Do any of the far east specialists, know the location and origins of Buona Vista Transit camp in Singapore in 1945. My father was ‘Pythoned’ from Singapore in December 1945 and, as part of that was “transferred to Buona Vista Transit Camp”. I assume this was somewhere near Buona Vista road. There had been a gun battery there which had featured during the battle for Singapore. As I understand it, a camp was built there in 1945 for a Gurkha battalion, and later still, Slim Barracks was somewhere nearby. Soooo, was it some residual buildings of the gun battery? Or was it a newly built camp for the repatriation of Forces personnel and FEPOWs? Did it become the Gurkha camp? Did it become Slim barracks? Are these one and the same? Where was it located relative to what I think now is N Buona Vista Rd, or Rochester, or Portsdown, or Nepal park? any insights would be much appreciated thanks
Hello Jimbo, There was a Gurkha transit camp in the vicinity of North Buona Vista Road, although this may have been later than 1945. It was located at the present-day Nepal Park. See: Travelling Dwellers: Nepalese Lahure in Singapore by Hema Kiruppalini This 1945 map shows a Transit Camp, marked ‘50’ at the southern end of South Buona Vista Road at Buona Vista Village. The location is not longer on the coast as a container terminal has been built on reclaimed land. Map sources: Singapore: Location of Units, 1945 Singapore: Location of Units: second key plan, 1945 Regards, Richard
Fantastic That seems to be the only Transit camp listed, so I’m happy that you have provided the solution Thanks
On the modern map you can still see the distinct shapes formed by Buona Vista Rd, and Pasir Panjang Rd can be seen hidden under the West Coast Highway. I’ll try to upload a comparitive map I’ve been there! I lived a year in Singapore and used to visit a local restaurant to eat duck and tofu somewhere near there. It was long ago and I didn’t even know my father had been in Singapore back then.
