NX65871 - ALLARDICE, Stephen Russell (Steve), Sgt. - HQ Coy.
HQ. Transport Platoon
NX27335 - McKNIGHT, Gordon Leslie,
Sgt. - HQ Coy. Transport Platoon
Steve tells me that while a large part of the Battalion was
working on the "Shrine Job" as their first Working Party,
(Japanese), he and some 70 men made up a Transport
Detachment at 2nd Avenue, off Bukit Timah Road, and their
trucks picked up the men who were at Adam Road Camp and took
them to the Shrine and then carted blue metal and cement.
He asks, "How many of the boys of that detachment remember
the American-Jap, taxi-driver, Okamoto, who was their
interpreter and who drove a jeep, on to which each morning
they loaded a 44 gallon drum of petrol, so that it was
covered by the curtains at the back, and which he drove away
to sell the petrol bringing back the empty drum, to
be-filled with water and to be returned to the stack?
Or, the little wooden plaque, issued for each vehicle, the
Japanese writing on which plaque said, in effect, that it
was to be allowed to proceed out of the camp along Bukit
Timah Road without a guard so that it could have a "road
test". Invariably the vehicle could not be passed in its
test?
Or, who would remember Gordon McKnight running a lot of Sig
cable wire from the house beside the creek to the camp in
order that they could have electric light? Or, who would
remember the training and racing of bullfrogs and Bill
Bailey being the bookmaker laying the odds, most
particularly on the Jap Soldiers' pay-day?
(Source: Steve Allardice, Makan No. 236,
Sept/October, 1977)
NX41219 - LOGAN, Haig Lincoln (Jock), Pte. - HQ Company,
Transport Platoon
Jock marched into Selarang Barracks, Changi with the rest of
the Battalion after 15th Feb 1942. He was at No 4 Camp at
Adam Road with approx 30 others of the Battalion Transport
Platoon, and was engaged there in driving trucks used for
the main part in connection with the shrine job. He was then
transferred to River Valley Road Camp, being included in the
Bn. listing for that camp of 4/12/1942. He went in Train No.
5 with the major portion of the Battalion on "F" Force to
Thailand and did his stint on the "Death Railway".
(Source: Makan No. 255, Aug/Sep,
1980)
