Sixty-six years ago over Hillview

I found another old RAF aerial photograph, taken in 1950, of the area above what would become Hillview Avenue.

At the end of World War II, the British Military Administration, in order to conduct a mapping survey of Singapore Island, found that the fastest way then, given the limited resources, was to do an aerial photo mapping survey. The task was given to the RAF Photo Reconnaissance Squadron 81.
The magnificent pictures they took are now in the National Archives.

In 1950, Princess Elizabeth Estate was not constructed yet as the site was only considered in 1951.
Union Carbide Co Ltd, maker of the Eveready Batteries, and Malayan Guttas Ltd, manufacturer of Wrigley Chewing Gum, were the only factories then located at Hillview Road. The massive factory complex on the right of the picture is the Hume Pipe factory wth the Manager's Staff Housing located behind on Hume Heights.

Fuyong Estate, which was built by philanthropist Lee Kong Chian, was a row of houses facing Upper Bukit Timah Road. These were meant as low cost houses to cater to the shortage of housing in those days. This row of houses is still in existence today, but has been converted as eateries and restaurants called Rail Mall.. Terrace houses would later be privately built behind the row of low cost housing and incorporated as part of Fuyong Estate.

On the top left are the Public Works Dept (PWD) offices which ran the adjacent PWD granite quarry for gravel used mainly for road building works. Part of the pastureland of The Cold Storage Dairy Farm can be seen beside the PWD offices.

On the top right is the Singapore Quarry, privately owned by Mr Chia Eng Say, whose namesake is now given to the road fronting Rail Mall at Fuyong Estate.

Notice the KTM railway line that runs across the picture with the grider bridge over Hillview Road.
If you look very carefully at the land just beside Upper Bukit Timah Road, left from the black truss  bridge onwards, you will see some remnants of long streaks in the ground.

These long streaks were the original Tank Road-Kranji Railway line that ran alongside Upper Bukit Timah Road. (You didn't know that, right?) The  old railway line was dismantled and replaced by the KTM Line that was built further uphill. The 1957 Chartered Bank would be built over the old track line.

Click on the picture to get a more detailed and enlarged view.

Staff & Pupils - Rosie Bramphy.

Princess Elizabeth Estate School - Staff Photograph.

I've received another set of photos from the collection of Rosie Bramphy, through the courtesy of Mr Ebert Upatissa. I will post two of the photos below and hope someone can identify the staff in the 1st picture, and, the pupils in the second photo.
At this moment, I do not know which year the pictures were taken but i suspect it to be around the late '50s or early '60s.

Click on the pictures for a larger detailed view.

PEES Scouts and Cubs Troop - 1958/1959.

What better way to open this year's blogging than with a heritage photo of the Scout & Cubs Troop 1403 of Princess Elizabeth Estate School taken in 1958 or 1959.

(click on photo to enlarge)

Courtesy of Akela Rosy (Mrs Rosy Bramphy) who had sent it to Ebert Upatissa, who kindly allowed me to post it here in my PEE blog. It took a while for us to try and come up with the names of those in the photo and I guess we succeeded to a good extent. Thanks must go especially to James Chan Kum Sung and his brother, Kum Choy who is in the picture and later became a Queen's Scout, and Tay Kay Swee for coming up with most of the identities.

However. it is still not complete and we hope that anyone who can further identify the missing names will send me a note in the comments below.  Or a note of correction for the mis-identified.

We are also not very sure as to the exact year the photo was taken but only that it was a group photo of the cubs taken in front of the Principal's Office, whose door can be seen at the back on the right. The other door on the left was the Teacher's Staff Room.

To make it easier to read I am reposting the above picture with the names below and removing the sepia aging for a clearer view.

Back row:

Chan Kum Choy, Babir Singh, ?, Tay Kwee Keong, Segaran, Tan Boon Hin, Fong Kum Siong, Heng, Pritam Singh.
(Face between the Staff Room door post is teacher Mr Chia)

3rd Row:

Bernard Fernandez, Chew Kim Huat, Tan Boon Hui, Gerard, Tham Yew Hin, Ong Ee Keng, Assuan, Szeto Fun Hoy, Venogopalan.

2nd Row:

Mammat Anwar, Alias Ali, Maniam, Jumiam, Ernie Koh Fei Meng, Rafie, Mrs. Rosy Bramphy, Richard Lim, Chong Kew, ?, ?, Robert Lim.

Front Row:

Vincent Seow See Chye, Zainal Ali, ?, Salwant Singh, Tay Kwee Jin, Tan Boon Huat, Tan Boon Kwang, Yeo Loy Tong, Kok Lee Kwang, Ng Chock San, Poh Cheng Toh, Ronnie Choo Chuan Chye.

postscript: I was just informed that the above photo was taken in 1958-1959 period. As such I have amended the heading.