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SCOTTISH DISTANCE RUNNING HISTORY
Elite Endurance
Marathon Stars
The Chasers
The Milers
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John Joe Barry
Posted on September 11, 2015 by The Author
Leading in the AAA's in 1949
Scottish athletics has often been enriched by the presence of Irish runners. During the dark years of the 1920's and 1930's many Irishmen came to Scotland looking for or following the work that was available. For instance a large group came to Clydebank to work on The Empress of Britain and stayed on, or left and came back to help build Job Number 534 (The Queen Mary). Many signed up with Clydesdale Harriers with the best being Hans Noble, who ran for Ireland in the International Championships in Wales in 1933. He was to return after the war and become the first official coach in the club – in common with other clubs pre-war, his predecessors in the role were designated 'trainers'. However, the one who made the biggest impact in the country was almost certainly John Joe Barry. When in Scotland, he ran for the small St Machan's AC based in Lennoxtown under the Campsie Fells and he would go on set world records and win many championships and become one of Ireland's best ever runners.
He was born in the United States, in Joliet, Illinois on October 5th 1925. After leaving school he joined his local club, Ballincurry AC when he was 19 and for the remainder of his running career he was known as The Ballincurry Hare – and that nickname became the title of his autobiography published in 1986 but now, sadly out of print. While with Ballincurry AC, he won the Irish cross-country title plus the track mile and four miles championships in 1945. After joining the Civil Service Harriers, he he won the half mile and mile championships in 1946 and in 1947 he ran an Irish record for the mile of 4:15.2 breaking the 4:15.6 set by Tommy Conneff in 1895 which was a world record at the time. In 1948 he won the half mile and mile titles again running in the colours of Clonliffe Harriers. In 1949 he won the SAAA three miles and also the AAA three miles. When he won the 1950 American indoor mile title he held simultaneously the Irish, Scottish, English and American mile titles. He had gone to America to attend Villanova University, the first of many Irishmen to do so. He graduated in commerce and finance in 1954 following which he spent most of his business career in the States. After he retired he returned to live the rest of his time in Dublin, where he died in December 1994.
His personal best times were: 1500 – 3:51.4 (1949); Mile – 4:08.6 (1949); 2 miles – 8:59.0 (1949); 3 miles – 13:56.2 (1949); 5000 – unknown.
John Joe Barry lived and competed in Scotland in 1948 and 1949 racing a lot – many said too much – and in 1949 was the best and most consistent distance runner in the British Isles. We will look here at the lead-in to and then his wonderful 1949 summer season. His 1948 Scottish season was not notable but the first mention we get of him is in the 'Scots Athlete' of December 1948 which simply says, "Another favourite with the fans is the Irish miler JJ Barry. Now resident in Lennoxtown we should see plenty of him next season. Although apparently established as a miler, it is possible that the "Ballycurren Hare" may yet gain even further distinction over the longer stretches." Although he didn't seem to race much over the country, in the Midland District Championships on 5th February 1949, the winner was JJ Barry of St Machan's AAC by a second from JF Fleming of Motherwell YMCA. Eddie Taylor's race report read "Olympic runner JJ Barry of St Machan's AC getting there by one second before Jim Fleming of Motherwell YM followed by Jim Stuart of Shettleston 20 secs behind. These three dominated the race taking it in turn to be in the lead and trying to 'break away'. John Joe made an effort twice in the wood to cut loose, Stuart had one or two tries and Fleming about half a mile to go tried to shake off the opposition, but all these endeavours were unsuccessful and it was 'cat and mouse' to the finish. Barry obviously has the class and these three reputed milers will shake up our long distance stars for National honours."
The report in the 'Glasgow Herald' on the Ibrox Sports organised by Bellahouston Harriers on 28th May, 1949, started "JJ Barry's winning time of 14 min 30.2 sec in the special three mile race was remarkably good considering the conditions. Seconds were lost because of the gusty wind with which he and the other competitors had to contend in the finishing straight which had to be traversed in each lap of the 12 lap journey. Andrew Forbes, the Scottish champion, cut out the pace for most of the race. He led at one mile in 4 min 48 sec and at two miles in 9 min 50 sec and still had a chance of beating his own record of 14 min 32.2 sec. It was obvious however that the all-comers record of 14 min 03.4 was in no danger of being broken. Over the last lap Forbes continued to lead but with 300 yards to go HA Olney (Thanes Valley Harriers) shot out from behind and Barry immediately followed him. The pair raced up the home straight but 30 yards from the tape, Barry went to the front and, confidently glancing over his left shoulder, the Irishman won by two yards from the Englishman with Forbes another 30 yards behind. Forbes covered the distance in 14 min 34.8 sec."
In the Glasgow Police Sports at Hampden on 11th June, Barry took on Fred Wilt of the Unites States in a special two miles race in which both men ran from scratch in a handicap event. The 'Herald' said:"One of the best races in the programme was the two miles in which JJ Barry of Eire found more than his match in Fred Wilt of the United States. Finishing the first mile in 4 min 32 sec, the Irishman did more than he was accustomed to do by making the pace. Neither he nor Wilt was concerned about the field of handicap runners during the first mile and a half. Then both made substantial progress, and over the last lap the American put in a finish with which the Barry was unable to cope. He as well as the winner was inside the 45 year old record of Alfred Shrubb, the winner by 4.4 sec and Barry by 3 seconds.
In the April issue of the magazine there was a report on the all-Ireland championships held at Finglass where Steve McCooke won for the third time in four years over a minute in front of John Joe who finished strongly to be second just one second in front of third man P Fahy. The international that year was held at Baldoyle Racecourse in Dublin and he was second Irish finisher (14th) in the team that finished third. He was one place in front of Scotland's first finisher Andy Forbes of Victoria Park by seven seconds. Emmett Farrell, in the preview of the SAAA Championships to be held in June said."JOHN JOE BARRY IS ELIGIBLE. Now resident in Lennoxtown, and running under the colours of the local St Machan's, John Joe Barry will be eligible for this year's championships. Thus early in the season John Joe has shown that his cross-country efforts have not blunted the brilliant speed which earned for him the title of 'The Ballycurren Hare' Barry is both versatile and unorthodox to such an extent that he could run in the 1 mile or the 3 miles or even both events. Should he confine his attentions to the mile, he would appear to have the edge on his opponents including holder Jas. Fleming and ex-holder Frank Sinclair. Still the Motherwell man should be capable of improvement and could the latter really get down to a serious preparation, well even Barry would know he had been in a race."
On Monday evening of 13th June, at Helenvale Park in Glasgow, John Joe ran one and a half miles in 6:33.8 – a world's best time for the distance. The distance was not recognised as a world record because the distance was not recognised but nevertheless it made the whole athletics world sit up and take notice. The Glasgow Herald athletics correspondent said: "John J Barry the St Machan's and Clonliffe Harrier (Eire) runner created a new world record for one and a half miles at Helenvale Park last night when at St Machan's Sports meeting he covered the distance in 6 minutes 33.8 seconds. Barry's time was 2-10th sec faster than the previous best set by Glenn Cunningham (USA) in 1937 and 2.7 better than the British record set by Tom Riddell (Shettleston Harriers) in 1935. With the Scottish mile and three mile champions J Fleming and A Forbes running from 20 and 25 yards respectively Barry covered the first mile in 4 min 22 sec and had his field well in hand. Round the last lap he put in a superb effort to beat W Lennie (Vale of Leven) to whom he was conceding 85 yards and won by 30 yards." A world record set in Glasgow in a handicap race at a meeting organised by St Machan's AC from Lennoxtown. That's a thing that will never be seen again – and not just because St Machan's AC is defunct. I'll say more about the club below.
The Scots Athlete devoted two pages to the man after this world record in their June 1949 issue under the headline "A World Record for John Joe Barry" and I quote the article – probably by Emmet Farrell with contributions from Walter Ross.
"At Helenvale Park, Glasgow, on Monday 13th June, 1949, the amazing John Joe Barry (St Machan's AC and Eire) romped one and a half miles in 6 mins 33.8 secs. Though the time will be generally accepted, it will not be ratified as an official world's record as the one-and-a-half-miles race is not recognised by the IAAF for record purposes. John set out to beat former Scottish Champion Tom Riddell's British all-comer's best of 6 mins 36.5 secs made incidentally in 1935 on the same fast and fine Helenvale ground. But the "Ballycurren Hare" was in sparkling form and also beat the previous world's best of 6 mins 34 secs standing to the name of the great Glenn Cunningham, USA. His lap times were 59.5, 66.5, 67.9, 68.1 (1 mile in 4 mins 22 secs), 67.8 and 64 secs. Many thought that the very fast first lap would foil his attempt but John Joe is athletically a law unto himself.
Probably the most amazing factor of this wonderful achievement was that this was his seventh major race in nine days. On Saturday 4th June, he won the half mile, mile and three miles rish Championship. At the international meeting in Dublin the following Wednesday though beaten by Wilt, the American, he ran his fastest mile ever, around 4 mins 13 secs. On the following evening he avenged the defeat by winning the 3 miles on a heavy 5-lap grass track in the almost unbelievable time of 13 mins 56.2 secs. Then returning to Glasgow for the Police Sports at Hampden on 11th June, though beaten again by Wilt over 2 miles on this occasion, he was more than 2 secs inside the grand Scottish all-comer's record of Alfred Shrubb which stood at 9 mins 9.6 secs. Imagine a world record two days after that programme! What a man! At 23 years of age there is no telling what he can do in the future. He has our best wishes."
