“Over to you, Jeya”

Posted by otterman under National History
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Last night, four years after an idea was first mooted, The Changi Museum launched the 2006 revised edition of Air Commodore Henry Probert’s “History of Changi” which now includes chapters on Konfrontasi, the departure of the RAF and the emergence of Changi as an aviation hub. The author himself graced the poignant ceremony.

Air Commodore Henry Probert’s “The History of Changi” was first published in 1965. It was reprinted in 1987 by the Singapore Tourist Board who had approached Probert for permission. He remarked last night “Who was I to give permission?” After all, the work had been initiated by others in the RAF and published by Changi Prison.

Still as the author, he took it upon himself to grant that permission and added a revised foreword. In 2002, during his most recent visit to Singapore, that red-hardcover version was still on sale at The Changi Museum; I remember that well for I attended the talk hosted by what was then The Changi Chapel & Museum. Until then, I had only seen the (now defunct) web version hosted by the United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements Squadron.

In recent years though, the book had been out of stock but museum staff had reassured me that a revision was in the works! Apparently The Changi Museum’s director, A. Jeyathurai, had suggested a reprint when Probert was last here and he writes that he “took little persuading” and that the RAF Changi Association had suggested the same.

And last night, the wait was finally over! The revised edition has done more than correct “mistakes in the early chapters”. It now covers some 80 years of the area’s history. The chapter headings provide a clue; the 1965 chapters read - “Early Days, Fortress Changi, Prison Camp, Japanese Airfield, Enter The RAF, Expansion, The Modern Role & Postscript.” The 2006 chapter headings read - “Early Days, Fortress Changi, Prison Camp, Japanese Airfield, Enter The RAF, The Emergency in Malaya, The Changi Community, The Confrontation Years, Farewell to the Royal Air Force & International Airport.”

I was part of an audience who attended the informal but poignant book launch of the April 2006 revision of “The History of Changi”. Very touchingly, the Allied Forces’ role in the security of Malaya was recalled and honoured. During that difficult period of Konfrontasi, more than 100 soldiers lost their lives. Representatives of the Australian and New Zealand High Commissions were presented with a signed copy of the new book by the Guest of Honour, Minister of Transport Raymond Lim.

The Minister of Transport gracing the occasion? Well the updated book tips its hat to Changi’s mangrove swamp to aviation hub accomplishment and is in fact sponsored in part by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Singapore Airlines.

We were treated to a slideshow of images from the book presented by a young student, who ironically, is unable to study history in school! Happily though, as a daughter of an enthusiastic volunteer, she is already well steeped in Changi’s heritage a full two decades ahead of myself.

We were also witness to a symbolic passing of the torch for Changi’s history, for Probert announced at the end of his speech, “As they say in Air Force parlance, over to you, Jeya.”

This may not be the last version of History of Changi yet.