course I couldn’t answer most and was humiliated to the dogs. It was ragging of sort or could have been the navy way of ‘initiation’ to be an officer. I felt terrible but deep in my heart I had made up my mind to persevere, especially after going through the storm over the Bay of Bengal. I learnt the hard ways but didn’t mind all the hurts; I was focus to be commission as officer.





Most of the training was keeping watch on the bridge, when the ship conducted patrol on the busy lanes in the Straits of Singapore between Horsburgh Lighthouse, St. John Islands and to the west, Raffles Lighthouse. Here we applied Rules of the Seas, either by taking avoiding actions or stay the course. It was more complex at night when you only see the lights of the ships. I also familiarised myself with the sea boundaries between the littoral states of Indonesia and Malaysia and learned to recognise the types of ships. Here I learnt that Indo custom boats we call ‘BT’ often went after our fishing boats for money.

RSS Dauntless

My second posting was to a ‘B’ class patrol craft. I couldn’t remember much what happen during those 2 months. I can only deduce that it was uneventful. Perhaps the captain must be rather ‘switch off’.


RSS Dragon

This was a Missile Gun Boat or MGB, the most important and v
aluable asset in the navy. It was commanded by a senior officer. The ship can speed up the 45 knots. When she did that, she was like skiing on the s

ea, leaving behind the ship an awful wake from the 4 powerful engines.
The captain left us to the ship’s XO to train us. I was treated with more respect and given duties on the bridge under the supervision of the other officers.

Rammed a Fishing Boat.

One night, a suspicious boat was detected on the radar. I said suspicious because, her lights were all switched off which should not be the case. The captain was awakened and decided to investigate. That night my assigned duty was to manage the throttle control (like accelerator on a car). The captain manoeuvred the ship by giving commands to advance or reverse the engines through 4 throttle levers. As the spotlight shone on the boat, I noticed it to be an Indonesian wooden fishing boat as the crew spoke Malay. The captain wanted to get nearer the boat and gave a series of command on the throttle. Instead of pushing the lever backward, I inadvertently advance it, causing the ship to surge forward and rammed the fishing boat in the right bow (front). I remembered dreadfully a few pieces of planks broke. The damage was not very serious. I was relieved of my duties immediately. The captain spoke to the fisherman but I was too dumbfounded to follow the conversation.

Taking responsibility

The fishermen were warned to stay off Singapore water and left without further incident. I was reprimanded for my mistake and was very remorseful but I felt he was far too lenient to me. For the next few hours, I was totally dazed, sad and worried as the reality sank in. What happen if that boat was badly damaged? What if he reports me to my superiors? Will my officer training be terminated and my aspiration destroyed? I saw him next day but I dare not raise any questions. Weeks passed and nothing happened and I was relieved.
I appreciated that as a captain, he has taken the responsibility for someone else mistake. He was forgiving and wasn’t hard on me. It is lesson of humility for me. Be firm, kind and understanding to your men under your charge and you will earn eternal respect from them.

Steep Learning Curve

The last 5 months of on-the -job training has exposed me to actual duties I was expected to confront in the future. I had observed the styles and mannerism of many officers and it’s for me to emulate the good and avoid the bad. It was really a steep learning curve. I was 19 and soon I had to handle men double my age. Some men literally “eaten more salt” than me. I still need to improve and develop my interpersonal skill. Indeed, learning will never end. That is a fact of life.
Soon I will receive my commission and this chapter of my life will closed and new chapter will begins





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OUTWARD BOUND SCHOOL

Outward Bound School

After the sea cruise, we had some days off. Our next phase of Midshipman Training was to attend the 3 weeks Outward Bound School in Pulau Ubin. The purpose of this training was confidence building as well inculcating other qualities such as teamwork, discipline, resourcefulness and leadership. We had heard of this course so many times. To us, it’s another 3 weeks of adventure and we were raring to go.

