With the adoption of the Singapore strategy in the 1920s as a key cornerstone of Imperial Defence, Singapore and Malaya became the major British bases in the East, not only to defend British possessions in Asia, but also the dominions of Australia and New Zealand, who also contributed a large portion of the construction costs.[1]
Up to the 1920s Malaya and Singapore were seen as benign areas, and as such only a small Ordnance Depot was located on the small Island of Palau Brani in Singapore Harbour.[2][3] By 1937 a New Base Ordnance Depot and Workshops had been completed in Alexandra, Singapore.[4] In the early 1940s tensions with Japan were rising, so a steady but insufficient reinforcement of Malaya command was undertaken, and by the start of hostilities in December 1941 many units of the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC), Indian Army Ordnance Corps (IAOC) and Australian Army Ordnance Corps (RAAOC) had been dispatched to the region.
Singapore would capitulate in February 1942 in what was to be the largest loss of manpower, resources and stature in the Empire's history and it would not be until late 1945 the British forces returned. Post war, Britain and other Commonwealth nations retained military forces in the region to fight the communist insurgency, deal with the confrontation with Indonesia and nurture the independence of Malaysia and Singapore until 1989 when the New Zealand forces departed Singapore.
From the beginning of the commitment to the defence of Malaya and Singapore, the RAOC, IAOC, AAOC and the Royal New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (RNZAOC) were working behind the scenes keeping the forces supplied, and during the 1950s and 60s working with and handing over their responsibility and facilities to their Singaporean and Malaysian counterparts as their nations became self-sufficient.
From 1974 to 1989 the RNZAOC maintained the New Zealand Advanced Ordnance Depot (NZAOD) in Singapore as part of New Zealand Force South East Asia (NZFORSEA).[21]