Andy Forbes and Barry had some great duels and none more exciting than in the SAAA Championships in June, 1949, in the Three Miles Championship. The Herald': "Probably the best achievement on Saturday, was that of A Forbes in the three mile event. In one of the finest races seen in Scotland for many a day, Forbes covered the distance in 4 min 18.4 sec – 13.8 sec better than his previous native record. JJ Barry (St Machan's) the winner of the event in 0.2 sec faster time put in a tremendous finish to catch the Scot."
The report by Emmet Farrell in his 'Running Commentary' in the Scots Athlete also made a bit more of Forbes's running than of Barry's but gave his reason why. "The duel between John Joe Barry and Andy Forbes in the 3 miles was a classic and will be a fragrant memory to those privileges to be present. Forbes in particular ran the race of his life and although losing his title cracked his own native record to the tune of 14 seconds, a remarkable display of powerful and artistic running. It may seem churlish to lavish more praise on the runner-up than the victor. Barry after all came back in magnificent fashion after his disappointing show in the half mile to win the three miles title in gallant fashion despite the reaction caused by his earlier racing and previous heavy programme. He too proved himself a "bonny fechter". But we knew John Joe was capable of such running. On the other hand, Andrew Forbes surpassed himself. Not only did he bear the heat and burden of the day, by assuming the role of pace maker, but he took John Joe right to the tape, demonstrating an entirely unsuspected brand of finishing power.
The finish of 1949 SAAA Three Miles Championship
Despite Barry's four star display in the 3 miles at Hampden, I had a feeling that he was beginning to feel the strain of his recent terrific programme yet the proof of the pudding is the eating. A few days later the Tipperary man completed the mile at Helenvale Park in the wonderful time of 4 mins 12.1 secs , just 1.1 secs outside Wooderson's all-comers record of 4 mins 11 secs. Barry lapped in respectively 61, 64, 66 and 61.2 secs. Wooderson in 60, 64, 66 and 61 secs. A remarkable similarity indeed.
As if that were not enough, Barry competed at Dublin next day where he gave an example of his amazing powers of recuperation. In the 2 miles invitation event he ran clean away from Douglas Wilson who joined him on the scratch mark and passed Andy Forbes off the 35 yards mark to put up the magnificent time of 8 mins 59 secs, 6 secs faster than the time put up by Sidney Wooderson 3 years ago and claimed as a world record for a grass track. Barry's time is the fastest ever run in these islands. The British record stands to the credit of Gunder Hagg of Sweden with his time of 9 mins 0.6 secs set at the White City in 1945. Incidentally, though again beaten by Barry, Andrew Forbes ran another grand race, clocking an approximate time of 9 mins 17 secs, only 4 secs outside Scottish native record time."
Barry went on to win the AAA's 3 miles on 16th June at the White City. "Andrew Forbes (Victoria Park) knew quite well that to figure among the leaders at the finish of the three miles he had to get out to the front, and so he made most of the pace in the early stages, and then JJ Barry, who was the favourite for the race, took a hand in the leading out work. Between them they they reeled off the first mile in 4 mins 47.6 secs, two miles in 9 mins 33 secs and despite a determined challenge by the Englishman AH Chivers Barry stayed on to win in 14 mins 11 sec. Forbes finished fourth behind HA Olney in 14 mins 36.8 secs, a time which he has beaten handsomely more than once."
This prompting Emmet Farrell to mention him as a possible British athlete of the Year. "John Joe Barry has of course put up the most consistently high standard of performances in these islands. Technically John Joe does not rank as a British runner as in International competition like the European or Olympic Games he would represent Eire. The great Irish runner is the promoter's dream, a colourful, brilliant whole-hearted trier. Last year he ran like a novice this year he is on the fringe of world class. What of the future? Sooner or later he must meet men of the Reiff-Zatopek class. Will he endeavour to conserve his energies somewhat? Will he get down to a definite schedule? We shall see."
Before meeting these stars however, it was back to earth with a bump when he ran a mile at Linlithgow the following week in 4 minutes 20.8 seconds but could only finish fifth – he was conceding starts up to 165 yards in the handicap. A week later in the Vale of Leven Sports he had a tussle with Walter Lennie of the home club (who had a 55 yard start on him) to finish second to the home runner by the width of a vest in 4:20.5. On August 6th at the Rangers Sports, Barry "was his usual rampant self" in winning the two miles – "never before had he made his opponents appear such novices" – from Andy Forbes (off 20 yards) and James Reid (off 40 yards) in 9:14.2. On 13th August in the international between England & Wales and Scotland & Ireland, he won the three miles in 14:41.6. On 27th August he set a new Irish record for the mile of 4 minutes 8.9 seconds. The 'Herald' said: "JJ Barry whose previous best time for the mile was 4 mins 9.4 secs failed in his attempt in Dublin to reach the goal of all milers – a four minute mile. He did, however, set a new Irish record of 4 mins 8.9 secs. A second lap of 65 seconds ruined his chances, but his times for the first third and fourth laps of 60.6, 60.7 and 61.3 seconds were creditable efforts."
At the start of September he ran in Belgium over a mile against Willy Slijkhuis of Holland but was beaten by almost four seconds – 4:12.4 to 4:16.0 – and the report on the race in the Scots Athlete ended with the following paragraph: "Unless he changes his mind Barry intends to settle in the USA after appearing in the indoor season early next year, and if so we may see him only on rare occasions if at all. I feel certain that the "Ballycurran Hare" will prove a popular figure over there. Our loss will be America's gain." And so it proved – John Joe moved to USA and was the first of many great Irish runners to study and train at Villanova University.
Over his career, John Joe Barry won nine Irish track titles, one Irish senior cross country title, one English AAA 3-mile title (1949), one Scottish AAA 3-mile title (1949), and one American indoor mile title in 1950. He won his Irish cross country title as well as an Irish mile and 4-mile title in 1945 with Ballincurry AC. In 1946 he won the 880 yard and mile titles with Civil Service Harriers, in 1948 he won the 880 yard and mile titles with Clonliffe Harriers, and in 1949 he won the 880 yard, mile and 3-mile titles also with Clonliffe Harriers.
The St Machan's club in Lennoxtown was set up by Father Denis O'Connell in a little village under the Campsie Fells just north-east of Glasgow. During his early years in Scotland, Father O'Connell was alarmed at the divide between Catholic and Protestant and set about using athletics as a means to bring the communities closer together. Among his activities was a Community Games where all could come together and he also established the St Machan's Athletic Club. During his time in Lennoxtown, 1941 to 1949, the club grew steadily with John Joe Barry being an outstanding example to all in the area, not just the athletes. Strangely enough, his departure to Methil in Fife coincided almost exactly with John Joe's move to USA. He organised sports meetings in Lennoxtown and further afield bringing many of the very best athletes in Scotland to compete there.
Father Whelan in Lennoxtown presents John Joe with a trophy: Father O'Connell in the middle.
John Joe Barry was the first of many, many famous Irishmen to travel to the United States – he was followed by such as Olympic champion Ron Delany, Eamonn Coughlan, Ray Flynn, Frank Murphy, Noel Carroll and Sonia O'Sullivan.
There is a mass of information about him on the internet but I only found one clip of him in action – winning a mile in Dublin in 1949 – and it is here at –
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/barrys-mile-highlights-dublin-sports
Look him up and read about him. A wonderful runner, a charismatic character and a great role model – we were fortunate that he ran in Scotland and brought out the best in our best men as well as bringing the crowds out to athletic meetings.
Posted in Elite Endurance
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Q: Implementing global monitor for exclusive access Am implementing a global monitor for exclusive access (for ARM cores).
Query- if a particular exclusive transaction is successful, should I signal a clear on the global monitor?
In the case above is required, a concern is this would cause other cores which are in the WFE state to be unnecessarily woken up, even if they have nothing to do with a different core's successful exclusive transaction.

A: TL;DR - WFE is wait for event.  Events and the global monitor are different orthogonal concepts.  They have synergy when used together, but are completely seperate.

Query- if a particular exclusive transaction is successful, should I signal a clear on the global monitor?

No, this case is successful and the global monitor is automatically cleared.  The 'WFE' is different from the global monitor for exclusive access.  The SEV is send an event.  It is not the global monitor.
To clear the global monitor, it is clrex.  A ldrex reserves the global monitor and an strex commits the global monitor if successful.  The monitor itself is on the ''global'' state of memory.  Each CPU/core can have different working copies of the memory to update.  Normally, the strex will fail if another core has reserved and committed the same memory.  It is normal to re-issue an ldrex to retrieve the updated memory copy when strex fails.
An issue comes when a core supports pre-emption and/or interrupts.  One context on the core may issue an ldrex and then be pre-empted by a successful ldrex/strex pair.  When the context returns, the prior ldrex is not reserving anything and the strex is undefined.  In this case, the OS (or interrupt code) must issue a clrex to force the original paired strex to fail and retry. For a Cortex-M, the system often does an intrinsic clrex on a return from interrupt, but you need to read your system documentation. For some Cortex-A systems, you need a clrex (and the same for normal/secure worlds).
What is your use case for using WFE/SEV with the ldrex/strex?  I think it needs to be a simple flag as oppose to some lock free data structure.  I guess the WFE/SEV could augment the plain ldrex/strex for fairness between cores.
