Singapore Volunteer Corps (SVC) National Heritage Board (NHB) Research 25 May 2014

Last week the local Chinese newspapers featured an article on NHB doing research on the history of Singapore Volunteer Corps (SVC) with help from the Singapore Armed Forces Veteran's League (SAFVL). The research was prompted by the recent announcement on the establishment of the SAF Volunteer Corps next year.

Chinese Newspapers 25 May 2014 "NHB Recording 100 Years of Singapore Volunteer Corps History".

The history of SVC, and her predecessor The Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps (SVRC) has long been neglected. Even the old SVC buildings at Beach Road are been redeveloped into modern commercial buildings (Singapore Volunteer Corps 130-year History Exhibition at Beach Road Camp in 1992)

Among my collections of SVC memorabilia, one of my favourite is a set of lead figurines featuring the Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps 1870. I bought it from an auction more than 15 years ago when I just started researching the history of SVC. Since then, I have never seen a similar set being sold.

Set of lead figurines featuring the Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps 1870 (Fig. 1)

Set of lead figurines featuring the Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps 1870 (Fig. 2)

Set of lead figurines featuring the Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps 1870 (Fig. 3)

The Colours of The Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps

The Singapore Volunteer Rifle Corps, c1870

I cannot help taking a picture of some SVC items with the newspaper article.

Singapore Volunteer Corps and Singapore Volunteer Artillery Wall Plaques, Singapore Volunteer Corps  Shooting Competition Trophy, Long Service Medals awarded to Singapore Volunteer Corps and Cigarette Lighters with Singapore Volunteer Corps Insignia

Hopefully one day the NHB researcher will find this blog and save some effort in his/her research.

Singapore Volunteer Corps (SVC) Wall Plaque 1953

SVC Wall Plaque with Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Crown. So far, I have not seen any SVC cap badge with QEII Crown. Most likely such cap badge did not exist and after 1953, SVC personnel continue to wear the King Crown (KC) SVC badges.

Singapore Volunteer Corps (SVC) Wall Plaque 1953

Singapore Royal Artillery (Volunteers) Wall Plaque, 1954 to 63

Have not been blogging for a long time. Before posting some serious or lengthy stuff, let me begin with something simple but historical as a warm-up...

Singapore Royal Artillery (Volunteers) Wall Plaque. Circa 1954 to 1963 (Front)

Singapore Royal Artillery (Volunteers) Wall Plaque (Back)

You can view the complete collection of Singapore Artillery Volunteers badges in my previous post:

Singapore Volunteer Artillery Badges 1888 to 1960s

Do look out for more rare Singapore and Malaya volunteers medals that will be coming up soon. See you then!

Cpl Edward STUART, Straits Settlements Volunteer Force (SSVF), 2nd Derbyshire Regiment.

1 to 2 years ago, when I spotted this medal group on sale at Aberdeen Medals (owned by Mark Seller), my heart must have missed a heartbeat. This same feeling is probably felt by some collectors when they see an extremely rare and exceptional item.

Obverse

Medal Group Awarded to Edward Stuart (Derbyshire Regiment and Straits Settlements Volunteer Force)

India Medal 1896 with Bars TIRAH 1897-98, PUNJAB FRONTIER 1897-98 (Awarded to 4458 PTE E. Stuart 2d Bn Derby. Regt. Correction on "4458 PTE")
Queen's South Africa Medal 1899 with Bars SOUTH AFRICA 1902, TRANSVAAL, ORANGE FREE STATE, CAPE COLONY (Awarded to 4458 CORPL: E. STUART. NOTTS: & DERBY: REGT)
Efficiency Medal, Bar MALAYA with Clasp (Awarded to 10072 CPL. E STUART)

Reverse

I recalled this story from a book kindly loaned to me by an avid collector friend of mine:

Although I have been collecting and researching volunteers medals for a long time, I did not know that many volunteers took part in the African Wars during the Victorian era. This is my first encounter with a unique medal group comprising India, Africa and Malaya Efficiency Medals. Although he also served in China before settling down in the Straits Settlements, he was not awarded any China medal. 

Very few medals in collection have so many campaign bars spreading across numerous continents, and I always wanted to own a Queen's South Africa (QSA) medal because of its high quality workmanship and exquisite design that is not seen in modern medals.

Without hesitation, I bought this medal group and endured two agonising weeks waiting for the medal to arrive.

Reverse of QSA

The story of Edward Stuart started around 200 years ago in 1894. He was borned in the English town of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire county and baptised at the St Peters Parish. At the age of 23 yeas and 3 months, of average built (being only 5 feet 4 inches tall and 135 pounds in weight) with dark complexion, brown eyes and hairs, and tattooed, he enlisted in the Sherwood Forresters on 9 Jan 1894. 

