I refer to the Straits Times article "Navy Museum to get a makeover" (Oct 4 2021), my former ship crew and I welcome the news and feel it is the best time to include a naval ship, where visitors can go on board for tours. When we visit the Air Force and Army Museums and even some camps, we see real aircraft and vehicles of yesteryear on display, but for the Navy Museum, there are only indoor plastic model exhibits of the ships.

The Singapore Navy have one remaining decommissioned County-class LST (landing ship tank), the RSS Resolution (L204), which can be transformed into a museum like those in the United States and Thailand. There is a wonderful history of the 1940s US built County-class LSTs which served the Singapore Armed Forces from the early 1970s to early 2000s.

The first LST, Endurance, was acquired from the United States Navy on July 1, 1971, in Guam and sailed to Singapore. In 1975, another four LSTs were selected by the Singapore navy and towed from the US Naval Reserve in Sasebo, Japan, to Singapore. In 1976, we had Excellence, Intrepid and Resolution commissioned into the Singapore Navy. Persistence was operational in 1981.

The primary role of the LSTs was to support the Singapore Armed Forces in transporting army hardware to overseas training bases to build up the capabilities of our defence force. They also served as Midshipmen Sea Training Deployment platforms to train the officers and provide on-the-job training for all ranks. For naval exercises and operations mission, the LSTs often assumed the command platform and/or supply ship role. In the mid 1970s, Resolution in particular was even berthed alongside Bedok Jetty to support Operation Thunderstorm – refugees fleeting South Vietnam in the wake of the fall of Saigon took shelter inside of Resolution and were provided with humanitarian aid.

Many Mindef staff, Army and Air Force personnel also share a collective memory of the LST because she was the mothership of past SAF Joint Training and incubator for the current Peace Support and Joint Operation doctrine and tactics. Past servicemen who embraced naval traditions of a different era certainly have lots of experience and stories to share about this septuagenarian iron lady.    

Resolution is the first Navy vessel that everyday Singaporeans set foot on when the vessel was opened to the public during the 1984 "25 Years of Nation-Building" Exhibition at the World Trade Centre. The exhibition drew 88,000 over two days, with more than 6,000 in line to board the ship at one point. During some Navy Day open house and training activities, she is also a frequent sight at Bedok anchorage, East Coast Park beach or alongside the Bedok Jetty.

With Resolution still in existence, we would like to petition for her to be included as a ship exhibit. We feel that the collective memories and history surrounding the ship make Resolution worth saving for our present and future generations to appreciate, as well as to learn those tangible and intangible aspect of the military heritage and lesson. We certainly don’t wish to see Resolution to join her County-class sister ships as has-beens and forgotten walls of steel, fading into history with each wave of new servicemen.

Please support us!

Raymond Lim & former LST crew