With some of the cheeky local children, when I visited Funafuti, Tuvalu, in August, 1984.
Dad was a Police Officer and mum a Stenographer, in the days when the island was still under British colonial rule. I came into being at the Youngberg Memorial Hospital at Serangoon Road - an American Missionary hospital which no longer exists.
I have one younger brother, Philip, living in Ireland, with his wife, Anne. My sister, Lorraine, about three years my junior, passed away in England, in 1975, and my other sister, Carol, now resides with her husband, Bruce, and children, on the outskirts of Boolarra, Victoria.
My early school years were spent at St. Stephen's in Katong, St. Michael's at Thompson Road, and finally St. Patrick's, Katong. Still keep in touch with some of my old St. Pat's buddies, but the majority of them seem to have disappeared without a trace. If any of you who still remember me read this, please contact me and talk about old times.
Anyway, to continue, after completing school, I entered National Service, which was compulsory for all those Singapore citizens who had reached the age of 18. Basic training was a two month stint at Tampines Camp, which no longer exists, followed by several weeks at the School of Manpower Management, on Pulau Blakang Mati (now known as Sentosa Island, and currently operating as a resort). The school was transferred mid-July 1969, to the Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute, at which place I'd heard over the radio, of man's first descent upon the surface of the moon.
After completion of this clerical course, I was posted for the remainder of my National Service term to Keat Hong Camp, an old colonial military base. Spent some good times there and met quite a number of good friends, some of whom are still in contact after three decades.
After National Service I joined the Customs and Excise Department, being first posted to the headquarters building at Maxwell Road. Was detached to CRIE, the Imports and Exports department at Fullerton Building for a short while, before returning to headquarters. In 1972 I was posted to Harbour Division, and spent the last six months of my Customs service at Division headquarters, adjacent to Clifford Pier. I resigned the service because of our migration to Australia in December, 1973, dad having been sponsored over by his brother, living in Melbourne.
I lived with my parents in Melbourne for about three years before joining the Australian military in 1977, serving in the Medical and Catering Corps for over two decades before retiring from the service in November, 1997.
My interests have been mainly concentrated on the American Civil War, and within the last decade or so on the naval and other unusual aspects.
I currently have a number of web pages on the Internet relating to my interests. (http://www.tfoenander.com/)
I was married to Margaret Anne Bullock, of Bathurst, New South Wales, in April, 1981, and we have three lovely children. Our eldest boy is now in the workforce himself, and with his girlfriend, is expecting twins in the early part of 2001.