Welcome and Introduction

From Punggol Point we were ferried there buy bumboats. We assembled at OBS School and met with other eager trainees sponsored by various organisations. We were allocated to billets and was as to changed and begin our training. This time we were introduced to all our trainers. We were divided into group and played some games as ‘ice-breaker’, to get to know the other members. One of the first activities was to bend down, spin 50 round and run straight which we discovered was impossible. We had good laugh when some just ran amok. Our final welcome activity was to walk across the stream. To the uninitiated, this wasn’t a stream; it was a swamp with 2 feet deep of smelly mud. I waded through with little difficulties as I have done this scooping fish from a stream near my house. For those who never did it before, it was sure hell especially when the shoes were stuck and had to put their hand in the mud to salvage the shoes. After that, it must be the best and longest shower for some.

So Many Activities

We did the ‘Fire Fox’, sliding down a few hundred feet on the rope on the fireman chair. Other activities include basic rock climbing and abseiling, walking about 30 feet on tight rope and many more I cannot remember. It was really fun and enjoyable for me.

Canoeing

This was one of the toughest courses for me. Firstly, my arm muscle was my weakest link, secondly my partner was an SIA admin officer, and he was even weaker than me. We set off in a group from Ubin, followed by a safety boat and rowed all the way to the Causeway. From there, we canoed back. We camped for the night on a smaller island off Tekong. We had to cook and eat our ration provided. The next morning, we canoed again and my canoe was always the last of the pack. I felt it provided 3 quarters of the muscles as my mate just couldn’t coup. My arms were real sore after 3 days of canoeing. But it was really satisfying to complete the relay. That I think was the essence of the course. Focus, discipline, determination and sheer hard work make all thing impossible possible.

Solo Nights.

We were each given rations and tent and discarded on an isolated spot and live there for the next 3 days. I was a kampong boy, well acquainted with darkness and noises of night creatures. This place was no different except it didn’t have a roof. So for the next 3 days, while some of my mates suffered in fear and anxiety, I enjoyed doing nothing, just relaxing, eating and sleeping.

Topo March

This was a team effort to go from one point to another. It was here one can show leadership. The participants from other organisations took it seriously. We took a step backward and let them run the show as we don’t need to prove any leadership. At the same time, we had done this so many times since our days in school.

End of Course

We were graded but it was not relevant to the navy. We earned our OBS badge and certificate. I thoroughly enjoyed this course as it was an adventure as there wasn’t any regiment involved in all the daily activities. No fall in and fall out and no flag rising.
It’s back to Midshipman school to prepare for next phase of the training. We will be posted to various ships for on the job training before commissioning as a 2nd Lieutenant. But prior to ship posting, we had leave. Together with a few friends, we went to Kuala Lumpur and Penang for a couple of days.

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PHUKET

Phuket

We were met by the Royal Thai Navy off Phuket.Thai naval officers boarded and help guided our ship alongside the jetty with the assistance of a tug boat. The jetty was small and look neglected and damaged. The place doesn’t look like a naval base, rather a smaller fishing village.

Painting the shipside

As usual, they were always duties and training planned for the midshipman. One of the major jobs here was painting the shipside. This was quite dangerous and tedious. We had to use the bosun ladder, lowered from the main deck, with long pole and brush, paint the side of the ship with navy grey. I didn’t have to do it as I was assigned other duties. But there were plenty of chores as we were preparing the ship to return to Singapore in shipshape condition.

Going Ashore

We took the local cab to town. As usual, we bought some souveniors. I was with an avid photographer and we went sightseeing in the island. Not much to see other than some temple and a panoramic view of Phuket from the hill top.

