A Brief History of Singapore
Artillery
Ultima ratio regum - the final argument of kings! Thus were cannons
described during medieval times. Whereas before, war was fought on
a face-to-face basis, the introduction of cannons enabled the
destruction of an enemy from a safe distance, changing irrevocably
the nature of warfare.
In modern times, the role of artillery is to provide essential fire
support for frontline troops such as Infantry and Armour. Different
types of explosive rounds are used to "soften" enemy positions
before an advance is launched. The deafening booms that accompany
each fired shell and its earth-shattering impact serve to both
injure and disorientate the enemy. Its main tactical usage is
dual-fold: to neutralise and to demoralise.
The first few batches of gunners were trained
to manpack the 120mm light Motar. "Light" being a relative term as
both the barrel and the baseplate weighed 40kg
each!
The history of artillery in Singapore officially began on
22nd February 1888 with the formation of the
Singapore Volunteer Artillery (SVA). Its motto "In Oriente Primus"
which means "First in the East" is still in use today and can be
found on the crest of the Singapore Artillery HQ. At the time,
enlistment in the SVA was restricted to Europeans and training
consisted mainly of gun drills. The role of the SVA was to assist
in the maintenance of internal security. Indeed, they were involved
in the suppression of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1915. The SVA existed in
this form until the Japanese invasion of Singapore in 1942. It was
disbanded and demobilised upon the return of the British in
1945.
In June 1948, a State of Emergency was declared in Singapore and
Malaya to deal with an increasingly determined communist uprising.
That year also saw the formation of the First Singapore Regiment
Royal Artillery (1 SRRA). Trained to use the 6-inch coastal guns,
the 25-pounders, the 4.2-inch mortars, and the 3.7-inch
anti-aircraft guns, 1 SRRA gunners saw action during the Malayan
Emergency when two batteries were sent to support British Garrisons
in Peninsular Malaya against the communist insurgency.
In June 1949, a recruitment drive was undertaken for the raising of
a new Volunteer Corp. By the 1950s the newly reformed Singapore
Volunteer Corps were to comprise of more than 1000 men of all ranks
and races. Its artillery arm, the Singapore Royal Artillery
(Volunteer), was closely affiliated to 1 SRRA and had a hand in
training and operations in Pahang and Johore at the height of the
Emergency.
The decision by the British to grant eventual independence to
Malaya led to further reorganisation in the armed forces. 1 SRRA
was disbanded in 1958 and about 150 of its 600 members enlisted in
the Singapore Military Forces (SMF). These men were to become the
first batch of instructors in the post-independent Singapore
artillery units.
From 1963 to 1965, when Singapore was a part of Malaysia, the SRA
(V) was redesignated as the 10th Singapore Volunteer Artillery
(Territorial Army) - 10 SVA (TA) - under the Federal Territorial
Army.
In 1966, a year after the Separation, the SVA was reorganised into
20th People's Defence Force Artillery - 20 PDF (Arty). On September
1st 1967, one month after the introduction of National Service, 20
PDF was renamed 20 Singapore Artillery Battalion (later changed to
20 Battalion Singapore Artillery) and five months later started
inducting NSFs as artillerymen. In the early years, the basic
equipment of the SAF's artillery units was the 120mm mortar. In
1973, the SAF purchased a new M68 155mm gun Howitzer and the first
155mm Gun Battalion, 23 SAB, was formed. The first Singapore-made
155mm towed guns, the FH-88, was introduced into service in 1988.
On November 2003, the Singapore Artillery's latest big gun, the
Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer also known as the Primus, was
commissioned.
The Primus
The SAF now has four artillery battalions: 20 SA, 21 SA, 23 SA, and
24 SA, with each battalion having its own special roles and
capabilities, underlining the crucial role artillery continues to
play in the defence of Singapore.