Specifically, it is valuable for a semaphore (simple flag).  The 'semTake()' will do a WFE to sleep when it fails.  The 'semGive()' will issue a SEV to wake all sleepers in a 'semTake()'.  If a core has gained access to the semaphore, having the other cores sleep will result in a faster ldrex/strex to put the semaphore to it's free state as well as save power on the blocked cores. (Rosetta, vxWorks/Posix: semGive/sem_post, semTake/sem_wait.  The vxWorks names seem best for a binary semaphore or mutex depending on pendatics... but these are the ARM primitives).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Exploration Memoirs
The Visuals
Media Accolades
The Battle Boxes of Bandung
The forests of Dago, which is northeast of Bandung, may look just like any other regular forest to unsuspecting visitors, but the area is home to a series of tunnel networks made by the Dutch and Japanese. The Goa Belanda or Dutch Cave, is one such network which bears the namesake of its creators and was built in 1918 originally as a water tunnel meant for generating hydroelectric power.
Entrance to Goa Belanda
Coupled with the high precipitation of the area, the neighbouring mountain ridge - which stretched from east to west - acted as a natural watershed. The Dutch took advantage of this by digging a tunnel through a sandstone ridge near to the Cikapundung river and channeled its gushing waters through the tunnel, hence creating the first hydro-power plant in the Dutch East Indies, an amazing breakthrough for the colony.
In 1941, as the threat of war loomed over the Asia Pacific, the Dutch chose to turn the hydro-power tunnel into a military base. This was a strategic move as the surrounding mountains and forests helped to protect the tunnel and keep its location a secret, while the tunnel was in close proximity to Bandung as well. The telecommunications station at Gunung (Mount) Malabar, located south of Bandung, was shifted entirely to the these tunnels as the former was prone to aerial raids. Apart from its primary role of transmitting radio signals, the tunnel network also contained sleeping quarters, ammunition storage, an armoury, interrogation rooms and even detention rooms for enemy troops!
While the Goa Belanda isn't as elaborate or built on a scale as colossal as the Singapore's Battle Box, the underground command centre built under Fort Canning by the British, a walk through the intricate network of tunnels in the dark, aided only by torchlights, may prove to be a daunting task for most people.
Rules.
The former water tunnel, which is 144 metres long and 1.8 metres wide, was used as the main passageway which ran from one end of the ridge to the other. A pair of rails can be seen etched into this passageway shortly after entering the tunnel and they ran for two thirds of the entire tunnel length and were added to facilitate the movement of carts.
One of many bunkers.
From this main passageway, the Dutch extended the tunnel network by adding two more wide thoroughfares and fifteen intersecting passages. They also added two large iron gates at either end of the main tunnel which could be closed if necessary.
The air inside the tunnels was damp and musty, but the cool mountain air made the walk a little more pleasant. I could only imagine how fetid the air inside these tunnels would have been during the war when it was fully operational. The soldiers were known to have stayed in the tunnels for the entire Dutch East Indies Campaign, which lasted for 4 months, without ever stepping outside.
The eerie silence was broken by the echoes of our footsteps.
As we trudged along the dark recesses of the tunnel, I understood from Hardi that some renovations were done by the government in 1985 in a bid to upkeep the place. Hardi also pointed out that some of the tunnel walls were repainted and look newer than their actual age.
Hardi touching one of the stone-cold refurbished walls.
Apart from being an important piece of Indonesia's colonial history, the Goa Belanda is also widely rumoured to be haunted. People have often complained of hearing strange sounds inside the cave, such as the sound of marching soldiers and unexplainable screaming.
It is therefore no coincidence that the tunnels have been used regularly by producers of various reality shows in their bid to film and prove the existence of ghosts, including the hugely popular paranormal documentary - Dunia Lain (roughly translated as "The Other World").
One of the lamps left behind by the Dutch.
A popular myth also suggests that one should not mention the word Lada ("spicy" in the Sundanese language - the Sundanese people reside in large numbers in West Java, especially Bandung, the capital of West Java province) in the vicinity as bad luck would befall whoever utters those words. (incidentally, Lada means pepper in Indonesian / Malay). When questioned about this, one of the stern-faced guards outside the park solemnly replies: "We believe that there is a curse left behind by an ancient person who goes by that name and used to live in a village among these forests. Anyway it is taboo to mention that word, please refrain from doing so."
Upon further probing, the guard mentioned that an independent film crew once asked for permission to film a night isolation session in the tunnel and tried to challenge the myth by liberally uttering the word "lada" while in the cave, and they lasted less than an hour and ran out of the tunnel screaming. It remains a mystery as to what caused their panicky reaction. (Maybe my friends from the SGHC would be interested to try one of their famous isolation sessions in this tunnel?)
Note the peculiar device on the left.
Continuing our trek further into the tunnels, Hardi and I came across a interesting contraption in one of the passageways. Apart from the brackets which lined the walls of almost every tunnel, this passage had two large brackets mounted on a niche with a lever below. Was this a junction box or power device of some sort, which could be activated by pulling the lever?
Further in, I came across another interesting passage which had an iron valance affixed to the frame of its entrances on both sides. A peephole in the middle of the valance allowed one to view of the interior of this bunker and the remains of the door frame below suggests that there was a large iron gate below. Was this the place where they impounded POWs?
The bunker was empty, and this gave no indication of the activities which took place in here during the war. Metal brackets ran along one of the walls just like the others, and my mind suddenly ran the wild thought of Japanese POWs committing seppuku to die an honourable death rather than being confined by their enemies in this dark carrel.
We were nearing the other end of the tunnel, where one could walk for about 5 kilometres to the famous Curug Omas waterfall, or hop on an ojek (motorcycle-taxi) for a less tiring experience, when we stumbled upon a curious sight - a hole in the wall!
Interior of the "POW prison"
"What do you think was in this bunker?" I asked Hardi. "I'm not sure, but it must be something important for someone to have sealed it up." he replied.
The Japanese Cave is the first cave you come to after walking some 300 meters from the main gate of the Juanda Forest Park. Left over from World War II, the Japanese Cave is tangible proof of how hundreds of Indonesians were forced to build the cave under the Japanese forced-labor system called romusha.
Built in 1942 during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia, the Japanese Cave was used by Japanese troops as a defense shelter from the attacks of the Allied Forces. To enter the cave, you'll need to rent a spotlight and ask for a guide's assistance as it's very dark inside the cave (that's right, there are no lamps inside!), so you might get lost in there. Renting a spotlight will cost you Rp 3,000; you can pay the guide as much as you please. The guide will also regale you with stories about the cave during your tour in the darkness.
Any guide you meet there will tell you the same story about how hundreds of Indonesians died when being forced to dig into the hills to build the cave. At that time, the laborers were paid just five cents and a quarter cup of rice every day.
Another story you might hear from the guides there is that the Japanese Cave was used as the film set for the 1970s movie Si Buta dari Gua Hantu (The Blind Man from the Ghost Cave). During the tour inside the cave, your guide will explain that the Japanese Cave has four passageways, each some 200 meters long each. Of the four passageways, the second and third ones were prepared as traps for enemies. Inside the cave, there are 18 bunkers, all of which have different functions, including as a surveillance room, shooting room, meeting room, munitions storeroom and kitchen.
The cave has walls made of concrete, cement and padas (rocks made of layers of hardened soil) 50 to 70 centimeters thick. The construction of this cave, however, was not completed at the time Japan surrendered in August 1945, and has remained as it is ever since.
Article & Photos copyright of Aaron Chan
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The Guardians of Lim Chu Kang
Unbeknownst to most, the Hindus of Singapore observe something similar to the Chinese 'Qing Ming' Festival, where family graves are venerated and cleaned annually. The Hindu Day of Remembrance takes place on the sunday before Deepavali and Indians can be seen visiting Lim Chu Kang Cemetery to pay respects and place offerings such as fruits, flowers and Indian confectionaries on their ancestors' tombs. They will also light oil lamps and place incenses in burners around the tomb as a mark of respect while they remember the faithful departed.
Hindu Indians are traditionally cremated within the day of death in India so it is rather uncommon for their deceased to be buried in a grave unless they were wealthy. However, it seems that several Straits Indians in both Singapore and Malaysia have chosen to bury the dead over cremation.
The Lim Chu Kang Hindu Cemetery takes up one of the smallest plots of land in the area. However, a peculiar sight awaits those who make their way up a small knoll overlooking the numerous rows of old gravestones. As you tread up a narrow path, flanked by the neat arrangement of graves on one side, the small but conspicuous shrine presents itself.
This curious looking tree stump would give goose pimples to most at first sight. After asking some of the Indians who were offering their respects to a grave nearby, I found out that this was a shrine devoted to worshiping the Hindu goddess Kali, who is also known as the Goddess of death, destruction, and sacrifice.
As if a nod to Singapore's identity as a melting pot of cultures, there was a motley mixture of several Buddhist & Taoist deity idols, in addition to a small figurine of a dog (left here in jest?) placed before the tree stump. There was also an orange box painted around the shrine, as if to demarcate the sacred ground on which the shrine stood.
A second tree nearby was marked in similar fashion and adorned with a flower garland to worship Shiva, the husband of Kali and one of the main deities of Hinduism. A trident, the weapon of Shiva and also a representation of Muneeswaran, one of Shiva's many forms, protruded out from the concrete floor before front of both shrines. (There are a few temples devoted to Muneeswaran in Singapore and Malaysia).
