Stevenson (DD 645) - Naval Cruise Book

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'L 1 THE S TRAHIS' TIMES Tuesday, Oct 2.3 1945 SINGAPORE Good Morning The Fleet s In Thr tune lt ls the Yanks commg from the Paclli land as we understand from a place that aches nn Jap anese memory called Oki nawal Step in Yanks you re wel come We would like you to know that your fame was borne on the w1nd towards us long before we met you in th flesh and shook you by the hand Alr and the armxes would have whipped the N119 in the not so dzstant end B115 what laid them on the floor when they actually quit was sea power They would have been strangled per haps even before they had been shattered by the atomic bomb if the f had re solved to go on thls summer And in that struggle for the Pacific the Unlted States Fleet was the truly terrzfy ing flnal force Th1s Was YOUR war as the war at ea agamsf the Germans was predominantly our Am rica will never again be able to divest herself of her pre eminence in the Pacrnc w1thout renouncing her mighty position among the natmons This share of the Wide 009211 has so far been remote from you something over the edge of beyond It ls a wise as well as a symbol1c act that sendS YOu h01'r1e thrs way Singapore is a city that bears f w outward marks of war and whxle you wslt her will do her brave best to remind h r guests of none Neve-rthples for three and a half years she lay at the foot of the enemy Sin apore 18 not yet what Sneanore was tho her The AIlServnces Newspaper Ot South East Asna Command SINGAPORE EDITION FREE TO FORCES Prmted By Courtesy oI The Chalk T-rn s No 45 TUES 23 OI I' 1.345 SHE LL PLAY T0 THE YANKS Here you will see as many Indian as British troops In the long bitter battle in the Burma Jungle from De c mber 1941 to August 1945 when a great J ananese Army was anmhllated 1 avlng 150000 dead count ed or th field three fourth of the Imperial troops were Indian These soldiers we proudly clamm as our comrades Th re are none braver If we mentlon their achi v ment now it is b cause th ir a e as still to e told to the world H s torv w1ll assess the separate pa ts of the nations In mp sfru gle that has ended To day in Singapore w c 1 brate our common v1c REETS U S FLEET By McQuown Wrlght Unlted Press Staff I orrespondent Slng pole today welcomes the some 6000 personnel of American W2rShlPS scheduled to drop anchor In the roads thxs morn ng' The battleshlps Clennessee and Cal.forn1a both of whlch were sunk at Pearl Harbour and were ralsed to take part mn the Gxlbert and Mar shalls bombardment, will be the first Amervcan battlesh ps to VISIT Smgapore slnce the cap tulatlon They are to be accompamed by s1x des troyers and an o1ler o the Amervcans wlth The Royal Navy hosts the co operatlon of the m1l1tary and cm' admmlstratlon authorltles U S Sallors AFIIVC Today The United States battle sh1ps Tennessee and Cal fornla accompanled by des royels and an 011 tan e are due to arrlve ln Sv lgauore today Slx thousand A 1 Il can sallors from the U S warsh ps start thelr one w elrs vlslt t Sm p today The management of the Catnay c1nema have nl de sp clal plans for the nter ta nment of the US Navy In collaboratlon vltl the B M A they are 1nv1t IH 2 200 members of the A eri can Navy 1100 on each n ght-to VIEW Noel f or a us In Whlch We Serve t morrow and on Thursday The performances wlll s rt at n1ne oclock each n1 ht The Cathay restau ant 'ull also be used as an Ol ters Club by the U S Navy dur mg thelr stay 1n Sm 'more Refreshments and meals wlll be served and a band w1l1 be in attendance mgl tly The club w1ll be opened wth a lunch on Wednesday A new lm Wago s Westward w11l be shown at the Cathay tomorrow hurs day and Frrday shows wmll commence tomorrow and Thursday at 11 a m 2 p 111 4 pm and 6 15 pm n Friday start1ng times wxll revert to normal Ziegfeld Girl another new fllm will open at the Cathay on Saturday have made elaborate plans for the entertamment of ratmgs and oflicers ashore and afloat The RN has opened Fleet club at Clifford where men on liberty ashore and an ofllcer at Cathay Build1ng Amerlcans may VISITS the RN Fleet Club as indivwual guests of the British sailors Desplte shortages inevit able after three and a. half Vears occupation by the Japanese every poss'ble facllity has been arrangrd Easy On The Beer Food will adequate and solid but because nf short ages of local produ-.ts wlll not be up to peace time standard There w1ll he a deflnlte scarcity of beer be cause of shlpp ng condltlons A word about drinlnng Ln Singapore Any drink served outs1de canteens IS suspect In recent weeks there have been 22 deaths and se eral cases of blindness as a result of drmkmg Smgapolc Sam wh1ch had been narufac tured from wood alcol ol Entertainment afloat will include performan es b ENSA Cs1m1lar to the Amen can USOJ Guests Of The R.N Ratmgs and oflicers will be guests aboard Brxtish Sh1pS The large sh1ps sucn as the cruxser HMS Sussex wlll be hosts to ratings and officers from the batf eshlps and the Americans from the des royers and oiler lvlll D6 entertained by the personnel of British destroy ers escort vessels and mlnesu cpers both pier come club

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5 ' s Qcmlmuecfl Singapore was the first foreign city most of us had seen which hadn't been bombed and burned. It really looked like a wonderful liberty port with its tall buildings and tree-shaded hills in the background. Clifford Dock, the liberty landing, was in the downtown business section so most of us headed up north over the bridge toward the square, government buildings and the ships. Various types of transportation were awaiting us on the wide avenue which runs along the harbor. The now familiar rickshas were flanked by a new contrivance reminiscent of Worlds Fair days, a bicycle with a side car. Those who wished a faster and more exciting ride rode in one of the British type cars which served as taxis. However all manner of transporta- tion had one feature in common-haggling over the fare. One of the unfor- gettable sights was Yogi Coleman coming back to the dock followed by sev- eral taxi drivers demanding more money loudly and vociferously at his uncon- cerned back. Only a few hours after the' first liberty party hit the beach, sailors could be seen in all the native shops trying to make a deal not only for money but for cigarettes, chewing gum, -fountain pens, and- even watches. Since no new stock of goods had reached Singapore in years the supply of worthwhile -sou- venirs was limited and prices consequently high. Nevertheless, we left a total of over SlO0,000 in U. S. money in Singapore before departing. The narrow streets had a very picturesque appearance with the variety of pedestrians, rickshas, vichiclas, bicycles, etc., weaving in and out.between the carts of the food sellers and merchants who had their wares stretched out on the sidewalks and gutters. Others more bent on sight seeing than shopping wandered down the main streets past the square with its ever present 'soccer or rugby game. Some went in -St. Andrews Cathedral, to sign the visitors' book, others investigated the YMCA and British canteens. Further out from the center of the city was the famous Raffles Museum with its very interesting and complete collection of Malaya. From there looming up through the trees was the Cathay Building with its big movie house. On one of the upper floors was the officers' club, at the opening of which our Commodore Bozendal was the principal speaker. Those who went to visit the famed Raffles Hotel with its huge verandas were doomed to disappointment since it had been taken over for the prisoners of war who had just been released from lap prison camps. Consequently the hotel was closed to the public. At night the bright lights of the New World and the Great World, Singa- pore's Coney Island attracted many visitors. Here many of the familiar rides were mixed in with little cafes which served unfamiliar food and drinks. In one spot, a Malayan dime a dance concession proved interesting since the dancers did not touch each other but merely danced around yards away. Much too soon the three short days came to an end and we sailed out of Malacca Straits headed for Ceylon. 49

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