With the adoption of the
Singapore strategy in the 1920s as a key cornerstone of Imperial Defence, Singapore and Malaya became the major British bases in the East, not only to defend
British possessions in Asia, but also the
dominions of Australia and New Zealand, who also contributed a large portion of the construction costs.[1]
Up to the 1920s Malaya and Singapore were seen as benign areas, and as such only a small Ordnance Depot was located on the small Island of
Palau Brani in Singapore Harbour.[2][3] By 1937 a New Base Ordnance Depot and Workshops had been completed in Alexandra, Singapore.[4] In the early 1940s tensions with Japan were rising, so a steady but insufficient reinforcement of Malaya command was undertaken, and by the start of hostilities in December 1941 many units of the
Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC),
Indian Army Ordnance Corps (IAOC) and
Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC) had been dispatched to the region.
Singapore would capitulate in February 1942 in what was to be the largest loss of manpower, resources and stature in the Empire's history and it would not be until late 1945 the British forces returned. Post war, Britain and other Commonwealth nations retained military forces in the region to fight the communist insurgency, deal with the confrontation with Indonesia and nurture the independence of Malaysia and Singapore until 1989 when the New Zealand forces departed Singapore.
From the beginning of the commitment to the defence of Malaya and Singapore, the
RAOC,
IAOC,
AAOC and the
Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC) were working behind the scenes keeping the forces supplied, and during the 1950s and 60s working with and handing over their responsibility and facilities to their Singaporean and Malaysian counterparts as their nations became self-sufficient.
Ordnance Services Singapore RAOC residual unit withdrawn in 1975
Ammunition Depots
443 Base Ammunition Depot, Kranji Singapore 1945–1969[12]
Ammo Sub Depot, Blakang Mati island (now Sentosa) 1948–1965 [15]
3 BOD Ammo Sub Depot 1969–1971 formed when 443 BAD closed[12]
Attap Valley Ammunition Depot Formally the Armament Depot of the British Naval Base, the majority of the depot was handed back to the Singapore Government in 1972 by the RAOC, but several Explosive Storehouses (ESH) were retained as the ammunition depot of the
RNZAOCNZAOD until 1989.
Vehicle Depots
221 Vehicle Company 1945–195?9 King George then Park Jurong Road, Singapore,[12] renamed to 221 Base Vehicle Depot
221 Base Vehicle Depot, Tebrau, Johore Bahru, Malaya, 195?- 1969
Sub depot at Kranji with Centurion tanks
3 BOD Vehicle Sub Depot 1969–1971, formed when 221 BVD closed
Ordnance Field Parks
28th Commonwealth Brigade Ordnance Field Park (28 OFP) 1955–1970) Taiping and Ternadak 28 OFP was a RAOC and RAAOC unit capable of fully mobile operations and level of support required for brigade operations. Most of the vehicles Binned vehicles and wagons, fully equipped and stocked with spares to support the brigade in the field. Stores replenishment was achieved through sustainment runs to 3 BOD Singapore.[16]
35 Independent Infantry Brigade Ordinance Field Park, Kuala Lumper, Kluang and Muar, Malaya, May 1955 -19?[17]
48 Gurkha Inf Bde Ordnance Field Park, Withdrawn from Malaya, 25 Aug 1950 reinforced with vols from Singapore and renamed 27 Inf Bde OFP[12]
63 Brigade Ordnance Field Park, Kluang, Malaya C1957[12]
3 Commando Brigade Ordnance Field Park, Singapore, Borneo, Singapore Jan 1964 –1974[12]
19 (Airportable) Ordnance Field Park, Singapore/Borneo, Feb 65 – Jan 66 [12]
97 Ordnance Maintenance Park Formed at Labuan, Borneo early 1965 by renaming OFP Labuan, Feb 67 relocated to Singapore[12]
98 Ordnance Maintenance Park Formed at Kuching, Borneo Oct 1964 by renaming 98 OFP, moved to Singapore Dec 1966, disbanded Jan 1967[12]
2 Supply Depot (Transferred from RASC) Taiping then Kluang, Malaya 1965-19?[12]
3 Supply Depot (Transferred from RASC) Ipho then Malacca, Malaya 1965-19?[12]
4 Supply and Petroleum Reserve Depot (4 SPRD) (Transferred from RASC) Dover Road, Singapore 1965–1968,Navy took over distribution of bulk food and all stocks from 4 SPRD transferred to the Naval Base. The rest of the depot became part of 3 BOD[12]
50 Supply Depot (Transferred from RASC) Labuan, Borneo 1965-19?[12]
55 Supply Depot, Sembawang Naval basin, became ANZUK Supply Depot in 1972
62 Supply Depot (Transferred from RASC) Malaya 1965-19?[12]
70 or 71 Supply Depot (Transferred from RASC) Kuching, Borneo 1965-19?[12]
6 Boat Stores Depot (Transferred from RASC) Singapore, 1965-19?[12]
Other Ordnance units
21 Air Maintenance Platoon, Kuala Lumpur Malaya 1949–1957[13]
FSTS ==Forward Stores Transit Section in Tawau
Combat Supplies Platoon, 3 Squadron, RCT, Terandak Camp, Malaysia. 1965–1969[18]
ANZUK Force 1971–1974
ANZUK Ordnance Depot ANZUK Ordnance Depot was the Ordnance component, manned by service personnel from the RAOC, RAAOC and RNZAOC with locally employed civilians (LEC) performing the basic clerical, warehousing and driving tasks. It was part of the ANZUK Support Group supporting the short lived
ANZUK Force in Singapore from August 1971 to September 1974. ANZUK Ordnance Depot was formed from the Australian/NZ 5 AOD and UK 3BOD and consisted of:[19]
Stores Sub Depot
Vehicle Sub Depot
Ammunition Sub Depot
Barrack Services Unit
ANZUK Supply Depot, Note: Although an Army Service Corps unit, RAOC personnel were employed in it.[20]
^McIntyre, W. David (1979). The Rise and Fall of the Singapore Naval Base, 1919–1942. Cambridge Commonwealth Series. London: MacMillan Press.
ISBN0333248678.
^Fernyhough, Alan Henry (1965). A History of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps, 1920-1945. Royal Army Ordnance Corps. p. 307.
^Steer, Brigadier Frank (1993). To the Warrior His Arms. Pen and Sword.
ISBN1844153290.
^
abWilliams, Phillip Hamlyn (2016). War on Wheels. The History Press. pp. 125–135.
ISBN9780750966238.