The night scene

Inche Wee, our fatherly officer who had been with us for 1 year now insist he wanted to show us around and see the ‘must see’. He rounded up about 10 of us, less all the ‘holy’ guys. He took us to a bar. It was dimly lighted and was crowded guests and many young hostesses. We took our seats and ordered beers. In the centre of the bar, was a stage. On the stage were many young girls, skimpily dress dancing around vertical poles. Late into the night, there was the famous “tiger show”. It was one hell of a captivating scene for most of us. We were bewildered, excited, confused and even enlightened. It was also quite a dilemma for some of us as we wondered whether we should be in such place at all. Nevertheless, it was an eye opener and we learned to view life from another perspective.

Sailing home

It had been a very long two months for us midshipman. In the days of no internet or mobile phones, we really haven’t any idea how were our families as well as any news at home or around the world. I was sure my parents must have worried for me but I don’t remember feeling homesick. But I did look forward to share my tales with all my peers and friends. I suppose it was my time to tell my stories, boast a bit rather than listening to other people’s tales.

Home n End of Cruise

The ship berthed at Bedok Jetty. We packed all our belongings into the army issued ‘Ali Baba’ bag. It was really a long way home from Bedok to Chong Pang, lugging the heavy bag. I lost weight and turned black from the constant sunburn. These two months had been a baptism of life, experiences that are not available in any textbooks. Mentally, I grew up a lot. I must admit that I had been lucky with life so far as thing were going my way, my aspirations realised.

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COLOMBO TO PHUKET

Back to Colombo


We sailed back to Colombo. We stayed in Colombo for another week whiles the ship underwent some maintenance as well as to take care of the logistics. We spend some times ashore relaxing in Colombo but didn’t do much.

Naval Reception

The ship organised a reception on board for the senior officer of the Ceylon Navy. It was held on the main deck. The wives were also invited. We had plenty of liquor and finger food prepared by the ship’s cooks. I was mingling around with some of our guests. And I realised some of the wife were barefooted. I found it rather unbelieving as they were wives of senior officers. I found out their Navy only had a few patrol crafts. The favourite finger food was cheese. In fact all the food and drink were clean out.

Setting course for Phuket

Mother Nature was kinder to us on the return journey. The sea was calmer over the Bay of Bengal. Perhaps we were accustomed to the pitch and roll. By now were we comfortable living onboard the ship. Most of us can even doze off any hidden corners. About two of my cohorts suffered from chronic sea sickness. After their return from this cruise, they were grounded for shore duties. Most of our training was completed by this leg. On calm day, we played volleyball. Now a new game was added to ship’s sport. We played deck hockey, with puck made from rope into a ring and similar in shape and size like a donut. In the evening, we had sing-a-long session. The camaraderie had been established and we really enjoyed the company of our fellow mates.

Phuket sighted

As usual, we see the mountain peaks in the distant. Then the coast line becomes visible. What made the difference was the colour of the sea as we approached the jetty. It was green and indicated that the water was clear over coral or sand. No wonders this was a tourist delight. And this stopover was purely an ‘R & R’ approved by the Navy. The seasoned sailors were all looking forward for this stop and were really very excited. We were escorted by Thai Navy ship to the jetty. It was a small jetty used by meant for small ship and we seem to be rather big for it. They were many local on the jetty watching and welcoming us.

EDEN

Eden

We had shore leave for Eden. The ship officers had warned us to be careful with what we do and say. We were not allowed to take photograph. The place seems lifeless. There was nothing of interest to see or do. As such, I cannot recall how the place looks like as there was nothing impressive to give me a lasting memory.

The Mission

The ship now received permission to enter the harbour and berth alongside the wharf. So it was another operational job. The ship had to weigh anchor, secure the boats, the gantry ladder and all loose objects. The ship engineers needed at least 4 hours to warm up the engines while the ship gyro compass need a few hours to stabilise to initialise the heading. Many more routines were carried out to secure the ship for sail again. Finally under the guidance of the harbour pilot; the ship was berthed and ready to carry the ‘secret’ cargo. The cargo was a squadron to T33 Thunderbird unused RAF airplanes Singapore had bought for our RSAF. All the loading was carried out at night. The cargo wrapped in canvas was loaded in the tank deck through the hatch on the main deck with heavy cranes.