Enlistment Record 1894

Enlistment Record

Service Record

His Service Record showed that he served in The Sherwood Forresters (Derbyshire Regiment) as a Private from 9 Jan 1894, promoted to Corporal on 26 Aug 1902, and to Sergeant on 20 Feb 1904. During that period, he took part in the two major British campaigns to colonise India and South Africa.

Service Record

He was re-engaged at Pekin (modern day Beijing) on 11 Nov 1904 and discharged at Singapore after 12 and a half years of service on 15 May 1906.

Service Record

Service Record

This record showed that Edward Stuart was in England from 9 Jan 1904 to 23 Dec 1906, went to East Indies (and participated in the India Campaign) from 24 Dec 1896 to 24 Oct 1899 (a period of almost 3 years). He then proceeded to Africa from 25 Oct 1899 to 28 Feb 1902, and South Africa from 1 Mar 1902 to 7 Sep 1902 (3 years) He then went to China from 8 Sep 1902 to 6 Dec 1904, and finally to Straits Settlements (Singapore) from 7 Dec 1904 to 15 May 1906. 

Service Record

He was awarded the India medal (bars PUNJAB FRONTIER 1897-98 and TIRAH 1897-98) and Queen's South Africa medal (bars CAPE COLONY, ORANGE FREE STATE, TRANSVAAL and SOUTH AFRICA 1902)

Service Record

There was no further information regarding Edward Stuart after he was discharged from service in Singapore. He might have went back to England and then came back to Singapore or Malaya after several years in England, or he had stayed in Singapore or Malaya for good after his service. 

His Malaya Efficiency medal with clasp (indicating 18 years of volunteer service) awarded in 1937 showed that he only joined the SSVF around 1919. What he did during the period from 1906 to 1919 remains unknown. 

Ref: In Oriente Primus

Orders and Medals Awarded to the First President of Singapore, Encik Yusof Ishak. 2nd Lieutenant, Singapore Volunteer Cadet Corps.

Have not blog about Singapore medals for almost a week. Just completed filing my income tax returns this afternoon, so would like to share a valuable nugget of Singapore History, the Orders and medals awarded to the first President of Singapore, Encik Yusof Ishak. President of Singapore from 3 December 1959 to 23 November 1970.

The bibliography of Encik Yusof Ishak can be found in the Singapore's Istana website (http://www.istana.gov.sg/content/istana/thepresident/formerpresidents/yi.html). A short extract is reproduced below:

Encik Yusof bin Ishak, was born on 12 August 1910 at Padang Gajah, Trong, about 18 miles from Taiping, Perak.  He was a Malay of Sumatran descent and could trace his lineage on the paternal side to Minangkabau, and on the maternal side to Langkat. They first settled in Penang and later, Perak.

Encik Yusof was the eldest son in a family of nine. His father, Encik Ishak bin Ahmad, was the Acting Director of Fisheries, Straits Settlements and Federated Malay States. Encik Yusof received his early education in a Malay school in Kuala Kurau, Perak. He was later transferred to a Malay School at Taiping.  In 1921, he began his English studies at King Edward VII School, Taiping.

When his civil-servant father was posted to Singapore in 1923, Encik Yusof accompanied his parents and studied at the former Victoria Bridge School until December 1923.  In 1924, he was admitted to Raffles Institution where he passed the Cambridge School Certificate in 1927 with distinction, and prolonged his studies for two more years in the Queen's Scholarship class.

While in school, Encik Yusof joined in practically all forms of sport played by boys. At the Raffles Institution, he played hockey and cricket and took part in swimming, weight lifting, water-polo and boxing. In 1933, he became the Singapore light-weight champion. As the most outstanding cadet of the School Cadet Corps, he became the first student ever in Singapore to have been commissioned by the then Governor as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Cadet Corps. He was a school prefect and was co-editor of the 'Rafflesian'.

Ref: The 2 PDF Story

After leaving school in 1929, Encik Yusof went into partnership with two friends and embarked on the publication of the "Sportsman", a fortnightly magazine devoted entirely to sports. In 1932, he joined the staff of 'Warta Malaya', the leading Malay newspaper of that time. His journalistic ability took him rapidly from the ranks to the top posts of Assistant Manager and Acting Editor within a short time. In 1938, he resigned from the 'Warta Malaya', and with a few close friends, established the 'Utusan Melayu Press Ltd'. In May 1939, the now well-known 'Utusan Melayu', came into being with Encik Yusof at the helm as its first Managing Director.

During most of the period of the Japanese Occupation (1942-1945), Encik Yusof remained in Malaya and on the capitulation of the Japanese Forces, he returned to Singapore on 3 September 1945, and immediately resumed publication of the 'Utusan Melayu'.

