The new dry dock at Singapore taken into service according to the Dutch newspaper Het Vaderland evening edition dated 6 January 1938

According to a tiding from Singapore was the giant dry dock the number two largest in the world and fabricated at the naval base there to be commissioned officially on 11 February by Sir Shenton Thomas (1), governor of the Straits Settlements. Colonel J.J. Llewellyn (2) civil Lord of the Admiralty would represent the British Admiralty. Further more were to be present sir Alexander Ramsy (3) commanding the East Indies squadron with 7 ships and probably also vice admiral Crabbe (4) of the Chinese Sea squadron. Representatives of Australian, New Zealand, Hong Kong and the United Malayan were also invited. The new dry dock was large enough to dock the largest battleship of the fleet while she was just smaller as the largest dry dock of the world at Southampton especially build for the Queen Mary. Her dimensions were more as 300 metres long with a beam of almost 40 metres. To be able to construct the dock it was necessary to move 2,500,000 M2 ground from a location which was at that moment just a swamp and forest. Between 31 January and 5 February were naval manoeuvres planned which were public announced by the authorities in contrary to the past when all was done to keep it secret. Some thought that this proved a cooled attitude towards Japan. As far was known were 9 submarines involved in the manoeuvres, the carrier Eagle, the submarine depot ship Medway, the destroyer Westcott and the cruisers Norfolk and Emerald.

Notes

1. Sir Shenton Thomas (Southwark 10 October 1879-London 15 January 1962), the last governor of the Straits Settlements (1934-1942) and after the war until 1 April 1946 the 11 British High Commissioner in Malaya.

2. John Jestyn Llewellyn (6 February 1893-24 January 1957), army officer, member of the Conservative Party, civil lord between 1937-1939, since 1942 minister of aircraft production and since December 1943 until July 1945 minister of food, became 1st baron Llewellyn on 12 September 1945.

3. Sir Alexander Robert Maule Ramsay (29 May 1881-8 October 1972), promoted to ear admiral in 1933 and commanded in 1936-1938 the East Indies Station and was afterwards Fifth Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Air Service leaving the service in the rank of admiral in 1942.

4. Rear admiral (since 28 February 1934) Lewis Gonne Eyre Crabbe (1882-1951) on 1 December 1937 mentioned as EADM and Senior Naval Officer at the Yangtze (between 1935-1938 serving at that naval station).