Goodbye to Eden

The next day, we set sail for Colombo again. I didn’t miss this place but nevertheless was a good experience. So we said goodbye to Eden. We steamed back to Colombo. Training and living on the ship became routine and the excitement had finally worn off.

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PASSAGE TO EDEN

Cruise to Eden

Our ship set sail towards the Indian Ocean, then picked up north westerly heading over the Arabian Sea. We continued with our training as well as performing ship’s duties such as keeping watch on the bridge and celestial navigation. The journey was approximately 7 days over the vast blue ocean.

Deck Volleyball









The sea was kinder to us on this leg as there was no storm. Some days the weather was almost perfect. Our ship XO organised deck volleyball on the ship maindeck. A long rope was stretch from the bow to the bridge. Then the volleyball was hung from this rope to prevent it going overboard. We really enjoyed the game and can get pretty competitive at times but it relieved boredom and also brought us some sense of normality. See photo above.


Land Ahoy!!!




Once again, we spotted landfall. The dark grey mountains appeared clearer and bigger as we approached the Red Sea. Eden is the capital of South Yemen. The harbour pilot guided us to our anchorage point. We did not have permit to enter the harbour. Instead the ship anchored a few miles off the coast. From here, we utilised the ship’s smaller boats, LCVP (Light Craft Vehicle and Personnel) to ferry ship’s personnel to and fro harbour. The Midshipmen were tasked with this duty. I was also part of the training.

Boat Handling

The LCVP had to be lowered to the sea with the derrick cranes. Boat handling was part of our training. We took turn to do ferry runs to and fro harbour under the watching eyes of the boat sergeant. The LCVP was armoured plated, designed to carry marines and light vehicles from ship and beach on land. It was fun and thrilling driving this boat. Coming alongside the jetty or shipside required judgement, some skill and experience. (That's me handling the boat)




Skin completely burnt

Over the month, I had so many sun burns until I had no more skin left to be burn. I was born dark and now become darker. Under the intense heat in the Middle East and the hot sun, I was now completely blackened. I wondered if my family and friends could recognise me. I had lost some weight too and now even more skinny.



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COLOMBO, SIGHTSEEING

Pick pocketed and cheated


The city is within walking distance from the harbour. We moved around in groups. There were streets urchins and men following us, some selling souvenirs, stamps and some changing money. I felt rather irritated and became distracted by the constant touting and harassment. My favourite Parker pen was picked. One of them who had been trying to sell me stamps, pasted on a thin cardboard must have hooked it away with this thin cardboard. I was also cheated US$10. Because I was tempted by the superior exchange rate I was tricked. I was asked to place my money in an envelope he gave me. He sealed the enveloped, returned it to me and asked me to wait while he looked for his boss. Of course he never returned. It was a classic case of ‘envelope switching’ which I learned later. I was naive but I was glad I learnt my lesson early. This lesson augurs well for me as I am to travel extensively in my adult life. It was a real time lesson for street-wisdom.

The city of Colombo



The city was the capital of Ceylon (today called Sri Lanka) with 2 or 3 storeys colonial styled buildings, somewhat similar to Singapore. The streets were rather dirty and the places were crowded with people. Many of them were just wondering around aimlessly. Not to mention, there were also many beggars. Some people just stared at us. English was the widely spoken language. The local spoke Tamil and Singhalese. Like a birds out of the cage, we just went wild shopping. Basically we wanted to buy souvenirs. I bought a black iron-wood book stand, crafted with elephants and till in good condition till this day, after more than 30 years. There were many gems shops dealing with semi-precious stones like topaz, sapphires, cat-eyes and rubies which I did not buy. I had a big meal of jumbo crabs with my friends at Nanking Chinese Restaurant.

Like a tourist

We snapped many photograph of Colombo. See below.