We found limes with some red saffron powder placed upon each of the pointed ends on the trident before Kali. Hindus believe that limes have the ability to absorb negative energy and transfer it away from the devotee. It is also usually offered to more fierce or protective forms of Kali and it is not uncommon to find lime combined with Indian chili to make a protective charm to repel the evil eye.
What are the purpose of such shrines in these macabre surroundings? According to the teachings of Hinduism, a certain form of both Shiva and Kali live in cremation grounds or cemeteries. Known respectively as 'Shmashana Adhipati' and 'Shmashana Kali' (a 'shmashan' is a Hindu cremation ground), the pair of deities are known to ward off evil spirits lurking in the vicinity. Hence, most Hindus will pray at these shrines while visiting the tombs of their ancestors.
As we went closer, it was evident that the trunk of the Shiva shrine had been liberally slathered with vibhuti, a thick white ash made from a special kind of burnt wood. Shiva is often depicted with his body is covered with fresh ash from the cremation ground, the ash itself being a symbol of death, regeneration and change.
There was also a tripunda (literally "three marks" in Sanskrit) embellishment , a holy symbol attached to the 'forehead' area of the face on the tree trunk.
Earth dug up from a recent fresh burial.
As I took a leisurely walk among the myriad of tombstones, I found solace in the tranquility of Lim Chu Kang. This was an area where most city dwellers would avoid like the plague, except for remembrance services. The absence of people allowed me to soak in the beauty of Mother Nature I trudged along the dew soaked grass while birds fluttered and sang in the trees around the cemetery.
Concrete bollards along the tree line, possibly blocking access to the steep drop at the edge of the cemetery.
An inescapable part of the cycle of life, people generally confront death only when they are forced to do so. For most, it remains safely hidden away until it ultimately appears, seemingly out of nowhere.
For the grave diggers and cemetery workers of Lim Chu Kang, there is nothing ghastly or morbid about the atmosphere of the cemetery. For them, the cruel reality of death is just another day on the job, toiling under the hot tropical sun.
You can find more photos in my Flickr Album.
Article & Photos copyright of Aaron Chan / Andrew Him
© One° North Explorers
A Slice of Old Seletar
"For a long time, the Orang Seletar had lived a nomadic live in the mangrove swamps on the river banks found on both sides of the Johor Straits. One group lived on Pulau Belungkor, an island off the coast of Tanjung Surat, located at the mouth of the Johor River. This group would move over to the Seletar area of Singapore during October and November to avoid the strong wind that blew during those months. Until the 1920s, it was very easy to find Orang Seletar on Seletar Island and the neighbouring mangroves in the straits between Singapore and Johor." - Tribal Communities in the Malay World. Historical, Cultural and Social Perspectives. Geoffrey Benjamin and Cynthia Chou. Publication Year: 2002.
A keen sense of nostalgia overcame me as I drove through the familiar streets of what was once known as Seletar West Camp. If you had spent part of your national service here, names like Old Birdcage Walk, St Martin Lane and Piccadilly would definitely ring a bell.
I was one of the wide-eyed soldiers who was posted to Seletar Camp before the turn of the century and I still remember reporting to the ramshackle cantonment along Jalan Minyak known as the Supply and Transport Training School or 'STTS' as it was widely known.
Former trainees and permstaff would remember the old single storey buildings that looked suspiciously prone to giving way in a heavy thunderstorm, the fleet of cantankerous Fiat 3 tonners and the tarmac driveway which doubled up as a parade square for those dreadful defaulters' parades. They would also recall the scenes of Encik Krishnan's pet Jack Russell terrier running around the evergreen lawns and the booming voice of Warrant Vennu, which struck fear into even the most intrepid soldier. And of course, who could forget the piping hot prata at Jalan Kayu?
Block 450, a former barracks for both the RAF and SAF in Seletar East Camp.
Once home to the largest British Royal Air Force (RAF) base in the Far East, Seletar Camp is home to several colonial buildings, many of which were taken over by the Singapore Armed Forces when they moved into the premises in 1971.
It was home to the Malayan Air Training Corps' Jalan Kayu School, where the corps would conduct their training and annual camps in the 1950s and 1960s. There was also a cycling grand prix which was held on the camp's cycling circuit in the late 1950s and an auto club known as the RAF Seletar Auto Club.
Today, the actual military camp takes up only a small area within Seletar, with several dump trucks plying the swanky Seletar Aerospace Way, which didn't exist until recently, ferrying materials for a new road network that will serve the $60 billion Seletar Aerospace Park. The 320 hectare park is developed by JTC Corporation and it is presently moving into its final project phase, which will entirely completed by 2018.
Construction work going on around the former West Camp area.
One peculiar thing about the camp would be how military life always intertwined with that of the civilians who lived and worked there; while the camp was mostly occupied by the SAF, there were close to 400 black and white bungalows – originally built to house officers from Britain's Royal Air Force – within the camp which were rented out to the public at a (hefty) fee of six thousand dollars a month, according to one resident. Since the start of the aerospace Park project in 2006, this number has been reduced to 130 with the remaining residential colonial bungalows all located outside the aerospace park zone.
'Singapore' sticker commonly found on food aid packages given out in disaster relief missions.
In 1923, the British government acquired the 600 acre site from Singapore United Rubber Plantations Limited before they turned it into what would be the largest RAF station in the Far East. It is hard to imagine that the landscape of Seletar was once that of mangrove swamps and undulating with rows of coconut and rubber trees. The site was then cleared over the next five years by thousands of labourers including the 'Concrete Lizzies', a term coined by the British to describe the resolute Samsui women of Singapore.
The RAF began operations in Seletar in 1928 and the area also served as Singapore's first civil airport before the completion of Kallang Airport in 1937.
Apart from STTS, Seletar was also home to a few other SAF units like the School of Logistics (SOL), 18th Singapore Air Defence Artillery (SADA), the Seletar East Ammo Dump (SEAD) and the 35th and 39th battalion as well as HQ ARMCEG of the Singapore Combat Engineers (SCE). Following the deracination of the rest, the Combat Engineers seem to have taken over what's left of Seletar East Camp while the Aerospace Park takes up the most of the former West Camp.
With the receding camp boundary pushed back past Saint Martin Lane, a handful of former military buildings now lie outside military jurisdiction like the retrolicious Blk 398 Canteen, former Camp Commandant Office (CCO), Block 179, which was the Station Headquarters of the RAF, as well as Block 450, a 3-storey barracks used as accommodation for military personnel from both the RAF and later, the SAF. The latter two were gazetted to be conserved by the URA in June 2014 together with 32 asymmetrical black and white bungalows clustered around The Oval off nearby Hyde Park Gate.
Measuring about 90 metres lengthwise, Blk 450 was one of several significantly large buildings bearing the same Art Deco design with 2 service blocks attached on either side in Seletar. The building was one of the first few that were constructed with reinforced concrete and its long covered verandahs are a common feature of tropical colonial buildings, a measure to countervail the sweltering heat.
Based on the remnants of the standing orders plastered along the columns of the verandahs, the barracks were home most recently to soldiers from HQ ARMCEG (Army Combat Engineers Group), which had since shifted further north into Seletar East Camp. One of my friends, who spent time as a Bridging Pioneer Commander trainee here, tells me that it was one of the most punishing days of his NS life.
Boot scraper built by the British.
The barracks were laid out in a rather standard format with offices (called company lines in the SAF) on the first floor while the bunks were located on the second and third floor. The old timber doors and window louvre frames were still largely intact and used up until the time the building was vacated, though some of them had fallen victim to termites.
I was fascinated by the perfect symmetry of the pre-cast concrete vents above the rooms. The British did always struggle with our immense heat and humidity and the design of the vents allowed the hot rising air to escape, especially important during a time where there were no air conditioners.
Another interesting thing would be the floors of this building - The rooms and long verandah were screeded with concrete but the stairs were decorated with beautiful mosaic pieces. While it wasn't hard to notice these, I'm sure that the former residents wouldn't have stopped to appreciate these details, especially so when they had to rush down to 'fall in' with their superiors breathing down their necks.
We found two rooms with had heavy steels within the same building; one was located on the ground floor while the other was situated on the second level of one of the service blocks. These heavily fortified rooms are normally used for the company armskote, where rifles and other weapons are stored. Singaporean sons would definitely remember those long loathsome nights cleaning their weapons outside their respective armskotes after coming back from night range, especially so if they had a 'neow' (difficult / calculative) armskote specialist!
While the room on the ground floor had an intruder alarm, the one on the second floor had none. Hence, it is very likely that the armskote was located in the room on the ground floor, while the fortified room in the service block could have been used to store other (costly) operational essential equipment such as optical and signals equipment.
The bunks were empty and quite similar to what we found in other military quarters such as the Command House at Fairy Point (also known to many as the Old Commando Barracks).However, I'm quite certain that these old walls have seen many a soldier getting punished after an unsatisfactory 'area cleaning' or 'stand by bed' inspection.
As with other army camps, there is an abundance of stories from Seletar depicting encounters of the third kind. Reservists would always wonder why certain old blocks had wooden lumbers nailed into their doors and windows, with some forming the shape of the letter X. While I suppose that was done to simply prevent unwanted access, I'm certain that it has given much fuel for discussion of supernatural theories amongst groups of bored NS Men attending their annual in-camp training.
