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operating in the waters around Singapore. The
SNVF became responsible for the defence of
the sea. With only a handful of volunteers and
two wooden ships (RSS Panglima, a Ford-
class patrol craft; and RSS Bedok, a former
police patrol craft), it was a tall order.
Learning from Established Navies: Our pioneers
aboard, training with other sailors from
established foreign navies.
RSS Panglima The first training school the Navy had was on
board RSS Singapura, an ex-Japanese
To build a professional navy, sailors had to be Minelayer. She also acted as the headquarters
well-trained, disciplined and leaders. for the SNVF and was berthed at Telok Ayer
However, first, the Navy had to recruit sailors Basin.
to fill its ranks.
When the British returned Pulau Blakang
Mati to the Singapore government, the Naval
OUR PIONEER SAILORS
Training School was set up on the island, with
help from the Royal New Zealand Navy. On
loan for three years as part of a unique New
Zealand “aid package” was one officer,
Lieutenant Commander A G Rhodes, assisted
by ten instructors from the Royal New
Zealand Navy. Their task did not stop at
assisting in the set-up of a naval training
school and drawing up the training schedule
for the specialist. It includes instruction in
By early 1969, the first batch of 160 naval seamanship, communications, radar, gunnery,
recruits comprising 20 electricians, 20 electronics and marine engineering.
engineers and 120 seamen had begun their
formal naval training. Training was provided
by instructors from the Royal New Zealand
Navy because Singapore did not have any
naval experts. While training for seamen and
naval technicians was conducted locally,
Midshipmen were sent abroad to Britain,
Australia, New Zealand and Canada to learn
from established navies and to gain Naval Training School was established in 1974 to
operational exposure. train naval officers locally.
