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New Zealand military headquarters in Singapore

This 1975 aerial photgraph shows Dieppe Barracks, then the New Zealand military headquarters in Singapore.

The base of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (1RNZIR) was relocated south from Terendak Camp in Malaysia to Singapore in December 1969. At first they were stationed at Nee Soon Garrison, but in June 1971 they were moved to Dieppe Barracks. New Zealand maintained its battalion in Singapore until 1989.

Before the 1RNZIR took over the site, Dieppe Barracks was the home of Number 40 Royal Marine Commando. The presence of British military bases in Singapore was one reason for Indonesian President Surkano’s hostility towards Malaysia, which, during part of the Confrontation period, incorporated Singapore.

This image Appears In 1 Article:

  • Borneo Confrontation map, 1963-66
    Confrontation in Borneo

Keywords

borneo confrontation
singapore
Credit

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: EP-Defence-Army-Barracks-01
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image

How to cite this page

'New Zealand military headquarters in Singapore', URL: /media/photo/new-zealand-defence-force-headquarters-singapore, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 9-Mar-2016

RELATED TO NEW ZEALAND MILITARY HEADQUARTERS IN SINGAPORE

Articles

  • Confrontation in Borneo

Community contributions

9 comments have been posted about New Zealand military headquarters in Singapore

What do you know?

Louise Townley

Posted: 30 Jul 2016

I am looking for Craig Harrison known as "Harry" in the NZ army in Singapore along with "Jacko" who suffered a motorbike accident there.

Veronica

Posted: 23 Apr 2015

I am looking for Stephen Allan Wells and Allan Gregory Brown who were station in Singapore in the 80's. They were rescued from a cable car and CHannel News Asia would like to do a story on them. If anyone knows them, please get them to email me at

Stephen Moir

Posted: 30 Dec 2014

I was in Admin Coy 1977 to 1980', great times but had honour to be one Pl Sgts for trooping of the colours on the Padang Jan 1979. But can't find photos ,news ,anything ..any help ??

Chris Hunter

Posted: 20 Mar 2014

Yes, I was part of the move from Terendak to Nee Soon. Returned to NZ after move to Dieppe. I also served in SVN.

David McCall

Posted: 16 Mar 2014

I remember being out on the Parade Ground and a Parachute drop came down and the RSM yelling loudly 'steer away, steer away'

He did not want any unruly parachutists bespoiling his Parade Ground

admin

Posted: 03 Mar 2014

Hi Terry - thanks very much for this - we've now updated the caption to provide more specific dates. Kind regards, Jamie Mackay

Terry Garmonsway

Posted: 02 Mar 2014

A New Zealand infantry battalion was not stationed in Singapore from 1960 as the story suggests. It was based at Terendak Garrison near Malacca in Malaysia as part of the 28th Commonwealth Brigade, moving to Singapore at the end of 1969.

Ken Westmoreland

Posted: 25 Jan 2014

I remember the New Zealand Forces school in Singapore in the 1980s - locals used to joke about needing a passport to visit there!

David McCall

Posted: 23 Jan 2014

Dieppe Barracks, Singapore

Dieppe's Main Gate Witnessed the passing of many deployments into Malaysia and beyond.

www.anzmilitarybratsofsingapore.com

http://anzmilitarybratsofsingapore.com/group/index.php?action=gallery;sa...

Some of the New Zealand Military War dead are buried here.

http://anzmilitarybratsofsingapore.com/group/index.php?page=28

Kranji itself is unusually small, only around 4,500 are buried there, many in mass graves. Of the graves only about 850 are named. Yet lining the memorial walls are the names of over 24,000 others who died. To put it another way, Karanji is larger than many of the Allied cemeteries in Normandy but here most of the fallen have no known graves.

The grounds are immaculately kept and on an island where space is at a premium Kranji is open, sprawling, well-boarded with trees. It is quiet, unusually so for so crowded a country. This lends an atmosphere of peacefulness that reinforces the nature of the place. The ground rises from the gate to the memorial itself which follows the top of the ridge and from there the straights are visible.