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| KUALA LUMPUR to SINGAPORE NIGHT MAIL TRAIN |
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| ...............NIGHT MAIL ORDERLY................. Our Field Ambulance supplied a medical orderly to travel with the Night Mail Train that departed from Kualar Lumpur railway station every night at 20.00 hrs, it usually arrived in Singapore at 08.00 in the morning. The duration of service lasted two weeks and for doing that the Malayan Goverment paid the orderly 200 dollars 'danger money' . This duty was passed round so that a different orderly was on duty every fortnight....for some reason I did the duty twice, I have no idea why unless they were trying to get rid of me for on both duties we had trouble! |
| The background music is The Malayan National Anthem however when I was out there this was a very popular commercial song played on the radio all the time....when it was chosen to be the National Anthem it was barred from being played or performed in public as a popular song. |
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| Prior to catching the night train the nominated orderley had to 'bull' up to go behind the guard for inspection, once this was over with you then returned to the 'basher' and put on your working clothes of jungle greens, jungle boots and signed at the armoury for a revolver and five rounds of ammo, this was strappped around your waist. You were taken by landrover to Kualar Lumpur station which which is quite an elaborate building...nothing like a railway station...you then had to report to the RTO which was the army office on the station which looked after all army movements. They held your medical equipment which included the piece of equipment that was a curse! The Thomas Splint....this was a large preformed metal contraption that would fit over a broken leg so you had to carry it just in case someone broke a leg! There was always the same berth allocated to the orderly a bunk at the rear of the carriage we had two bunks although we only used one with our gear on the top one, this was also used for any 'orders' we had from HQ for suitcases, and presents to take home this was because Singapore was a different country and the goods were cheaper, however the train used to be boarded by the customs at the border and as far as I know they never looked at any of the regulars luggage although they knew what was going on. You were not allowed to sleep as you were on duty, also as nightly companions were always two chaps from the Royal Signals who were in charge of the mail collected on route. |
| CATCHING THE TRAIN |
| Ready to go on inspection |
| The night mail was always preceded by an armed and barricaded engine and flat car on which was mounted a machine gun and about a dozen Malayan Police. The prime aim of this engine was to trigger off any bombs that were fixed to the line. The first time I did the duty it was attacked however it didn't affect any passengers except a short delay. The second time however the explosion was heard and the train had to be evacuated, fortunately there was a clearing where we were gathered together and we waited several hours for trucks to come to pick us up and take us a few miles to the next station and pick up another train to Singapore. The delay meant that I didn't arrive at Singapore until 20.00 hours instead of 08.00 hours! a twelve hour delay which meant I had no rest but had to run around the station to catch the night mail back to Kualar Lumpur! |
| INCIDENT WITH THE SAS |
| One incident stands out for me was when a detachment of the SAS boarded the train..I think it was at Johore Baru...a few were slightly the worse for drink and a sergeant was in charge. They sat in the rear carriage facing my coach,two were put on guard duty on the caboose of our coach and the sergeant made his way through my coach along the train. I noticed the two on guard duty whispering together then standing hidden on either side of the door I was amazed to see one of them had a bayonet in his hand. The sergeant returned....they were obviously waiting for him....and as he reached the door the two of them jumped on him but he appeared to be ready for them as he overpowered them, one was screaming in pain, and pushed them back into their coach. I could hear the noise of this soldier who was obviously still in pain . The sergeant then called me in to assist the man, it was obvious he had his shoulder put out during the fight, it was pretty scary I can tell you, what to do I wondered, somehow when I held his arm more by accident than design, the shoulder went back, and the pain stopped. Everyone thought I was brilliant, of course I didn't contradict them! |
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| We did have one chap who was shot on train duty......by his own gun! We heard that he was showing off his prowess with the revolver to some newly arrived Aussie squaddies. The first we heard of this was on a Sunday morning after we had been playing footie on a cleared patch of land behind the MT park, as we came off covered in sweat our RSM met us and said "who want's to give blood for Nelson?" well we laughed thinking he was being funny.....which would have been against his charactor.....then he shouted something like "it's not bloody funny.." then we found out that Private Nelson had been shot! He was a Scot who's sole ambition while out there was to outdo his Dad with more tattoo's on his body than he had when he returned home. Tattooing was not allowed in Malaya but was in Singapore so being a train orderly suited him as in two weeks he was covered in tattoos. Anyway back to when he shot himself, I volunteered to give blood at the Military Hospital...'Kinwara?'....and they could not take my blood without the aid of a foot pump believe it or not, it took some time, but I received a cold beer for my troubles. |
| I found in my diary of 1953 a typical 'shopping list'. Some have the names of comrades against the item. Stevens: Nylons 1 pr light $2.50 Cook: Shaving Set $25 Rosher: Dressing Gown $20 Cosford: Music Box Maydom: Kukris ? Dressing Gown Set $11 ? Dressing Table Set $13.50 ? Table Cloths 47 ? Case $20 (these were very popular) |