Before Seletar West Link was built, it was only possible to enter the back of Seletar West Camp from Seletar Club Road, a small, unlit road which ran outside the fence of the camp. This road will be familiar to those living in Yishun as the nearby Yishun Dam comes alive after nightfall with droves of modified street cars and their blinking lights and loud music. Motorists who elected to use that road to enter the camp after dark reported sightings of an old cyclist; they would see the back of the man riding on his bicycle as they approached him while driving towards the camp. While passing him, they will notice that he had no face!
I also heard through the grapevine that there were several sightings around the Rolls-Royce facility when it was newly constructed within the aerospace park; the management had trouble hiring security to work there as people kept seeing and hearing things taunting them from the fenceline and CCTV feed. Mind you, this was before the aerospace park became more occupied like today.
Sightings of white figures, lights appearing in unoccupied areas and hearing dogs howling in the distance were also ubiquitous amongst army boys serving their NS in Seletar Camp, although the civilian residents would beg to differ.
If you were a former soldier or resident of Seletar, I'm sure you'd have more stories or information to share. We'd love to hear them! Please post a comment below or reach us at sgurbex@gmail.com.
You can find more photos of my Seletar exploration in my Flickr album.
Translation: "When you are a human, try being in love.
You'll conquer the world. I LOVE YOU".
Labrador's Forgotten Relics
Note: This article was first penned by the writer in October 2012 and the article was completed and published on 5 June 2014.
For those who take a stroll along its esplanade, it would be difficult not to notice the conspicuous presence of Labrador Nature Reserve's iconic red beacon - Berlayer Point Beacon (or Berlayer Beacon, for short). Situated at the narrow channel between Tanjong Berlayer on the Singapore mainland and Tanjong Rimau on the northwestern end of Sentosa Island, it is certainly heartening to see that this historical treasure has remained well preserved up until the present day.
The red beacon gleamed in the sun as I approached it to appreciate its simplistic elegance. Built in 1930, the seven metre tall square day beacon serves as the port (left-hand) side navigational guide for ships approaching the channel and doubles up as the marker for the shortest distance (around 240 metres) between Sentosa and mainland Singapore. Similarly, a green conical beacon (Tanjong Rimau Beacon) plays a similar role on the opposite shore along Tanjong Rimau beach, marking the starboard (right-hand) of approaching vessels.
The green conical beacon at Tanjong Rimau can be seen clearly from Tanjong Berlayer Point.
Nearby Berlayer's red beacon, a large craggy granite outcrop once stood as an important marker for ancient seafarers. Curiously, a similar granite outcrop could be found on Tanjong Rimau. While the rock on the Berlayer coast was simply called "Batu Berlayer" (Sailing Rock) by the indigenous Malays and "Lot's Wife" by British sailors (in the reference to the Biblical story where Lot's wife gets turned into a pillar of salt), the outcrops' resemblance to a pair of dragon's teeth gave rise to the Chinese name, "Long Ya Men" (Dragon Teeth's Gate).
These unique outcrops were so significant in maritime navigation that they were documented by famous Chinese explorers Cheng Ho and Wang Dayuan and would have been some spectacle if they had survived until the present day. Alas, the two outcrops were blown up by John Thomson, the Straits Settlements Surveyor, in August 1848 in order to widen the channel for ships to access the deep water anchorage between the mainland and the islands of Pulau Belakang Mati* and Pulau Brani.
*Pulau Belakang Mati was the former name of Sentosa Island before it was renamed following the announcement of plans to turn the island into a tourist destination. The name Sentosa (which means tranquility) was picked as the winning entry of a contest held by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB, presently the Singapore Tourism Board) in 1970.
Interestingly, the prize award of $500 was shared among 5 winners, all whom thought of the same name - Sentosa. The winners were namely Mr. E.C. Goh, a journalist, Mr. Edward Leong, the managing director of an advertising firm, Dr. S.Y. Lee (Dr. Lee Suan Yew, the younger brother of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and a medical practitioner), Mr. Tan Siak Soon, a waiter in training and Encik (Malay for Mister) Sahat bin Dol, a bus driver with the Singapore Traction Company. The prize was awarded by then-chairman of the STPB, Mr. Runme Shaw at the Board Room of Tudor Court .[1]
Sentosa was also called Pulau Panjang according to 19th century sea charts, as well as Burne Beard Island in a 1780 map and Pulau Niry, Nirifa in a map dating much earlier to the late 1600s. There are many theories which explain how Pulau Belakang Mati (the island of death from behind) got its unfortunate name but I guess we'll leave that story for a future article.
The replica of "Long Ya Men" being built at Tanjong Berlayer Point in 2005.
In July 2005, a six metre tall replica of Batu Berlayer was erected near to its original site as part of a celebration of the 600th anniversary of Admiral Cheng Ho's maiden voyage from Nanjing, China. In fact, the authorities had originally planned for this replica to replace the red beacon but this thankfully was met with much resistance from the Singapore Heritage Society, who argued that the beacon was itself a heritage site and should not be destroyed. In the end, the replica of Batu Berlayer was built just meters away from the red beacon.
As time grew by, more ships began to seek relief from their long, arduous journeys at this anchorage and there was a need for a proper harbour to address the growing numbers of ships. Naturally sheltered by Pulau Belakang Mati and coupled with its suitable deep waters, Keppel Harbour was therefore born, a harbour of most significant importance which was built in these straits in 1886. It fit the requirements of the British perfectly in their attempts to establish a Far East maritime colony in this part of the world.
While it was called the New Harbour after it was established, the harbour was later named after Sir Henry Keppel, a naval officer who visited Singapore on several occasions as between 1848 to 1903 primarily to reduce the rampant pirate activity in the Straits Settlements (Singapore, Malacca and Penang). Shortly after arriving in Singapore, Sir Keppel was the one discovered the natural, deep-water harbour prior to its establishment as the New Harbour and it was finally renamed Keppel Harbour by Sir Alexander Swettenham, the Acting Governor of the Straits Settlements, during Sir Keppel's visit at the age of 92 in April 1900.
The western limit marker of Keppel Harbour.
A tall white obelisk can be found near to the red beacon and beside it, a British pillbox faces the sea as part of Batu Berlayer's defence line, one of several concrete machine gun pillboxes along the coastline. Situated about 550m apart from each other, the pillboxes were built to resist invasion from the southern sea. This particular pillbox was built to protect the 12-pound gun on top of Berlayer Point.
While there has been much speculation behind the obelisk's actual role, it was erected by the British to serve as the western harbour limit of Keppel Harbour at Tanjong Berlayer Point. It was also said to mark the southernmost tip of the Asia continent* before the land around Tanjong Berlayer Point was reclaimed by the Singapore government.
The pillbox at the foot of Tanjong Berlayer Point's cliff.
*A subsequent location for the southernmost tip of Asia continent has also been claimed by the Sentosa management after the official opening of the Sentosa Causeway, which links Sentosa island to the mainland, on 15 December 1992. This point, which is commemorated by a plaque, can be found on a tiny man-made islet off Palawan Beach, the southern coast of Sentosa island, and is accessible via a suspension bridge.
Batu Berlayer Anti Motor Torpedo Boat (AMTB) Battery.
A Radio Antenna Tower, which was later added within the premises of the Batu Berlayer AMTB Battery.
Behind the obelisk and pillbox, a watchtower peeks out among the lush greenery atop an impossibly steep cliff, a great vantage point to monitor the surrounding waters and protect the entrance to the harbour. The watchtower was the No. 2 Director Tower of the Batu Berlayer Anti-Motor Torpedo Boat (AMTB) battery, which was a part of a larger scale defence line known as Fort Pasir Panjang or the Labrador Battery. The Batu Berlayer AMTB Battery and the neighbouring Labrador Battery were constructed to primarily defend the western approach to Keppel Harbour.
The Batu Berlayer AMTB No. 2 Director Tower as seen from its base.
There has been much confusion about the role of this battery, and there has even been speculation about the place being a fortress. However, our friend, Peter Stubbs, a British military historical expert and owner of the FortSiloso.com website, gives a detailed explanation about the Batu Berlayer AMTB Battery in his article, as replicated below:
"Standing high on Batu Berlayar, the remains of the gun batteries that were once here may look like a fortress to some, but the impression is false. Batu Berlayar in its various incarnations was never designed to be self-defending. It was of course part of the much greater so-called 'Fortress Singapore' gun batteries. However, these being coast batteries could not form a fortress. Defences needed to make a fortress were never built in Singapore, which was one of many reasons for the fall of Singapore on 15th February 1942."[2]
Rusty.
The Batu Berlayer AMTB battery is made up of 2 gun emplacements, each with its own director tower, and a compound of fortified rooms used for storage of munitions, transmission of radio signals and other essential operations. The director tower behind each gun, which had a bird's eye view of the western approach, provided critical information (such as the target's distance) to the gunners in order for them to take down their targets successfully. Both emplacements were built to face the southwest, and their main arc of fires overlapped with that of the Labrador Battery to its right and Fort Siloso to its left. Any enemy craft which was foolish enough to get close enough these waters would soon find out about the deadly consequences.
I understand from Peter that the first AMTB Battery was completed in 1892, where it was part of an overall defence plan of the harbour entrance which depended on the firepower of two quick-firing guns and two machine guns at Berlayer Point, as well as the infantry garrisons of Passir Panjang (an old spelling variation of Pasir Panjang by the British) and Siloso covering the western mine field.