Kandy

A tour was organised for the midshipman to visit the city of Kandy. It was situated north and centre of the island. It is the cultural capital of Ceylon and house many temples, both Buddhist and Hindu. It was a centre for local art and crafts. I couldn’t remember much of what I saw during the tour. Nevertheless, the journey up there was still educational and relaxing especially having been on the high seas for more than a week.






We spend a few more days wondering around the streets of Colombo. In between, we had to do sentry duties on board as well as the usual chores of washing clothes and packing our sleep area.

Goodbye to Colombo

Our ship left Colombo after one week. Our next destination was Eden. Besides midshipman training, the navy had a secret mission to accomplish in this socialist country call Yemen.




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COLOMBO, CEYLON

Training never stop

I had been a momentous 7 days on the high sea and was really a humbling experience for most of us, 18 years old, we were neither kid nor grown-up. After the storm, we all had ‘grown up’ a little bit. We missed the comfort of home and really appreciated the calmer sea. While the living condition was not that great, we enjoyed the company of friends. There were some pressure while on training as we had to attend lessons, understudy the duties of various naval officers. We were rostered watch-keeping on the bridge as well as spending time in the engine room. We took it on our strides and not succumb to pressure as we were constantly appraised by our officers to judge our suitability to make the grade of naval officers.

Entering the Harbour

By the 8th day at sea, we were anxiously awaiting for landfall. It’s a kind of kid excitement; nevertheless I thought it very human. It has been ‘water, water, water everywhere’ so the first sighting of land got the whole ship excited. Man, we were going to walk on land again!

Approaching the Harbour

Harbour Duties

The ship was met by harbour pilot who guided her into Colombo harbour. The crows and albatross were circling all over the ship. We took up duties manning the fenders and ropes as the tug boat berthed us alongside the wharf. There were hives of activities on the main deck as sailors secured the ship for the layover. Such as lowering the gantry and setting up the guard rails and erecting the guard post for guards. The ship needed to be tidy up as we foreign naval officers and visitors and all deck equipment must be properly stowed. As midshipman we were tasked to assist the officer to maintained security. Sentries were to book sailors out and salute any officer boarding and disembarking the ship.

The colombo harbour


First step with the sea leg

The navy call it shore leave. It means off day at specified times. For midshipmen, dress code remained long sleeves with ties. The weather was similar to Singapore, hot and humid. The first few steps on ground, we felt a bit apprehensive. We have been balancing each and every step while on board the ship. Now it was almost surreal that the ground was just too calm. As I have mentioned earlier, this was a good bargain for NS. 5 days free holiday in Ceylon. A trip had been planned for us to go up-country to the ancient capital city of Kandy.




Walking to the city of colombo





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CELESTIAL NAVIGATION

Ever wonder how the earlier mariners sailed around the world, discovered new territories and yet able to return home without being lost. Here's the answer.

CELESTIAL NAVIGATION

Since time immemorial, human race has been finding their way from the heaven, following the heavenly bodies that never fail to appear at the onset of darkness. Many of the stars have Arabic names because the people of the desert used them for direction and later on did the mariners across the sea and ocean. Celestial Navigation is the art as well as a science of navigating by the stars, sun, moon and planets. Of course, with the inventions of electronic and radio, it loses its importance. More so today, the uses of GPS from satellites have assigned this form of navigation to history.

The concept

The stars are very distant from the earth. As a result it appeared constant and can be spotted at the same place every night. Just like the sun, we know where it will rise and the inclination at a certain time. But as the season changes, some shifts can be expected. As time changes, so do the inclination from the earth. In another word, one can predict that a certain star almost accurately its bearing and inclination at a specified time. Astronomers and mathematicians thus were able to work out a table to infer position from the bearing, inclination and times of the stars. The tables are call the ‘nautical almanac’ and ‘sight reduction table’.

