A heritage storyboard commemorating the oldest Royal Air Force (RAF) base in the Far East and the home of Singapore’s first and longest serving air defence unit, 160 Squadron, was unveiled today.
Produced by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), 160 Anti-Aircraft (AA) Alumni and 160 Squadron, the storyboard was launched by Mr Chan Chun Sing, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, at Block 450 at Seletar East Camp. Unveiling of the heritage storyboard by Mr Chan Chun Sing Photo credit: 160 AA Alumni
Built in 1930, Block 450 was the barracks for RAF personnel and subsequently AA gunners from 160 Squadron. Along with Block 179 and 32 bungalows, it was gazetted for conservation in June 2014. Known fondly by many as “Alpha”, Block 450 housed the operational flight of 160 Squadron between 1970 and 2002.
President of the 160 AA Alumni MAJ(NS) Jayson Goh said, “With URA’s conservation effort, Block 450 will now become a physical focal point not only for our servicemen to come and reminisce about the good old days in Seletar East Camp, but also for future generations to visit and learn more about Singapore’s heritage.”
Founded in Seletar East Camp on 1 June 1970, 160 Squadron is Singapore’s first and longest serving air defence squadron. Block 450 is therefore more than just home to generations of AA Gunners, it is also the birthplace of Singapore’s air defence fraternity. Block 450 from the old parade square
URA’s Director of Conservation Management Kelvin Ang said, “It is an honour for the URA to join hands with the 160 AA Alumni and 160 Squadron to tell the story behind this base. Through this storyboard, we hope to capture the camaraderie and toil, joys and sacrifice, experienced by generations of servicemen.”
“This is the first storyboard produced under a new scheme that supports community proposals for storyboards on conserved buildings. We hope it will inspire more organisations and members of the public to partner us to share their stories and memories behind our conserved buildings.”
More than 400 past and present servicemen from the RSAF’s 160 Squadron returned to Seletar East Camp to witness the unveiling. The event was a “homecoming” for the AA Gunners. Those present included pioneers who set up the squadron in the late 1960s and early 1970s, retired servicemen who contributed to the building up of the squadron over its formative years, as well as later batches of NSmen and servicemen of the squadron. Many recalled the good old days when they served their national service in the rustic former British air base.
One of the pioneer officers who went to Switzerland in 1970 for training and subsequently returned to Singapore to help build up the squadron was Mr Patrick Peh Ah Sai. “We had to build the unit from scratch within a short time. It was tough and challenging as apart from the need to write the training manuals based on what we learnt in Switzerland, we had to concurrently work on manpower, administrative and logistics requirements to form the unit,” Mr Peh recalled.
Said MAJ(NS) Goh, “As we celebrate the squadron’s 45th anniversary, and commemorate SG50 and SAF50, it is very meaningful to have our pioneers and retired servicemen coming back for this big reunion, as what we have achieved was built on the solid foundation they laid. This is a small way to show our appreciation for what they have done for us and Singapore.”
The 160 AA Alumni also staged an immersive exhibition – Heritage Walk @ 450 Seletar – to celebrate the squadron’s 45th Anniversary, SG50 and SAF50. Housed in Block 450, the exhibition traces the history of Seletar Camp, as well as the heritage of 160 Squadron over the last 45 years. Many present were able to relive the scenes of Seletar Camp during its years as a RAF base, learn more about 160 Squadron and the 35mm Guns system it operated, and have the chance to be immersed in the squadron’s strong esprit-de-corps, known as the Gunners’ spirit.
"I love the esprit-de-corps of this squadron. We are like a big family extended over 45 years and there is always someone there to care and watch out for you. The gunners’ spirit not only bonds us together, it motivates us to strive for the best results," said SSG(NS) Amanda Giam, a former AA Guns specialist who volunteered and became the first NSwoman in the RSAF.
160 AA Alumni was formed on 1 June 2000, by a group of dedicated NSmen and servicemen of 160 Squadron. The objective of 160 AA Alumni is to be the connection point for its servicemen, as well as to curate and archive the squadron’s heritage.
Other associations or community groups who would like to have similar storyboards created for conservation buildings are welcome to contact the URA at URA_conservation_CSO@ura.gov.sg with a proposal for consideration.
Please refer to Annex A [PDF, 136kb] for more information on the storyboard scheme for conserved buildings and Annex B [PDF, 139kb] for information on 160 AA Alumni.