Original Bungalows at RAF Seletar - Reflections of RAF Serviceman Ted Wilkins










Ted Wilkin's reflections
I was posted to 81 Squadron at RAF base Seletar in Aug/53 two weeks after getting married back in the UK. In Feb/54 my wife Phyllis arrived to join me and we lived in a `spartan` bungalow rented from a Mrs. Perrara in Singapore. There was no electricity , lights ,fridge and cooking all depending on parafin. There was only one tap for water in the lean-to kitchen at the back -----all had to be boiled---and a pipe with a tap for a shower in a side annex.The toilet was ` bucket type` collected weekly in a hut on the side.
The bungalows were on the right hand side of the road coming from the `camp` and down a sloping bank. All had gardens with hedges and we had a local chap who looked after it for us .Brother of the Amah. To us it was our first home. We soon got to know lots of the shopkeepers and made friends with many local people. My bicycle was bought from the last shop in the village as were lots of household goods ---as we had none of our own. We lived there for about a year before moving into married quarters at Mornington Crescent on the camp.
Work on the Squadron started at 0600hrs as the aircraft had to be up and away at day-break. Flying up over Malaya on photographic missions taking pics of the Communist camps and also doing the survey.
Being on `active service` I was home again by 1600hrs so had plenty of time to `explore`.We rented cars from the local `rank` and went all over Singapore island. It was an experience we won`t forget -- wonderful.



Comments

Andrew Bailey said…

Hi Ted,
Bit behind the curve as I've only just discovered the Blog.
I was there as a boy of 12 in 1955/57 as my Father was posted there. Like you, we were out in a hiring then eventually moved into married qtrs.
I cant remember the road need a detailed map, but our row of bungalows was in the south-west corner, facing some open ground which ran up to the perimeter security fence.
Andrew Bailey