Encik Yusof also held many distinguished public appointments with the Singapore Government. From 1948 to 1950, he served on the Film Appeal Committee. He was a member of the Nature Reserves Committee for a year, and also of the Malayanisation Commission. In July 1959, he was appointed Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Singapore. On 3 July 1965, Encik Yusof became the Chancellor of the University of Singapore.

Encik Yusof took up appointment as Yang di-Pertuan Negara of Singapore on 3 December 1959.  The Singapore Head of State paid a four-day State Visit with his wife Puan Noor Aishah to Cambodia in April 1963 and subsequently proceeded together in the same month to Mecca to perform the Haj, where they were the State Guests of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A State Visit to Ceylon also took place in May 1963.

Encik Yusof was conferred the First Class Order of the Darjah Kerabat (The Most Esteemed Royal Family Order of Brunei) by the Sultan of Brunei in November 1960 and the Darjah Kebesaran Sri Maharajah Mangku Negara (S.M.N.) by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia in November 1963.

On 9 August 1965, when Singapore ceased to be a state in the Federation of Malaysia and became an independent and sovereign State, Encik Yusof became the first President of the Republic of Singapore. He was re-appointed for a further term of four years on 4 December 1967.

Encik Yusof bin Ishak was married to Puan Noor Aishah and had a son and two daughters.  He passed away on 23 November 1970.

In the tradition of the British, Encik Yusof Ishak was also the Colonel of the Singapore Infantry Regiment, Singapore Military Forces:

THE LONDON GAZETTE, 23RD AUGUST 1963

SINGAPORE MILITARY FORCES

SINGAPORE INFANTRY REGIMENT

The QUEEN has been graciously pleased to approve, upon the advice of the Singapore Government, that an appointment as Colonel of the Singapore Infantry Regiment be instituted and that His Excellency the Yang di-Pertuan Negara, Enche Yusof bin Ishak, should be appointed thereto. 15th August 1963.

As shown in the two pictures above, in addition to the Brunei and Malaysia Orders, Encik Yusof Ishak was also awarded the followings six Orders and medals:

1. The Order of Temasek, First Class. (see related article: Mr S. Rajaratnam Contributions to Singapore Honours and Awards)

2. The Cerficate of Honour (see related article: Singapore The Encyclopedia and The Certificate of Honour and Badge of the Certificate of Honour 'Federated Malay States'. GV issue (Patrick De Zilwa, J.P.)

.

3. The Distinguished Service Medal.

4. The Meritorious Service Medal.

5. The Uniformed Services Malaysia Medal.

6. The Selangor Coronation Medal.

No other Singapore President have been awarded such large numbers of Orders and medals. Hopefully with this article, the Istana website can be updated with these additional medals information. I also hope that these historical and valuable Orders and medals are still kept with his family, and one day they can be exhibited for Singaporeans and medal enthusiasts to appreciate.

Ref: The 2 PDF Story

Malay States Volunteer Rifles (MSVR) 'Multiple Casualty' Medal Group to Lieut. Douglas Duncan Booth

This medal group is currently being sold by Aberdeen Medal (http://www.aberdeenmedals.com)

Unique to regiment 'Multiple Casualty' campaign & long service group: Lieutenant Douglas Duncan Booth, late 'U' University Company 4th 'City of Aberdeen' Battalion Gordon Highlanders (Territorial Force) and Malay States Volunteer Rifles

- 1914-15 Star (1763 Pte. D.D. Booth. Gord. Highrs.)
- British War Medal. Silver issue (Lieut D. D. Booth.)
- Interallied Victory Medals. With emblem on riband (Lieut D. D. Booth.)
- Africa General Service 1902. GV issue 'Nigeria 1918' (Lieut D. D. Booth.Gordons.)
- Colonial Auxiliary Forces LS&GC Medal. GV issue (Pte. Douglas D Booth, M.S.V.R.)

Important: Recipient is confirmed as having been 'Wounded-in-Action' on no less than three occassions during the Great War 

Important: All medals and clasp - but not the MID emblem - are confirmed as entitled per below respective authorities;

- Great War trio of campaign medals: Medal Index Card
- AGS Medal: Reference medal roll WO 100/409 signed at Ibadan Nigeria on 7 August 1925
- CAFLSM: Ref Federated Malay States Government Gazette 6 March 1925 

Douglas Duncan Booth was born on 1 May 1894 at Countesswells, Aberdeen, Scotland, and commenced studying agriculture at Aberdeen University in 1913. Enrolling in ‘U’ Company, the University Company of the 4th Gordons, in April 1914, he was mobilised with his unit on the outbreak of hostilities

In February 1915 the Battalion was sent to the Front and on 27 August Booth was wounded by a gunshot wound to his leg and was evacuated to England a few days later. By September 1915 he had rejoined his unit but he was again wounded on the 25th of that month, in the Battle of Hooge, this time by shrapnel in the left leg and buttocks, and in the right temple, ‘while in a charge’. Once more evacuated home, he was operated on at Aberdeen, fragments of shrapnel being removed from his left leg and right temple.

