Harbour Launches at Jardine Steps
This image, taken on my first-ever roll of colour film, features two British Army harbour launches alongside at Jardine Steps in Singapore's Keppel Harbour in 1968.
The two boats are manned by members of the Royal Malay Regiment, although there appears to be a couple of British soldiers on the stern of them as well. These boats, and others, ran a ferry service to and from mainland Singapore for the benefit of the British Army personnel and their families on Blakang Mati (renamed as Sentosa Island in 1970) (the peak in the background is on that island) and Pulau Brani which is mainly hidden by the Hamburg-America Line's MV Alemannia on the left of the image.
For much of my time in Singapore I commuted daily during school terms from my home on Pulau Brani using a Land Rover or minibus, then the above harbour launches and then a bus (on one occasion an Army 4-tonner!) to get to Wessex Junior School for the 8 a.m. start time and back again after the end of school at 1 p.m. (tropical hours) or 4 p.m., if we stayed for sports or music amongst other afternoon optional activities.
The harbour launches were also the way that families on the islands were able to get to and from mainland Singapore for shopping, leisure, etc.
Scanned from a slide.
Harbour Launches at Jardine Steps
This image, taken on my first-ever roll of colour film, features two British Army harbour launches alongside at Jardine Steps in Singapore's Keppel Harbour in 1968.
The two boats are manned by members of the Royal Malay Regiment, although there appears to be a couple of British soldiers on the stern of them as well. These boats, and others, ran a ferry service to and from mainland Singapore for the benefit of the British Army personnel and their families on Blakang Mati (renamed as Sentosa Island in 1970) (the peak in the background is on that island) and Pulau Brani which is mainly hidden by the Hamburg-America Line's MV Alemannia on the left of the image.
For much of my time in Singapore I commuted daily during school terms from my home on Pulau Brani using a Land Rover or minibus, then the above harbour launches and then a bus (on one occasion an Army 4-tonner!) to get to Wessex Junior School for the 8 a.m. start time and back again after the end of school at 1 p.m. (tropical hours) or 4 p.m., if we stayed for sports or music amongst other afternoon optional activities.
The harbour launches were also the way that families on the islands were able to get to and from mainland Singapore for shopping, leisure, etc.
Scanned from a slide.