Singapore Chinese Volunteer Company (S.V.C.) Muster Roll, Great War 1914–1918 新加坡義勇軍華人連花名冊
Complete list of 11 officers and 236 men of the Chinese Company, Singapore Volunteer Corps
Summary: This is the muster roll of the Singapore Chinese Volunteer Company (S.V.C.), the Chinese Company of the Singapore Volunteer Corps, for the Great War of 1914–1918. It names 11 officers, from Captain E. A. Brown and Captain Song Ong Siang to Second Lieutenants Seah Cheng Joo and Teo Kiong Hee, and 236 non-commissioned officers and privates. Every name below is typed as plain text, one name to a row, with its rank, so that a volunteer can be found by searching for his full name or his surname. The copy was presented by Mr Tan Jin Gam, himself a member of the Company, and the historical data are adapted from Song Ong Siang's One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore (1923).
Overview 概述
The Singapore Chinese Volunteer Company (S.V.C.) was a unit within the Singapore Volunteer Corps. It was mobilised during the Great War (World War I) and, according to the original record, took part in the local defence of Singapore, most notably during the 1915 Singapore Mutiny. The Company was first raised as the Chinese Company of the Singapore Volunteer Infantry in November 1901, with Song Ong Siang as one of its founders (BiblioAsia). The roll records the names of the officers and men who served in 1914–1918 and stands as a record of the patriotism of the Straits Chinese community. Prominent figures include Song Ong Siang (later Sir), Tan Soo Bin and Seah Cheng Joo.
How to Find a Name 如何查找姓名
The 236 men are arranged alphabetically by surname, with a table for each letter. Use the surname index below to jump to a family name, or use the search box on this blog, or your browser's find function (Ctrl+F, or Cmd+F on a Mac), and type a full name such as "Tan Jin Gam". Names are romanised exactly as printed, so try variant spellings of a surname as well (see the notes below).
Surname index (number of men): Ang (10) · Chan (10) · Cheng (1) · Cheong (6) · Chew (2) · Chia (5) · Chiang (1) · Chin (1) · Choa (1) · Choo (2) · Chua (10) · Chwee (1) · Chye (1) · Ee (3) · Fan (1) · Gan (2) · Gaw (3) · Gay (2) · Goh (3) · Ho (1) · Khoo (3) · Koh (8) · Kow (1) · Kwan (3) · Lee (19) · Leong (1) · Lim (21) · Loh (1) · Low (2) · Lye (2) · Nah (1) · Neo (1) · Ng (2) · Oh (1) · Ong (8) · Oou (1) · Ou (1) · Phang (2) · Phua (1) · Poh (1) · Quek (1) · Seah (2) · Seet (4) · Seow (2) · Siow (1) · Soh (2) · Song (3) · Tam (1) · Tan (36) · Tay (9) · Teo (9) · Thio (1) · Wee (11) · Wong (1) · Yap (3) · Yeo (3) · Yew (1)
Jump to letter: A · C · E · F · G · H · K · L · N · O · P–Q · S · T · W · Y · Officers
Roll of Officers 軍官名冊
| Rank | Name | Note |
|---|
| Capt. (Captain) | E. A. Brown | Commanding Officer |
| Capt. (Captain) | Song Ong Siang | Commanding Officer |
| Lieut. (Lieutenant) | G. S. Myles | |
| Lieut. (Lieutenant) | W. E. J. Hatch | |
| Lieut. (Lieutenant) | H. A. Forrer | |
| Lieut. (Lieutenant) | H. G. Wightwick | |
| Lieut. (Lieutenant) | Tan Soo Bin | |
| Lieut. (Lieutenant) | Tan Kwee Wah | |
| Lieut. (Lieutenant) | Tan Chow Kim | |
| 2nd Lieut. (Second Lieutenant) | Seah Cheng Joo | |
| 2nd Lieut. (Second Lieutenant) | Teo Kiong Hee | |
Roll of Other Ranks 士兵名冊 (Alphabetical by Surname)
A
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Ang Ben Lee | Pte. (Private) |
| Ang Cheng Kee | Pte. (Private) |
| Ang Chwee Beng | Pte. (Private) |
| Ang Eng Kee | Pte. (Private) |
| Ang Kim Soon | Pte. (Private) |
| Ang Kim Sun | Pte. (Private) |
| Ang Peng Soo | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Ang Peng Tin | Pte. (Private) |
