There are two military camps along Kranji Way (near Kranji Reservoir Park) that seem to be abandoned for decades.
One was the Woodlands Camp II, formerly an artillery camp and School of Transport. Built 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
Cliff,Colin Emmington & Jack Brett are still going strong,I am in contact with them.Jack has lots of photos of the lads off 443 during 1953/55..
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.
Ya, its actually Amoured Artillery. After Escercise, we used to drive the V200 to the beach to clean. PM Lee was a Lta then.
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)
I think this is were the confusion is Alan as I have said we were at the acual ammo depot
at Kranji The only time that I spent at Keat Hong was Xmas 1953
The actual ammo depot is still in kranji, what we Singaporeans now call Yew Tee. There used to be only one access to that camp and that was through Stagmont Ring Road after Bukit Bukit Panjang. The ammo depot mentioned still stands or should I say is still underground, it is front by a string of new camps (Police Dog Unit, Court Marshal Center & so on). If you take a walk along the river towards the reservoir you will go pass the new camps and the old watch towers of the ammo depot are still visible and so are the ammo depot grounds.
The old Keat Hong Camp at Choa Chu Kang was demolished last year. Its former site is likely to be developed into a residential estate.
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).
After landing in Sigapore in1953 we went to Nee Soon then transferred to Keat Hong for Xmas we then went to 443 B A D kranji until 1955 .
I was the one who called them nissan huts I suppose I should have called the BASHA’s
as they were WOODEN huts
There also were no concrete building in 1953 only wooden BASHA’s and wooden offices
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)
I was there in 1953 it was near the causway and it was called 443 B A D Woodlands was never mention to us while we were there All that we saw was rubber and palm trees on our way to the Naval camp
The old Ammo Depot was once (yes I say once because it is now gone) at Woodlands (entry through Attap Valley Road) and the Naval Barracks mentioned is now a Prison.
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?
Yes Steven I tink I know you, I was Chief Clerk WO1 Encik Bakar clerk ROD on Jun 1988. Those fun and enjoyable memory still in my mind. We still in contact of those personnel that ROD on Jun 1988. I really miss this OSB camp. Actually OSB consist of 7 different camp. Camp 5 is in Mt Vernon, camp 7 is in seletar and HQ is in Woodlands camp II.
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
Sorry to say folks, the Woodlands Camp (AKA Kranji Army Barracks) is undergoing demolition now so it will no longer be there anymore. Though I have no pictures about its demolition but hey someone will have pictures of the tear down process anyway.
are you able to give the exact position of the kranji camp as a fellow is visiting kranji singapore in APRILL 2013
Kranji Army Barracks is here http://maps.google.com.sg/maps?q=1.430284,103.754965&hl=en&ll=1.42874,103.760762&spn=0.016625,0.01929&num=1&t=h&z=16. I just drove past the site earlier today and am very sad to report that half of the camp is already demolished — the other half is likely to be gone within weeks. I am surprised at the demolition as the camp is part of the ‘Kranji Heritage Trail’ and of obvious historical significance.
Thanks for the info I will pas the message to LES REGAN who is going there about APRIL this year
I am sorry Alan I still do not recognise the names If photo’s are available is there any chance of seeing who they are? I am seeing Les Regan in April as he is coming over from Australia
Hi Cliff.Photos were passed on to me by Ex Corporal Jack Brett.How do I contact you?.
I have a photo of my group at Tanglin barracks in Nov 1954 your names do not appear
I can send my address if req I live in C astle bromwich Birmingham
Pictures 6,7,8 & 9 shows the skeletal remains of the Nissan Huts
I cannot see these photo’s the name of the huts should have been BASHA’S not nissen huts as i wrongly stated
Cliff,I was actually working in 443BAD from Nov 52 to March 53,but was billeted at 3 BOD at Keat Hong.Then was at 443 Sub Depot on Blakang Mati from March53 till Nov 54,then I was back at Kranji for just 5 weeks before returning to uk.I too lived in Castle Bromwich until 1998 when I moved to Tamworth,I lived in Selworth Road ,off Green Lane
I lived in waveney croft off tamar drive not far from you it seems now live near the Spitfire Pub.
As I said I did not arrive to Keat hong until December 1953 and moved to Kranji B AD until june 1955. I did not know of two camps the only other one that we visited was the naval camp to go to the cinema. Les regan did say a taxi driver did try to drop them off at another camp but again he does not krow where it was . we have maps ot the area but no signs of two camps.
Cliff,do these names ring a bell.Brett,Hodgkinson,Kerr,McAvoy,McMahone,Kerrigan,Scouse Jones,Anker,S/Sgt Buffham,Sgt Hoose,Sgt Chis Heaney,Murray,Scouse Guest,Pat Miles,Reg Bush,Tommy Hornby,Al Bower,Sgt Bob Moore,Cpl Jim Larvin,Capt Baker.Have got copy of the 1953 Xmas booze up at 443. You can mail me at alan20x28@btinternet.com Cheers Alan.
I have pictures of Mcinally Al bower SO we seem to be getting closer
Scouse guest was the one that I beat at darts But i think he came later to us? the names of kerrigan macmahone ring a bell there was a stf sergeant bush I think his name was Reg?
Our Captain was Mcdonald. so there is still some comnfusion the other names are not familiar and not on our parade this photo was taken at Tanglin Barracks were ever that was
Thank you for the info I will pass it on to Les Regan who will be there in March/April
Thanks for that wonderfull infomation as all that we have heard that the camps have disappeared
I am not sure about the river as we used to climb the fence in view of the watch towers.
we used to go throuugh somegrounds that belonged to chinese/malay personal that used to grow Pineapples, and used to swim in the BROOK. I do have pictures of the area if yopu are interested?
Could you tell me what trasport can be used to get there? as you may have seen ,my ex comrade
will be going to Sigapore on his way from Australia and wants to visit the site. I will be travelling to
St Austell on the 25th April 2013 to see him . Any further info or photo’s would be mostly appreciated Cliff Turner turnerclifford@yahoo.co.uk
Cliff,Unable to contact you at above address. Cheers Alan
Sorry it shoud be turnerclifford53@yahoo.co.uk
I await futher news my contact no is 01217486428
Passed by Kranji Road yesterday
Woodlands Camp II was already razed to the ground completely, leaving no traces. It had finally followed the footsteps of other vanished army camps in Singapore, such as Old Keat Hong Camp and Simon Road Camp.
The opposite Ordnance Supply Base, on the other hand, was covered up with scaffolding and sheets… Not sure if it will be demolished too
How do I post up pictures, may I ask? Thank you.
Hi there, you can post the link of your photos in the comment box and I’ll embed for you (sorry ‘cos WordPress doesn’t allow readers to post photos directly). Alternatively, you can email to me (yesterdayom@gmail.com) and I’ll post them up and credit to you
from Brian Phillips ex Royal Signals 1951 – 52
Did my time at Pasir Panjang – in a little heard of camp known as Calcutta Camp located North of BMH Alexandra and a large BOD. We were next to the Princess Royal Barracks that was newly completed late 1952 – Still stands and now serves as a Univesity. Of our old camp that was mainly tented there was no trace on returning to Singapore 55 years later.
When I was at Kranji in 1953 1955 it was a amunition camp with 26 sheds coverered wit earth as previously stated and it was known as 443 B A D no artillery was around to my knownedge.
The only other camp may have been at NEE SOON . we used to visit a NAVVY CAMP to see what films that they were showing.