Alvin Wong writes (2002) - It appears that many street and road names in Changi were named after major RAF airfields made famous during the Battle of Britain (1940).
Most of these airfields in the
11
Group in Southeast England
bore the brunt of defending the skies against the Luftwaffe
(German Air Force) bombers. The airfields were also the
targets of bombing raids by the Luftwaffe.
Street names in Changi names
after:
11 Group airfields:
Biggin Hill, Eastchurch, Hawkinge, Hornchurch, Hendon,
Manston, Martlesham, Northolt, Tangmere
12
Group:
Digby
For more info on Battle of
Britain, visit this site:
Alex's Military History Homepage: Battle of Britain
<http://www.geocities.com/Broadway/Alley/5443/bofb1.htm>
Sadly, the air defence of
Singapore on the eve of the Japanese invasion was lacking.
Only a handful of lumbering Brewster Buffaloes and hastily
assembled Hurricanes (a few were shipped in but were crated)
faced the more superior Japanese Zeros.
It was partly due to this lack
of air superiority that led to the decisive sinking of HMS
Prince of Wales and Repulse soon after the Pearl Harbour
attack. Most of the RAF was occupied with the defence of the
jolly old England and North Africa.
Alvin Wong
Additional
notes:
Netheravon
Road - presumably was named after the Airfield Camp in
Netheravon Wiltshire, whih is home to the Army Parachute
Association (APA), probably the oldest parachute club in the
world and the centre of where parachuting, as a sport, was
born in the U.K. Tehir webpage? http://www.netheravon.com
See also: "The
history of Changi"
by Sqn Ldr H A Probert, 1965. Originally from the webpage of
the United Kingdom Mobile Air Movements Squadron.
Old images of Changi
Village
Fairy Point's photos
Nev
Davis's slides of Changi village circa Feb
1969. From "The RAF
Grammar School, Changi Singapore." by Tony
Harris.
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Margie Hall writes (15 May 2006) - "Before World War II, Changi was built as an artillery base by the Army, and they returned again after the war, but then handed over to the RAF in 1946 as the Japanese had built the airstrip and it was needed by the RAF.
I think the street names were different before the War, and after the RAF time. For instance, Netheravon Road was originally New Road.
In Probert, p.30, Martlesham Road was originally, prewar, Artillery Road. There is a 1937 map in Probert's book about Changi, but the road names are too small to read unfortunately.
Ed - see "1981 - Changi Air Base." By Germaine Foo-Tan. History Snippets, 7 (7). 07 Jul 2003.
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