OBS Training as remembered by Ms Teo Choon Kiang (张俊娟 - 外展学校训练)

I remembered my OBS training

I am glad to share with my friends that in 1967, the 4th Batch OSs were given an adventurous challenge of experiential learning in the outdoors. We had to venture into the Outward Bound School (OBS) under Major-General D. N. H. Tyacke, General Officer Commanding (GOC), Singapore District with the British Army Administration. At that time, the Chief Instructor of the Outward Bound School was Major Dunstone.

The term “Outdoor experiential and environment training” was broadly referred to a range of organized activities that took place in a variety of ways, such as developing a deeper relationship with the nature to improve problem-solving and survival skills, enhancing teamwork, leadership skills, abseiling, orienteering, way-finding, canoe expedition, forming rafts in choppy sea, re-entering capsized canoes in the deep wide sea, sailing, sea training, topographic map reading, grid-reference orienteering, forest-darkness adaptation, knotting skills, ropes courses and forest camping skills.

Pulau Ubin was the second largest island after Pulau Tekong in the north-eastern part of Singapore. Ubin was granite in Malay language though there were many uninhabited forested areas there in those years.

OBS was the acronym for Outward Bound School. The 3-week in-camp training programme was conducted in a barrack-like OBS in a remote area in Pulau Ubin. There was no electricity on that island. Neither were there water supply nor gas cooking facilities.

I remembered vividly that some 60 OSs ventured out with their personal belongings in haversacks and jungle boots. After informing their parents of their training, they set off to the Punggol Point jetty where they were ferried across to the island in group of 12 by shuttle bumboats one morning in 1967. Nobody had any knowledge or bothered about buying personal insurance for self protection against odds. Everybody assumed that once they accepted the job, they would faithfully do it without fail. With concerted effort and personal commitment, they would want to do their utmost best to achieve what they believed they could do it.

On arriving at the Pulau Ubin jetty, they were given short briefing on safety precautions and standard operations procedures (SOP) before assigning wooden bunker beds to the individuals. They realized that training life would be very tough for the following 3 weeks there. Drinking water sparingly and prudently from the well was a part of their daily life. Firstly, water decontamination and purification tablet had to be dissolved in drinking water in the aluminum water bottles. Little frogs could be seen jumping here and there near the well. Many pretended not to see them at all. Please do not ask me about the sanitary facilities.

In each meal, there were always six little parts of the chicken wings just enough for six persons besides the vegetables and soup on each dining table in the canteen. A plate of rice for each person would be ready in front of the trainees. The Chief Instructor would then say a simple prayer “For what we are about to receive, thank God.” at each meal. Usually, the trainees were so hungry that they would just get their forks ready for the best part of the chicken wings just at the same time when the prayer was done.

During training for sea survival, trainees had to learn how to remove trousers in the sea and blow air buoyancy with their own trousers for sea survival. They simply tied knots at both leg ends of the trousers and splash the trousers above the sea water to trap air in order to create airbags while holding on to the waistband and kicking hard during the process to avoid toppling over.

Armed with mess tin for camping, water bottle, poncho, parang, dried rations, twines, ropes, topography map, compass, jungle boots, jungle hat, touch light, haversack and first-aid kits, we ventured some kilometers away from the camp into the forested area as marked on the topographic map. We must camp there before the sunset. We had to improvise with what we could find there so that we would be able to stay safely overnight in the complete darkness in our respective self-pitched one-man tents.

Yellow sulphuric powder was poured surrounding the tents to prevent invasion of poisonous insects and snakes. Nobody was able to see their own fingers without the use of touch lights in the moonless night. Surprisingly, we could see many stars in the dark sky. Some of us dared not sleep the whole night despite the fact that sentry duties were arranged on a rotational basis every hourly among trainees of the same group.

Many trainees sustained some kinds of injuries as a result of the training. Ms Sia Sow Peng was the NYLTI staff attached to the group. She often had to double up as first-aider from time to time.

The late Mr Sim Boon Peng who was then the Director of People's Association also graced the Closing Ceremony cum Presentation of Certificates at Pulau Ubin as that was the first OBS Training for Organizing Secretaries. Subsequently, Organizing Secretaries from the Third Batch, Fifth Batch and Second Batch also went for their OBS Training.

I would like to share my chapter of memories about my experience at the OBS. I remembered that Major Dunstone had to visit me at my house after my training to ensure that I was absolutely fine. With that in mind, I could only smile when I recap the tough times I went through at the OBS. For a good memory, I still keep my certificate.

For a memorable record, she proudly showed us her certificate.

For those who know her, Ms Teo Choon Kiang was a former Organizing Secretary of the People's Association.