No. 2 Director Tower as seen from inside the battery.
The 'Straits Settlements Defence Scheme, September 1893' originally listed 1 QF gun (quick-firing gun, a weapon which can fire at a fast rate) and 1 machine gun as being at Berlayer Point, under the command of Fire Commanders, Lt. Langdon and Lt Eady of Passir Panjang. The battery's armaments were subsequently increased to 1 QF gun and 2 machine guns as stated in the 'Straits Settlements Defence Scheme, September 1894'.
Aerial view of the battery from No. 1 Director Tower.
In a room of the Post War Harbour Board tower constructed at Batu Berlayar.
In December 1896, the armament reported by the 'Straits Settlements Defence Scheme' then was "1 6-Pounder QF and 2 machine guns" (incidentally the first reference Peter has seen referring to the calibre of the QF Gun). Further records also show that there were two 6-Pounder QF guns at Berlayer Point on 1st January 1898, having been taken there from Tanjong Katong. However, no mention of any machine guns were made in this report.
The list of Approved armaments showed that the QF Guns were still there on 1st January 1899 and one of these was placed in an embrasure which could be found at the beach level. This gun was pointed in the direction of Pulau Belakang Mati and could be utilised to ambush and annihilate any Motor Torpedo Boats which snuck past the main guns. It is unclear when the rock at Berlayer Point was hollowed out to form this gun emplacement.
The alleged entrance to the "secret tunnel" which leads to Sentosa.
The inaccessibility of the "tunnel" further perpetuated the urban legend.
The embrasure is often wrongly speculated to be the entrance of a secret tunnel which allegedly ran below the channel and provided subterranean access to Pulau Belakang Mati. In fact, the reality show "Hey Singapore!", which originally ran in the 90s, dedicated a segment to unraveling the mystery behind this alleged tunnel, but to no avail. They showed shots of what they believed was the entrance to the tunnel (which happened to be the embrasure of the QF gun), some shots of the embrasure's interior as well as a similar opening on the opposite coast of Tanjong Rimau, further fueling this speculation.
Interior of the "secret tunnel" entrance, which was, in fact, the beach level embrasure housing the 6-pounder QF gun.
A shaft inside the embrasure leads up to the AMTB battery and was probably used to lower shells downwards.
As much as we'd like to believe that there is an underground tunnel linking Tanjong Berlayer to Sentosa, this would be highly unlikely as the other end of the tunnel would have to be located somewhere within Fort Siloso, and not on the foot of the cliff face along Tanjong Rimau coast as many believe, since this would expose soldiers emerging from the tunnel to enemy fire. A chat with Peter, who knows every inch of Fort Siloso like the back of his hand, reveals his firm belief that there is no entrance located within the fort itself.
Peter also believes that Berlayer Point was probably unarmed from September 1900 onwards as there were no references to the battery in the list of Singapore's Approved Armaments from that point onwards, as well as the following years after that. Since records show that Fort Pasir Panjang acquired two 6-Pounder QF Guns around the same time, it is believed that the guns were moved from Batu Berlayer AMTB to Pasir Panjang to replace the inferior 7-inch R.M.L (rifled muzzle-loading) Guns at the emplacement located nearest the path to the beach. This was because the 7-inch R.M.L guns neither had sufficient range accuracy nor rapidity of fire for effective coastal defence. The engineer of Fort Pasir Panjang, H.E. McCallum, even referred to the 7-inch R.M.L guns as being "the worst in the service".[3]
A replica 6-Inch QF Gun in the Fort Pasir Panjang No.2 6-Inch Emplacement (More info from fortsiloso.com here)
Faye, one of our team members, having a chinwag with one of the QF gunners.
To give a rough comparison of the difference in performance between the two, the 7-inch R.F.L gun could only fire 2 to 3 rounds per minute, while the 6-pounder QF guns could achieve a firing rate of 25 to 30 rounds per minute, an alarming difference of 10 times!
A Signal Station was built on Berlayar Point when the armament was removed and remained there until the late 1930s. Subsequently in the Defence Scheme of 1913, it was mentioned that there were two .303 Maxim Machine Guns situated at Berlayer Point. Batu Berlayer was to be re-fortified following the events of pre-WW2 brewing in Europe and Northeastern Asia, and the layout of AMTB defences for Singapore was approved on 4th November 1937, where the Army Council listed two twin 6-Pounders for Batu Berlayer. There were also to be three 30° fixed Defence Electric Lights (D.E.L), searchlights used to sweep the area to detect and illuminate enemy marine vessels.
The AMTB Emplacements of Batu Berlayer were complete in 1941 and the manning for the battery consisted of 2 British Officers, 55 British Other Ranks, 8 Indian soldiers and 11 Malay soldiers. In October 1941, two 12-Pounders were reported as being placed at the battery with no Twin 6-Pounders being available. While it was fully ready for war, the battery never realised its full potential. Extracts from the Faber Fire Command War Diary stated that the 12-Pounders could not bear landwards and, therefore, never did partake in any action but Battery Commander Capt T.E. Pickard of the 31 Coast Battery RA, which manned the AMTB, recalled that "bombs fell in the sea, off the point". Some shell splinters did fall on Batu Berlayar during this period but caused no real damage to the battery.
Unknown to most, there's more to Berlayer than what we had mentioned earlier. As luck would have it, Andrew's intrepid bashing through the Berlayer undergrowth while exploring the area in early 2011 was met with the startling discovery of more concrete structures deep in the thicket of Berlayer ridge, hidden away from the public eye.
Structure Number One was discovered when Andrew spotted a peculiar flat concrete slab while descending down the ridge face. Proceeding further downward, he realised that the slab was actually the flat roof of a concrete structure which was facing the sea.
Structure Number One, which sits along the ridge
The entrance into Structure Number One is only big enough for a single person to enter or exit at any one time.
A visit with Peter in late 2012 would help to shed some light on the mystery structure as he identified it as a PF Cell (Position Finding Cell), which was used to fix the position of a target vessel, in this case for the 6-Inch Labrador Battery which was close by. A PF cell would work in conjunction with a gun battery's Depression Range Finder to increase the accuracy of targeting. Several PF Cells still remain on Mount Serapong and Mount Imbiah on Sentosa. (You can find a very detailed write up on PF Cells from fortsiloso.com here)
Found inside Structure Number One, a plastic "kopitiam" chair and the remains of a charred wire cage trap
Stepping into the structure, it was evident that we were not the first ones to set foot within. A grimy plastic chair, commonly found in kopitiams (coffeeshops) all around Singapore, lay beside what seemed to be the charred remains of a wire cage trap. There was a pile of rocks lying on the ground with an ashy residue and bits of charcoal, the remnants of a makeshift stand for an open fire. It was a real puzzle. Why would someone burn something in this secluded structure? An even more perplexing questions would be what this person was burning here. The presence of the wire cage trap did not help, leading to my assumption that the victim was an unfortunate rat or bird although I failed to find any bones or remains around the area.
Encouraged by his discovery, Andrew continued braving the mosquitoes and thick undergrowth and bashed even further along the ridge, where he discovered a second concrete structure behind a mesh fence that was ruthlessly cut open.
First visit to Structure Number Two in 2011 - a brown shirt was found hanging from one of the columns.
Disused aquarium tank found in Structure Number Two.
Graffiti in Structure Number Two with run-of-the-mill profanities included
Standing inside the structure, we also noticed that it had a pretty high ceiling. Peter was much taller than any of our explorers so that would give you a good picture of how high the ceiling was when he could stand comfortably upright while he was inside the structure.
Peter making his way into Structure Number Two.
Exploring the interior of the structure and eagerly taking photos.
This was identified almost certainly as a Gun Shelter which would have housed a field gun, most likely an 18-Pounder. It is not known if there was a gun here at the time of the Japanese assault on Singapore. It does not appear on a list of 18-Pounder positions in Singapore, but that does not mean to say that there was no gun here. Many 18-Pounders were emplaced for beach defence in 1942 and it was only a few years ago that two Gun Shelters on Sentosa were demolished.
Other 18-Pounders were set up for AMTB defence at Pulau Hantu (Now Pulau Keppel) and on Tanjong Pengelih at Pengerang.
With both structures covered, we also took the opportunity to show Peter a ramshackle concrete water silo that was lying in the undergrowth. This probably formed part of the water supply for the troops of Passir Panjang and to prevent shortage.
Public Works Department (PWD) tag on the water silo.
It's always fascinating to know more about these wartime structures as we continue to unearth them. Many areas were let untouched once the British forces pulled out of Singapore and many of these relics may have been reclaimed by nature as time went by. Some others, like the Pillbox at Chancery Lane, became assimilated into other larger structures.
Additional Info by Peter:
There were searchlights at Labrador and Batu Berlayar. The Labrador guns had two 3 degree fighting lights, and Batu Berlayar two or three - we do not have confirmation of the exact number at this moment - D.E.L.s (Defence Electric lights) 30 degree lights. The 30 degree lights would have been fixed with no traverse. When switched on together, they will have illuminated a wide area for the AMTB guns while the 3 degree lights had a long range and narrow beam to illuminate targets for the 6-Inch Guns. These would have been able to traverse to track a target. I wonder if any searchlight posts remain?
The truth may not always be out there. Sometimes it's hidden in the deep recesses of the earth.
We'll keep digging!
There are probably more structures lying around in the forests of Singapore, waiting to be discovered. Until then, you can be sure that we will keep on searching.