Shooting the stars

Before we used the marine sextant to measure the inclinations of selected stars, one has to do his homework to find out what stars were visible from the ship's position together with the anticipated bearing(azimuth) and inclination(altitude). Good choice should be stars that were easily recognised and shots taken from different directions of the ship. Mariners were limited to dawn and twilight to take shots. At these times, both the horizon and only the brightest of star become visible and identifiable. The sextants measure the altitudes of the stars from the horizon. Precision timing to the nearest second must be noted at the time the ‘shot’ was taken. 3 stars altitudes were needed to get a ‘fix’ or position. Of course, the moon, planets and the sun at noon where it was at its highest point were also used to obtain position lines.

Plotting the position.

Once the readings were taken, it’s back to the chart table to complete a complex set of calculations to determine position lines. Initially we were completely lost when we can’t even get one position line to plot on the chart. As time went by, we improved and learned from mistakes. Till this day, I still remembered a quotation on the nautical almanac. It read, “MAN IS NEVER LOST, ONLY TEMPORARILY MISPLACED”. It has since been adopted as my personal life philosophy.

Meridian Passage.

The aim is to find the sun highest altitude at around noon. After a set of calculation, a mariner can now determine the ship latitude. In layman term, how far is the ship away from the equator.

My greatest respect for the ancient mariner

Having gone through this training, I now realised how brave and courageous the ancient mariners were. Depending only on wind to sail with compass, inaccurate sextants, and rudimentary tables, they were able to navigate around the world. Of course many were lost and shipwrecked. Nevertheless, thesa pioneera were precursors to modern day electronic navigators like the INS and GPS. First the sailing yacht, the steam engines and then the diesel engines and eventually modern aviation. Without the knowledge of navigation, we could never find our destinations across the ocean and the land mass.




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THE SEA TRAINING

Lesson Plan

The purpose of this training was to expose us to maritime operations. It allowed us to put into practice all that we had studied in classroom during the last 6 months. This was especially so for seamanship and navigation. The sea training was also to give us greater appreciation and awareness of the duties of the sailors.

We had to spend time in the engine room, operate electronic and communications equipment as well as the ship radar system. One of the most tiring jobs was ship maintenance. This included chipping away the rust, paint with red oxide followed by another layer of paint. Painting shipside requires the use of hanging (Boson) ladder. We were taught on handling the ropes and fenders when the ships enter or leave the harbour.


People skill

The ship environment is very different from that of the army. Here everyone is sort of a specialist and almost indispensible. Interpersonal and communication skill are very vital to get the ship's crew to accomplish a mission. The leadership skill of the naval officer is very different from that of an army officer. We were taught to be humble and learn as much as possible from the experience sailors. Not only did we learned a lot, but also earned their respect. Ironically, someday we became their boss.

Weather and the Environment

We had been baptised by the storm at the Bay of Bengal and successfully 'commissioned' our sea legs. This part of the training can never be simulated in the classroom. We had learned to appreciate the wind, rain and thunderstorm in the ocean, the darkness in the empty ocean at night. The high wave and the monster swell were a lesson of humility and opened our eyes to the power of nature. We learned to be safe and make the necessary adjustment and adapt according to the changing environment. One of the biggest lessons I learned was to be ‘ship shape’. It simply means to be prepared and ready for any impending adverse weather or any unforseen situation. This applies to our daily life.

Understudy the ship’s officer

Watch keeping was another part of the job training. Here we learned from the experience officer the essential of keeping the ship safe and avoiding collision. Rules of the Sea must be observed. Some of the seasoned officers were really tough and asked a lot of questions. But we learned despite being humiliated at times.

Each watch was 4 hours. The most tiring watch was the from midnight to 4 in the morning. The 'OOW' or officer of the watch has 2 lookouts and l radar operator. Captain of the ship never kept watch; he is only on the bridge when the ship leaves and enters harbour or in emergency. Up on the bridge can be very boring but can also be a serence and peaceful place for time to reflect, especially during dark night filled with stars while the ship sailed through the calm sea.


