Along Kranji Way (near Kranji Reservoir Park), there are two camps that seem to be abandoned for decades.
One was the Woodlands Camp II, formerly an artillery camp and School of Transport. Made of bricks and wood, some parts of the buildings have already collapsed, and thick overgrowth have covered much of the restricted compound.
Kranji area has been a military base since colonial British era. When the Japanese invaded Singapore, Lim Chu Kang, northwestern of Kranji, was one of the first landing grounds, which caught the British by surprise as they anticipated the invasion from northeastern of Singapore and Pulau Ubin.
Opposite the camp is another abandoned site formerly known as the Ordnance Supply Base (OSB) (or Woodlands Camp I). It was established in September 1970 as a storage center for weapons, ammunition and spare parts of military vehicles, but was dissolved by 1981. It was also the previous location of Singapore Technologies (ST) Logistic before its move to Clementi.
The history of OSB, however, went back to the 1930s, when it was a British military camp known as Kranji Army Barracks. During the Japanese Occupation (1942 – 1945), the Japanese military took over the barracks and set up a prison-of-war camp here.
Kranji Army Barracks, or Ordnance Supply Base, are listed as one of the visiting points for Kranji Heritage Trail, launched in November of 2011.
Published: 02 November 2010
Updated: 10 April 2012
I’ve always passed by this camp on my way to outfield training in lim chu kang.. they kinda remind me of the abandoned camp in tekong..
any idea how to reach this venue by public transport?
Hi, i believe only bus 925 passes by this route..
Would the public be able to enter these locations?
I’m afraid not… Though abandoned, there are SAF properties after all
My NS days were based in these camps. Lots of bitter and sweet memories there, but mostly sweet because my IC was a really nice man.
we were based in 443 bad in the 1950 we were in nissan huts so these photo’s do not ring any bells with me
I was based in 1953 1955 at kranji we lived in nissen huts none of these photo’s none of the photo’s are known to me
This was my camp back in 1976 .. and it was a very small camp .. and we had Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as one of out officer.
This picture does not refer to 443 b a d as far as I am aware.
As i said b4 we were in a ammunition site with 26 sheds and were billited in nissan huts.
I too was stationed at 443 BAD 1953/55,but was billeted at the Ordnance Depot at Keat Hong.Whilst there I was promoted to Corporal and was put in charge of the small ammunition sub depot on Blakang Mati island (now Sentosa)
As the caption says the photos are of two camps. I believe the first few photos are those of a camp that housed 21sa (21st Bn Singapore Artillery) 21sa is an armoured arty unit and that time its existence was classified. Hence the camp was called Kranji Camp II if memory serves. The other was OMB. And despite what some of you have commented the Nissen Huts are in the photos. They are not so easily recognisable as their wall and roof cladding have disappeared. Only the skeletal half circle frames remain with the doors intact!
I guess this place will be gone sooner or later like Simon Road Camp or Old Keat Hong Camp (demolished recently).
The Camp opposite the Arti Camp was OSB ( Ordnance Supply Base) and not OMB. I was
servicing my NS there from Apr 1972 to Jan 1974.
I was stationed at Terror Barracks from 1973 till 1975 and i used to work in the old ammo depot near the causeway. Is this one of the camps you are referring to (Woodlands 1)
picture 4 and 5 do ring a bell. I served my NS in OSB but I was stationed in other camp. In Dec 89, I had to go for my ROD shoot and this was the camp I booked in to stay overnight. I remembered that I had to take a bus from Yishun???? and had to get off at a bus stop some 1 km away. That bus service won’t operate after 8pm or 10 pm so you got to book in early. Quite an experience walking alone along the road leading to the camp after alighting from bus. The street lights were dimmed and there were some residential houses with dogs barking at me. And yes, there was a railway track running across the road. I happened to pass by the camp again in 2007 but those houses were gone and that road leading to camp seemed much shorter than 1 Km. I think they must have done something to the road when building the Kranji MRT. Above is my memory of that place and I could be wrong as that was so long ago. Anyone has stationed in that camp around 89?
OSB was located at the junction of Clementi Road and West Coast Road before moving to Kranji. The CO was Ltc Harun bin Ismail. The base issued vehicular spares, unimogs, trucks, land rovers, staff cars, tanks and armored vehicles and also received scrapped vehicles and parts. The scrap sub-base was located at 4th Avenue, Bukit Timah. I served there until my ROD in Dec 1972.
Hi all,
I am ex Royal Signals
served in Singapore 1973 – 1975, Terror Barracks. In 73 I started at Kangaw Barracks with the Aussies, then 3 Months Later they pulled out and I was attached to the Kiwi’s. I think shortly after we moved down to Terror Barracks.
From the people who were there I remember a Jock Wilson, Rick Simpson, and should anyone want to have a natter my e-mail is mikecousins136@btinternet.com
Hope to speak soon.
Mike