Younger days…

Studio photos of his younger days…

The Young one

 With friends…

With friends

Her younger day…

Soh Siew Kim

With friends..

With Friends

Old Travelling Documents and Permits

Well, it seem that red tape is as prevalent in the 1930s as present day. And each document must accompanied with an attached photograph. With all the registration fee and photos, it must cost a bomb just to travel from China to Singapore to work.

China Registration-front

China Registration-inside

Another certification from the Consulate General of the Republic of China (Singapore) .

Certification by the Consulate General

Look at the date, it’s 28 April 1938 and compare to the Landing permit.

Certification by the Consulate General-inside

Then follow by the Immunization Certificate and with photograph too!

Immunization Certification

And finally the Landing Permit and again with photograph too…

Landing Permit-front

 More than a year from the Consulate General approval (28 April 1938 )to Landing Permit in Singapore on 17 August 1939 by vessel named ANSHUN. Notice the fee, a princely sum of $5 dollars. Just imagine, my salary in 1972 was $4 per day. How much does the trip from China to Singapore cost?  Well, am trying to find any receipt of the journey.

Landing Permit-inside

A little info about the Vessel ANSHUN in which my father travelled and arrived in Singapore.

China cargo vessel SS ANSHUN

ANSHUN (1930 – 42) China Navigation Co

Built by Scotts’ S.B. & Eng. Co. Ltd, Greenock for CNC for Straits trade. 8/39 req. by RN for use as a stores issuing ship at Freetown. 6/40 reverted to CNC. 10/12/41 damaged by Japanese aircraft in Manila Bay. 3/42 escaped from Java to Australia where she was commandeered by the RAN as Stores Issuing Ship Y-1. 6/9/42 sank on starboard side alongside wharf at Milne Bay (SE tip of New Guinea) after shelling by Japanese Cruiser while discharging. 6/44 salvaged and towed to Sydney. 11/46 hulk purchased by James Patrick and Co Ltd, Melbourne and completely refitted. 8/48 entered service as CULCAIRN. 1/5/62 delivered in Sydney to Pan Norse SS Company. S.A. (Wallem & Co Ltd) Panama. 1964 registered as LOMBOK for charter in Indonesia as livestock carrier. 10/1/66 seriously damaged by fire at Surabaya. 9/5/66 Arrived at Hong Kong in tow and laid up. 1/7/66 demolition by Ming Hing Co.

Extracted from  http://members.dodo.net.au/~mervynw/All%20Ships.htm

ANSHUN sunk by the Japanese at Giligili

Registry of Marriage

Registry of Marriage Certificate

The above ROM Certificate was issued during the Japanese occupation. Notice the date, 22 April 2603 (that is 22-04-1943) and also the official stamp, Municipality of Syonan (means Municipality of Singapore). A black and white certificate as compare to the chinese marriage certificate.

Wedding Certificate

Their marriage cetificate is much colourful than our present day marriage certificate.

In hardcover and velvet material too!

Colourful it is…

My parent Marriage Certificate

Look at the date, its based on the Japanese system. Eighteen years (18yrs) into the Showa Period., that is in the year 1943. The background and frame is both colourful and beautiful. There are more details then the present day certificate such as names of the match-maker for the couple and their signatures (in their own customised stamps).

Page 4

Another colourful page of the certificate.

Hardcover backpage

Again in velvet red, the details embedded is a beauty.

Where I came from…

My parent wedding photo

In the photo, the bride and bridegroom were in their beautiful gown and outfit with their relatives. This photo was taken in front of Wing Choon Restaurant (Wing Choon Yuen Chiu Lou) in the famous Great World Park. The restaurant was famous for its suckling pig and its present day name is Spring Court Restaurant in East Coast Road.
It was in 1943 during the Japanese Occupation. Even their marriage certificate was dated 22-04-2603 Syonan-Tokubetu-Si. Was told that Syonan-Tokubetu-Si was the name given to Singapore during the Japanese Occupation and the Syonan year 2603 was the Japanese year given during the 1942-1945 (2602-2605) occupation. They were married for 41 years throught turbulent time of Japanese war, communist insurgency, racial riots, Indonesian confrontation and curfews during the riots. The bride was widowed in 1984 and lived to a ripe old age of 84 in 2005.

In the garden