Communication

The ship was equipped with all kind of communication equipment from VHF to HF. Besides using electronic, the navy ship also communicates using light and flags when in close range to prevent enemy interception. We learned to send and receive messages through flashing lights. The use of Morse-code on the radio set was beyond us. But we need to memorise all the flags that represent each alphabets and numerals. These were normally used to identify or represent the ship’s status when operating in a fleet.

Celestial Navigation

The major exercise was celestial navigation. It was a bread and butter subject for naval officer whether in the military or merchant navy. 3 times a day, dawn, noon and dusk, we had to use the marine sextants to ‘shoot’ the stars, moon and sun to obtain their inclinations from the horizon. Then we went through a set of calculation to determine the ship’s position. More details on my next blog.




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1ST LESSON. POWER OF NATURE

Goodbye to calm sea

The sea was generally calm as we sailed through the Straits of Malacca. As we approached the tip of Sumatra, I could feel the slight gentle roll of the ship. I observed some swell on the sea. A little balancing was required. The old sea hands had mentioned about ‘sea legs’. Some birds were still flying around especially at the ship stern. There were still some ships in sight.

The emptiness of the vast ocean.

As the ship passed the northern tip of Sumatra, she turned port on westerly heading towards Colombo. The land disappeared from the horizon as the ship entered the Bay of Bengal. For the first time in my life, I understood the meaning of the emptiness of the vast ocean. I thought of those brave ancient mariners who sailed into the unknown. All they had were some rudimentary navigational equipment but abundant of courage and hope to fulfil and prove the theories were correct.


2nd day Bay of Bengal.

The sky was overcast with grey clouds and the ship sailed alone in the Bay of Bengal. The sea swell had become larger with ‘white horses’ and the ship rolled even more. Not only that, when it hit a big swell, the ship pitched up and down. Increasing, it became difficult to walk on the deck without the balancing act. My stomach was upset and loss my appetite completely. The discomfort get worst by the hours. Soon, I was running to the heads to puke. I lost count of the number of times I puked. I wasn’t alone suffering. Most of my mates suffered the same fate and wondered why we choose the navy to suffer.

Cure for sea sickness.

My Inche assigned us ship duties to keep us mentally and physically occupied. He told me that I must continue to eat even if I was going to puke. As I was helpless, I took his fatherly advice. I ate and puked. The sea conditions got worst and there was also rain. The ship rolled as much as 30 degrees on both side and the pitching become more violent each time when the bow hit big waves. Staying in the cabin was the worst. The best place was to remain on the main deck with fresh air. Some of my colleagues were now totally a mental wrecked confined to the bunk listlessly. I continue to stay and did my assigned duties, ate and puked. The feeling was really terrible and really regretted joining the Navy.

3 days of puking

Yes, I puked for 3 full days and then miracle happened. The sea sickness just left me and I was back to my old self. Most of my peers too recovered. In spite of the pitch and roll, I realised I had found my 'sea legs'. I never got sea sick again in my entire NS. By now I could console my sea sick friends and also disturbed one very arrogant mate who used to boast of his martial arts experience. I remembered teasing him and he begged me not to disturb him. Sea sickness is such a helpless ordeal. Going through it was like the end of the world. There was no escape from the high seas. This compound the mental agony of helplessness.

The Ocean

By now, I was able to appreciate the vastness of the ocean as well as the power of nature. At night, I could see more stars than anytime I had at home. On board the ship, I appreciate how important each crew was to the ship. Working in cramp environments especially getting to the engine room through the shaft was dangerous. At night, if any crew fell overboard, it was as good as saying permanent goodbye. So it was very important for the crew to observed safety seriously and looking after one another. As officer, the safety of the ship and crew are paramount with no compromise. That was the training and exposure we the midshipmen were supposed to appreciate and learn.