Note: If you're interested to know what is left of Labrador Battery in the present day, you can find more info here.
[1] The Straits Times, 23 September 1970, Page 7 - Five who thought alike win Sentosa prize
[2] Fort Siloso - Batu Berlayer AMTB Battery, Source: fortsiloso.com
[3] National Parks Board - On-site Information Board
Article written by Aaron Chan and Co-Authored by Peter Stubbs
Photos by Andrew Him
Article and photos - © One° North Explorers
This article would not have been possible without the kind assistance of Peter Stubbs, writer and webmaster of fortsiloso.com
The One° North Explorers are a simple urban exploration (UE/UrbEx) team based in Singapore since 2002/3.
With our stringent land laws, we now expand our coverage to not only urban exploration but to include topics on local heritage in Singapore, war history, local urban legends past and present; and on certain occasions, even topics of the paranormal.
We try our best to bring you accurate information and facts in our written articles and vibrant on-location photo documentation. Read all about our explorations of diminishing urban ruins in Singapore and our experiences overseas. Our collection of exploration chronicles can be found in our exploration memoirs.
To know more about us, see "About us" and "Timeline".
Mini Updates from us!
2nd September 2018 -
Amazing how a few years have flown by in a blink since the last update here. No, we aren't dead and buried as how some out there might have claimed us to be. Each of us are just rather busy with our personal lives - work, starting families and growing old. Just like everyone else, we are typical Singaporeans.
Don't worry, that doesn't mean our passion for exploration is gone. A matter of sorting out little bits of logistical organization (eg. this blog, hosting, etc), getting better gear, learning to use various social media platforms and forging more friendships over meet ups and outings.
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The humble fruit that is the Balonglong
The Forsaken Quarry of the West And the Mysterious Shrine
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Unfortunately for us college kids and graduate students, we can't quite get excited about the holiday season until we get through one dreadful thing, final exams. During this stressful time, it's easy to start neglecting our health in favor of late nights in the library and excessive quantities of Red Bull. But let's face it - we can't perform to the best of our abilities when we put our health on the back burner. And after all, nobody wants to be 'that guy' coughing up a storm mid-test. Here's a short list you can use guilt-free on your upcoming finals - a cheat-sheet to keep you feeling your best amidst the stress this month.


Martial arts has been an essential part of Chinese culture and a calling card of the country. And when it comes to the genre, Zhao Jilong is the man. Practicing martial arts from the tender age of five, Zhao set out to master several styles. Now the Kung Fu master has created an online platform to teach martial arts.
Every Thursday night at eight o'clock, over 30 martial arts enthusiasts around the country meet virtually in a WeChat teaching group, learning traditional Chinese martial arts.
Zhao Jilong has been practicing qigong and kungfu since he was 5 years old. His specialty is internal power. Using his knowledge of different martial arts styles, he gradually developed his own technique, which features a mix of combat methods, kung fu, healthy living, and a practical training system.
Zhao used to focus on actual combat, and won many fights. This made him start to get cocky and led him into a lot of trouble. However, his experiences living abroad changed his approach.
Zhao looks forward to helping more people get to know traditional Chinese martial arts.
With this mindset, Zhao and Liu set up this online platform. Zhao uses it to break down the obscure aspects of traditional martial arts into pictures and videos that students can understand easily.
While communicating with the students, Zhao Jilong found online is actually a very good and practical teaching method. It also saves Zhao a lot of energy and frees him up to teach more students.
Zhao Jilong has now taught over six-thousand students since he opened the platform. And he also has around 300 thousand followers on WeChat. But Zhao is not only teaching kung fu. More importantly, he also wants to pass on the profound elements of traditional Chinese culture.


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Apart from being great in top quality, mattresses from Puffy are delivered complimentary to your door. The Puffy is a net based shop, and also that is why their products come at a reasonable rate. Buying a Puffy Mattress is as easy as sending an e-mail.
The Puffy as its discussed on their internet site is supplying handcrafted mattresses. Well, in this age of industrialization it is quite hard to locate genuine handmade bed mattress, which is why our team believe Puffy is a good option. The feature-rich handmade mattresses they are providing had remarkable advantages as well as a definite edge over various other cushions which are manufactured with automated procedures.
The Puffy Mattress is made to do its work no matter its host surface. Talking you take into consideration anything like level frameworks, box springs, adjustable structures, slats and even the flooring. Your bed mattress is mosting likely to generate very same outcomes until as well as unless you won't make a decision to come up with something out of regimens like gardens or open spaces.
One more terrific function of their items is the consolidation of that firm core support as well as cooling cloud makings the mattress qualified for adjusting each point of your body perfectly, allowing you neglect you assume that you get on a mattress. As for the air conditioning system of Puffy' s bed mattress is concerned, they have their very own copyrighted innovation known as the cooling cloud( tm). The cooling cloud functions specifically. On the one hand, it presses warmth out of your bed mattress while on the other hand, its cloud gel layer helps you in maintaining your body temperature at an ideal degree.
Puffy cases that their cushion has some special features which keep sleepers spine straightened while taking care of the pressure points by removing them. It is an issue of the fact that far better as well as sound sleep can bring a really positive influence on your general psychological and also physiological health as well as health and wellbeing.
The bears guarantee for their cushion as long as a customer has it. Well, Puffy' s we could not consider it as good as an orthopedic mattress however still, it has a tendency to aid you to cope with pressure factor associated problems and also excessive discomforts.
Similar to lots of various other organisations the Puffy is running with an extremely well made CSR job. Each year the business invests a particular share of its revenue to buy beds for the kids in need. They, do it by giving away to several youngsters shelters. Thus, preferring Puffy while searching for a budget plan mattress can make you join an extremely worthy reason.
Think it or not, buying puffy is as simple as sending out an e-mail. Log on to their internet site, choose a bed mattress size, pay online which's all. The procedure of ordering a cushion is not that simple on different other online shops. In reality, they have assimilation with nearly all the significant economic instruments for payment handling.
Puffy is a self-adjusting bed mattress, and it will obtain accustomed to your requirements within a hr or so – this showcases it an outstanding selection for consumers from numerous histories and age groups.
The Puffy have a solid team of professionals hectic in r & d tasks. Possibly this is the reason behind that steep understanding curve this mattress manufacturer is following.
purple vs Puffy Mattress is a popular supplier and vendor of memory foam bed mattress. The Puffy is an USA-based firm, as well as all of their products are manufactured here. Whereas, the foam which they utilize in their items is certified by CertiPUR-US. Those that are not happy to buy and after that attempt could select Puffy' s FREE 101 NIGHT SLEEP TRIAL. Under this promotional deal, customers are enabled to take the cushion residence for a 101 night long FREE test. As the trial period ends unsatisfied consumers will certainly be able to return their bed mattress for a full return.
In addition to being excellent in quality, cushions from Puffy are delivered totally free to your door. Hence, you will have the ability to save a significant amount of loan by buying their products straight. The Puffy is an internet based store, as well as that is why their items come with an affordable price. The absence of 3rd parties, shops, dealerships, etc. provides them with excellent margins which they show to their customers. Buying a Puffy Mattress is as basic as sending out an email. Open their web site as well as there, you will be able to acquire by providing 3 clicks or so.
The Puffy as its stated on their internet site is using handcrafted mattresses. Well, in this age of automation it is fairly difficult to find authentic handcrafted mattresses, which is why we believe Puffy is a good option. The feature-rich handmade cushions they are offering featured incredible advantages as well as a precise edge over other cushions which are produced via automated procedures.
The Puffy Mattress is made to do its job no matter its host surface. Speaking you consider anything like level frames, box springs, flexible structures, slats and even the flooring. Your bed mattress is mosting likely to produce exact same results till and unless you won't choose ahead up with something out of routines like yards or open rooms.
Another fantastic function of their products is the incorporation of that firm core assistance as well as cooling down cloud that makes the mattress qualified for adjusting each factor of your body perfectly, allowing you forget you believe that you get on a cushion. Regarding the air conditioning system of Puffy' s bed mattress is worried, they have their own copyrighted innovation called the air conditioning cloud( tm). The cooling cloud works specifically. On the one hand, it pushes warmth out of your bed mattress while on the other hand, its cloud gel layer helps you in maintaining your body temperature level at an ideal level.
Puffy claims that their bed mattress has some unique features which keep sleepers spine lined up while managing the pressure points by eliminating them. It is an issue of the reality that far better as well as audio rest could bring an extremely favorable influence on your total emotional and physiological wellness and health and wellbeing.
Another interesting point about Puffy, worthy to be mentioned right here is that life time warranty they are using. In truth, it is dissimilar to the various other conventional service warranties being offered nowadays. The bears ensure for their cushion as long as a consumer possesses it. Well, Puffy' s we can not consider it comparable to an orthopedic cushion yet still, it has the tendency to aid you to handle pressure factor associated problems and also undue pains.
Much like several various other organisations the Puffy is operating with a really well made CSR task. Each year the company invests a particular share of its revenue to get beds for the kids in demand. They, do it by giving away to a number of youngsters shelters. Hence, liking Puffy while seeking a budget plan bed mattress can make you sign up with a very honorable reason.
Log on to their web site, pick a mattress dimension, pay online and also that's all. The procedure of ordering a cushion is not that basic on various other on-line shops.
