Cotten (DD 669) - Naval Cruise Book

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Singappie - HUB OF SOUTHEAST ASIA Sunshine weather and daily 1000 liberty combined to make this port of call one long to be remembered. Such places as the Britannia Club, the Singapore Swimming Club and the world famous Raffles Hotel soon became a rendezvous for many of the crew. A British Crown Colony, it gave an opportunity to meet at first hand some of the Englishlwho operated businesses in the area. It wasn't long before the presence of several contingents of British womens' military organization was discovered and Cotten sailors got busy in an attempt to better the relationship between England and the United States. Many shops located throughout the city gave ample opportunity to purchase souvenirs. Those who purchased Star Sapphires at the fleet landing at a good price soon found they had highly polished glass from a coke bottle. The Lion City as Singapore is sometimes called, is composed of many races. Strangely enough, the Malays find they are a minority in their own country, being outnumbered by the Chinese 7 to 1. Singapore served to introduce us to the Moslem faith. The usual amount of shutter clicks were heard when the camera fiends sighted their first statue of Mohammed while visiting several of the domed mosques. S The morning of our departure found many red eyes and bedraggled faces bidding a fond farewell to South East Asia. A ' K W xml gmllllllf N I Xb L i 2 ll, l y 51 llll V l fi immltgvvgi Q- 1 ET'-' '--' Y-,,..f 1.9 Q- f sl :es 5-

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Ship 3 Waflfy Playing host to a number of English servicewomen, the officers and crew of the U. S. S. Cotten held a Thanksgiving ship's party in Singapore, Malaya, on November- 26, 1953. Dancing to the music of a local orchestra on the roofgarden of the beautiful Embassy Hotel overlooking the seashore, everyone p-resent enjoyed a wonderful evening. H Luxurious companionship, beer, and sandwiches prevailed for the initial hour of the fracas. Companionship prevailed when the beer ran out. Under the able direction of Lt. jg. J. D. Stocker, U. S. N. R., however, the situation was returned to a normal status, and the recharged liquor locker received an approving glance from all hands. During the course of the evening, a remarkable array of talent was displayed by crew members and guests alike. The ship's trio, The Aristocrats, ' fBob Lanz, Larry jo Hilenski, and jerry Ling, put the floor show underway in grand style by singing several popular numbers and receiving well rounded applause. Not to be outdone by this effort, a curvaceous mass of feminine tranquility in the guise of an English nurse gave a dancing rendition of Hawaiian War Chant with a Jersey Bounce! . After their eyeballs were properly placed in their sockets, R. J. Tierney pro- ceeded to hilariously pantomime famous personalities with uncanny accuracy. The evening's entertainment was brought to a fltting climax when Willie Davis and Jerry Ling presented a skit entitled Green Bananas and imitated various and sundry officers of the line serving with this command. Alas and alack . . . All good things must end, and after bidding a fond adieu to the lovely guests, some two hundred assorted Valentino's Qand one weary shore patrol officer, were herded into a bus and brought back to the ship. God save the Queen. gg