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SEA CRUISE TO EDEN

The Ship Set Sail on Sept 1974

All the final preparations were completed. The ship was commanded by Major Raju and the XO (Executive Officer) was a season merchant navy officer Cpt Anthony Chan. The ship slipped off Bedok Jetty and all of us were lined up on the main deck for the traditional naval ceremony when a ship leaved harbour.

As we sailed into the Straits of Singapore, we were met by PC and MGB as ascots sailing along side this grand old dame. As they came abeam us, they gave the traditional naval salute by ‘piping’ and lowering the flag as a mark of respect to the ‘senior’ ship. By protocol, Endurance had to reciprocate the same gesture. The navy have a lot of naval traditions, naval terminology and jargon. Naval officers take all these very seriously and they take immense pride of this heritage. In Britain, the Navy is the lead service and all royals had to go through naval training.

(Left and below, escort ships at the Southern Islands)










Moment of Excitement

The ship sailed through the Singapore Straights, passing St John Island, then the Raffles Lighthouse and after passing the Sultan Lighthouse entered the Straits of Malacca. The sea was calm and the scenery was great. On the starboard (right) side was Malaysia and on the port (left) was Sumatra. I had a lot of great expectations from this trip. I know I will return to tell many exciting stories to my friends. Many of us midshipmen was just thinking and wondering, what a bonus for NS boy! Fully paid cruise for 2 months. We were all eager for the adventures.

Our home in the sea

As midshipmen, we were accommodated in the aft mess rigged with 3 tiers bunks. This was our home for the entire 2 months of this training cruise. The aft mess was designed to carry army troops. Behind the bunks were the heads (toilets) and showers. It was really cramped and when the air conditioning broke down, this place became a sauna. Nevertheless, we adjusted well and that how sailors developed strong bond, learning to share, give and take, living in compact space, literally rubbing shoulders
every day. (Left--- Mess for dining and homework, Below, Bunks)


Engine Trouble.

One day after setting sail, the ship developed engine trouble and needed to returned to port for immediate repairs. It took 3 days for the repair work and we were given permission to return home but I choose to stay onboard. Going home was inconvenient for me and may raise unnecessary anxiety for my parents.

Sail Off Again

This time no fanfare and we slipped away quietly. By then we were also quiet familiar with the ship and had settled down to the ship's routines. Everything was peaceful until we entered the Bay of Bengal, just north of Sumatra.




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Midshipman Sea Cruise

Bedok Jetty

RSS Endurance was berthed at UMPCJetty, now known as Bedok Jetty. In those days, the east coast was just reclaimed and the surrounding area was muddy during rain. The area was isolated and trees and wild shrubs grew. To access the jetty, we had to walk along dirt road with no lighting. After disembarking the bus at marine parade, just off Nallur Road, I had to make the 10 minutes trek hauling my bag with all my personal items for the 2 months cruise.

History of RSS Endurance (LS201)

Previously known as USS Holmes County (LST836). It’s a Landing Ship Tank designed to carry troop and tanks with beaching capability and operate in shallow water. This ship was launched on 29 Oct 1944. She served in the US Navy during WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War and was decommissioned in 1971. She was transferred to Singapore Navy on 1 July 1971 at a nominal fee and renamed RSS Endurance (LS201). RSN assigned her callsign A82.

Ship Specifications

The ship has a displacement of 4000 tons. Its length was 328 feet, beam 50 feet and draft between 3 to 10 feet depending on the operation it was engaged. It had a maximum speed of 12 knots and endurance of 24.000 miles. It has two boats (LCVP). The ship has payload of 1900 tons. She had a tank deck and main deck. It has a bow door and bow ramp to facilitate movement of vehicles into the tank deck and main deck during beaching operation. It has many ballast tanks and almost flat heel to enable the ship to beach in shallow water. The ship has 2 forward and 2 aft 40mm Bofor Anti-aircraft guns as its main armament. The ship was propelled by two 900 hp diesel engines, with two shafts and twin rudders.

RSS Endurance beached at East Coast Park

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