Puffy is a self-adjusting mattress, and it will certainly get accustomed to your demands within an hour or so – this includes it an excellent selection for consumers from numerous histories as well as age.
The Puffy have a solid group of professionals active in study as well as development activities. Probably this is the reason behind that high knowing contour this bed mattress manufacturer is following.
purple vs Puffy Mattress is a distinguished vendor and also seller of memory foam cushions. Under this promotional deal, consumers are permitted to take the cushion home for a 101 night long FREE trial. As the trial duration runs out dissatisfied consumers will be able to return their cushion for a full return.
Apart from being great in high quality, mattresses from Puffy are delivered free to your door. The Puffy is an internet based store, as well as that is why their items come at a sensible cost. Getting a Puffy Mattress is as easy as sending out an e-mail.
The Puffy as its mentioned on their internet site is offering handmade cushions. Well, in this age of automation it is quite hard to locate authentic hand-crafted cushions, which is why our company believe Puffy is a good option. The feature-rich handmade bed mattress they are supplying included significant advantages and also a definite side over other mattresses which are produced with automated processes.
The Puffy Mattress is developed to do its task no matter of its host surface. Speaking you consider anything like level structures, box springtimes, flexible frames, slats or also the floor. Your cushion is going to produce very same outcomes until and also unless you will not make a decision to find up with something from regimens like yards or open spaces.
One more terrific function of their products is the consolidation of that firm core assistance and also cooling cloud which makes the bed mattress qualified for adapting each factor of your body perfectly, letting you forget you believe that you are on a bed mattress. As much as the air conditioning mechanism of Puffy' s bed mattress is worried, they have their very own copyrighted technology known as the cooling cloud( tm).
Puffy insurance claims that their mattress has some special functions which keep sleepers back aligned while handling the pressure points by removing them. It is an issue of that better and also sound sleep could bring an extremely favorable effect on your total emotional as well as physical health and wellness and wellbeing.
One more fascinating feature of Puffy, worthwhile to be stated right here is that lifetime service warranty they are supplying. As a matter of fact, it is not similar to the various other basic service warranties being supplied these days. The bears assure for their mattress as long as a consumer owns it. Well, Puffy' s we could not consider it just as good as an orthopedic bed mattress yet still, it has the tendency to aid you to handle stress point relevant concerns as well as excessive pains.
Just like several various other services the Puffy is running with a really well developed CSR project. Thus, favoring Puffy while looking for a budget plan bed mattress could make you sign up with a very honorable reason.
Believe it or otherwise, buying puffy is as easy as sending an email. Log on to their internet site, choose a mattress size, pay online which's all. The procedure of getting a cushion is not that basic on various other online shops. They have assimilation with almost all the substantial monetary instruments for payment processing.
Puffy is a self-adjusting mattress, and it will certainly obtain accustomed to your demands within an hour or two – this features it an exceptional selection for customers from different backgrounds and age teams.
The Puffy have a solid group of specialists hectic in research study and also advancement tasks. Maybe this is the factor behind that high knowing curve this mattress manufacturer is complying with.


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Her mouth hung open. Before a mean word had time to form in her mouth, however, she was shaking her head and patting her sister's hand as she would when indulging a child.
"You should have met him, Bianca! He's had the most interesting life!" Cherry's arms flung out and her bright eyes shone.
Bianca turned to dump her school books in a chair and hide her smile from her sister. "Just don't give him a key, alright, Sis?" she continued to hide her smile behind rolling eyes.
The next day, Bianca headed home burdened by an overflowing backpack and looming Midterms. She crunched through the leaves conglomerated together all across campus. She tried to hide her chapped hands inside the sleeves of her hoodie sweatshirt and quickened her step at the sight of cheery yellow-lit windows of home. She heard voices before she reached the edge of the grassy front yard of the old home, turned apartment building.
"Tell me more about Connecticut," Cherry's voice sounded pleased and excited.
"Hey, Cherry. What's up?" Cherry didn't quite catch the wary glint in her sister's eyes in the dark.
Peter switched hands with his plate and offered the free one to Bianca. "A pleasure," he mumbled, his beard rising where his mouth underneath must have been also.
Bianca shook her icy hand out of her sleeve and gently squeezed the calloused hand back. "Nice to meet you… Peter." She must have seemed hesitant because Peter attempted a hasty exit.
"Your sister is too kind. I shouldn't take advantage… it's not… I'm not as I seem." It was obvious by the way he was stepping backwards and the look on his face that he was well aware that he had ended lamely and wanted nothing more than to be gone.
"No, no! Don't be silly! Finish your dinner… my sister paid much more attention to our Mother's cooking lessons, for sure. Maybe you wouldn't mind if I joined you," Bianca smiled most genuinely.
The stranger glanced back at Cherry who gave him an "I told you so" look and giggled. "Yours is in the warming oven, Bink," winked Cherry.
Bianca sat and raced the frost to eat her food before the steamy white curls left her plate. No sooner had she finished than Peter took his leave of them and crunched through the leaves with his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his threadbare jacket.
The next night, it was Bianca who answered the sycophantic knocking on their door.
"Come in, Peter!" If Bianca's warm smile threw him off, he didn't show it as he returned with his own. "Let me take your coat," she said helping him off with it. She shook the season's first snowflakes off onto the entry-0way rug and hung it on the coat tree. Peter shook melted snow out of his dark, curly locks and beard.
"Cherry invited me back for lasagna," Peter said sheepishly.
"The table's already set for three and we're almost finished." Bianca ignored the hole in his sweatshirt as she grabbed him by the elbow and steered him toward the table.
The winter passed pleasantly as Cherry and Bianca practiced their cooking on a more-than-willing Peter. He often stayed until late into the night studying with the sisters as either quizmaster or contestant. As the snow slowly stopped darkening their doorway, so, too, did Peter.
Shocked, Bianca stared at the fingers of her left hand while clutching the phone with her right. "Alright, Peter," she heard herself say.
"Goodbye, Bianca," The words faded to whispers.
Later that afternoon, cherry and Bianca were indulging themselves with a drive in the countryside surrounding their college town. They delighted in fields of Mamas with their babies; cows and calves, ewes and lambs, mares and foals. Just before they turned back towards campus, they came upon a tiny, dilapidated, rusted VW bug in a soft spot on the shoulder of the dirt road they were traveling.
A stocky, scruffy man was feverishly attempting to push the bug out of the Spring mud alone. Cherry pulled their car over and the sisters got out to help.
"I don't need help from the likes of you!" spat the little man.
"Of course you do!" Cherry insisted with a smile.
Bianca stuck her head in the driver's window to make sure it was in neutral and blinked once at the sun glinting on a Blackberry sitting on the passenger seat. Cherry and Bianca pushed with all their might while the mud-splattered man jumped up and down waving his arms and yelling at them not to help. When the car was clear of the mud, he sloshed over to it, squelched in and drove away flicking mud all over as he sped away.
With a shrug and a hug, the girls re-entered their own car and continued home with a clear conscience.
Not even a week later, the girls encountered their hapless acquaintance again as they strolled across a park in the ever warming weather. They hummed along with the jewelry box tune the carousel was playing as they neared. What met their eyes, however, made them drop their ice cream cones and run for the carousel. Their cranky friend was yelling croakily as he was dragged around the well-worn circle of compressed dirt around the carousel. The operator was frantically punching buttons on the panel in front of her as Cherry and Bianca jumped on the whirling ride. Bianca grabbed the writhing man around the waist and tried to pull him up onto the platform while Cherry was attempting to unhook his belt buckle from the bolt it was caught on just under the lip of the platform. Once free, the man grabbed a laptop case form the platform at the girls' feet and took off running across the park shaking his fist at them.
Clear conscience or not, it was ungratifying work saving this particular ruffian.
Peter was a taboo subject as the weather continued to warm and the girls toed the line between summer jobs and a class or two here and there.
Bianca was reading a novel as she walked, determined to finis the last four pages before her shift at the shoe store started three blocks and twenty minutes away. She stopped walking at the corner to wait for the light to turn green. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a distracted couple on a moped chatting over the driver's shoulder to each other. As she turned her head back to her book, her hand shot out and grabbed the back of the shirt of a man to pull him back onto the curb just as the moped cut the curve and sped around the corner.
Bianca's eyes closed and her hands flew up to protect her face as fist collided with jaw. Bianca gasped sharply as she parted her fingers and gaped at the short form crumpled on the sidewalk at her feet.
"Peter!" Bianca's hands went from her fact to around her hero's neck.
Peter picked her up around the waist and swung her in a circle. "He's been blackmailing me and stealing from my father's company and blocking me from my family's accounts. I'm… well, I'm actually very… my family owns several large factories here and overseas, Bianca. This bloke here," Peter jabbed the unconscious man with his toe, "stumbled upon my Blackberry while cleaning my office in my Father's building here in town. He stole my identity and changed my pin numbers to cut me off and has been threatening my family. The police couldn't catch him and now here you are saving his neck!" His jolly laugh filled Bianca with joy. The police appeared out of nowhere and handcuffed the awakening double crosser. Peter slipped his hand in hers and they walked off into the sunset.
Now that you have read my version, read HERE the version of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm.
This is sounds like a fun story. I like how you are showing several different senses in the story that tell us more about the scene, like the cold hands and things like that. Good Job!
I love the story of Snow white and Rose red. You did a great job in your re-make of the the story! You are a great writer!
Good job with this. It was fun to read how you reworked it. I like the twist and the outcome.