Commissioned into the 6th Gordons in August 1916, Booth joined his new Battalion at the Front in the following month, but yet again, on the 6 November, fell victim to enemy fire, picking up a gunshot wound in one of his hands, in addition to barbed wire lacerations. This time, however, he was not evacuated home, but by March 1917 his old wounds from Hooge necessitated just such action, an abcess having developed on his left buttock, the one area that had not been operated on back in 1915.

On recovery Booth was sent to West Africa on attachment to the 4th Battalion of the Nigeria Regiment, and participated in the expedition against the Egba tribe in the Summer of 1918, subsequently receiving one of just three Africa General Service Medals with ‘Nigeria 1918’ clasp to be awarded to the Gordons -his was the only one to an Officer.

Booth was eventually demobilised back in the U.K. in July 1919 and went to Malaya, where he enrolled in the Malay States Volunteer Rifles as a Private. And in June 1932 he was awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal (Federated Malay States Government Gazette refers). 

Duncan Booth was a long time expatriate British 'Rubber Planter' in South East Asia, known to have worked variously across the Netherlands East Indies and Malaya between circa 1922-1957. His address in Malaya on the Medal Index Card is shows as 'Sion Estate, Batu Caves, Federated Malay States'. Immigration records for the inter-war years show him still a resident in the Federated Malay States in March 1938, where he lived with his wife and two daughters. A passenger manifest list for a vessel arriving in United Kingdom in 1957, shows him as again being resident in Malaya! Duncan Booth died at Honiton, Devon, England in the first quarter of 1973.

The medals professionally court-mounted by Spink - the Great War medals resplendent with silk watered ribands. The medal mounting bar retaining the original stout long hinged brass pin and clasp fittings

Sold together with large hard-copy set of the recipients officers service papers

Provenance: A.J. Henderson Collection, DNW, 2 April 2003

Condition: VF

Code: 13901

Related Post: Corporal John D. Petrie, 3rd (Penang & Province Wellesley) Battalion Straits Settlements Volunteer Force.

Corporal John D. Petrie, 3rd (Penang & Province Wellesley) Battalion Straits Settlements Volunteer Force

If you are interested in collecting a Malaya Volunteers medal group, the following is on sale by Aberdeen Medals (website address: http://www.aberdeenmedals.com). The owner, Mark Seller, used to live in Singapore and worked at Beach Road (near the former S.V.C. headquarters).

The full description of the medal group is reproduced below:

A Scottish 'Malaya Volunteers' FEPOW campaign & 'King's Badge' group of 6: Corporal John D. Petrie, 3rd (Penang & Province Wellesley) Battalion Straits Settlements Volunteer Force

- The 1939-45 Star
- The Pacific Star
- Defence Medal
- War Medal
- Efficiency Medal. GVI suspender bar 'Malaya' (4066. L/Cpl. John D. Petrie, S.S.V.F.)
- The 'King's Badge' for loyal service

Note: The inclusion of the 'Kings Badge' indicates that the recipient was wounded or injured while in service, and who was 

subsequently discharged as a consequence

Important: The award of the 'Efficiency Medal' was published in the Federated Malay Government Gazette of 3 February 1949 - the FMGG issue of 9 June 1949 also shows that Corporal Petrie was awarded a 'Further Service Clasp' to his Efficiency Medal 

John Dunlop Petrie was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, where he was born on 26 April 1902. The family home in Scotland was at 58 Hill Street, Alloa. Long before the Second World War (and before 1932), John had taken an expatriate appointment in the Straits Settlements, being appointed as an Office Assistant, working with the Municipal Engineers Department, Penang. He first joined the Straits Settlements Volunteer Force in May 1933. was captured and became a Prisoner of War when the Colony of Singapore was surrendered to the Imperial Japanese Army on 15 February 1942. During his years of internement as a FEPOW - including time utilised as slave labour on the construction of the 'Death Railway' in Thailand - John was interred at the below following camps;

- Changi Camp, Singapore: Feb 1942 - May 1942
- River Valley Road, Singapore: May 1942 - Jul 1942
- Changi Camp, Singapore: Jul 1942 - May 1943
- Foneshan South, Thailand: May 1943 - Aug 1943
- Kanchanaburi, Thailand: Aug 1943 - Dec 1943
- Sime Road, Singapore: Dec 1943 - Aug 1945

Post-war, John returned to Penang, and resumption of his work as a Municipal Officer, working there through to at least 1955 

In later years in retirement, John lived with his family at Dollar, Clackmannanshire, Scotland, where he is recorded as having died circa 1970/71

Note: All the 4 x campaign medals as-issued in greaseproof envelopes of issue, with mint silk ribands

Condition: About EF

Code: 14610