| Ang Teng Kee | Pte. (Private) |
| Ang Yan Hoe | Pte. (Private) |
C
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Chan Chwee Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Chan Geok Poh | Pte. (Private) |
| Chan Joo Bak | Pte. (Private) |
| Chan Joo Yam | Pte. (Private) |
| Chan Koon Siak | Pte. (Private) |
| Chan Lye Ming | Pte. (Private) |
| Chan Sze Onn | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Chan Teck Swee | Pte. (Private) |
| Chan Teng Toon | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Chan Tiang Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Cheng Kang Nghee | Sgt. (Sergeant) |
| Cheong Chan Kong | Pte. (Private) |
| Cheong Chee Koon | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Cheong Chee Tong | Pte. (Private) |
| Cheong Chin Heng | L/Sgt. (Lance Sergeant) |
| Cheong Fut Lim | Pte. (Private) |
| Cheong Hock Chye | Pte. (Private) |
| Chew Hin Chee | Pte. (Private) |
| Chew Kim Swee | Pte. (Private) |
| Chia Fow Lee | Pte. (Private) |
| Chia Teck Kim | Pte. (Private) |
| Chia Teck Lim | Pte. (Private) |
| Chia Tiong Kim | C.Q.M.S. (Company Quartermaster Sergeant) |
| Chia Yeong Siong | Pte. (Private) |
| Chiang Swee Kim | Pte. (Private) |
| Chin Chye Fong | Pte. (Private) |
| Choa Eng Wan | Pte. (Private) |
| Choo Seng Teng | Pte. (Private) |
| Choo Teck Hock | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Beng Chong | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Chua Cheng Kee | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Choon Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Hock Soon | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Kek Hai | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Kim Poey | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Kim Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Lye Choo | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Tian Chye | Pte. (Private) |
| Chua Tian Teck | Pte. (Private) |
| Chwee Lye Watt | Pte. (Private) |
| Chye Fook Kim | Pte. (Private) |
E
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Ee Kiong Cheng | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Ee Teow Hock | Pte. (Private) |
| Ee Yong Kee | Pte. (Private) |
F
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Fan Ah Teck | Pte. (Private) |
G
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Gan Chow Kee | Pte. (Private) |
| Gan Hock Chuan | Sgt. (Sergeant) |
| Gaw Khek Chew | Pte. (Private) |
| Gaw Khek Jim | Pte. (Private) |
| Gaw Khek Swee | Pte. (Private) |
| Gay Ah Lek | Pte. (Private) |
| Gay Ah Yew | Pte. (Private) |
| Goh Cheng San | Pte. (Private) |
| Goh Keng Mian | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Goh Ong Cheng | Pte. (Private) |
H
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Ho Siew Peng | Cpl. (Corporal) |
K
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Khoo Boo Gay | Pte. (Private) |
| Khoo Peck Eng | Pte. (Private) |
| Khoo Tiang Lim | Pte. (Private) |
| Koh Chong Teck | Pte. (Private) |
| Koh Ek Wan | Pte. (Private) |
| Koh Kim Choon | Pte. (Private) |
| Koh Kim Huan | Pte. (Private) |
| Koh Soon Chia | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Koh Swee Chiang | Pte. (Private) |
| Koh Teng Liat | Pte. (Private) |
| Koh Tiang Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Kow Thiam Hock | Cpl. (Corporal) |
| Kwan Ah Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Kwan Ah Weng | Pte. (Private) |
| Kwan Soon Yang | Pte. (Private) |
L
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Joseph Lee | Pte. (Private) |
| K. T. Lee | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Lee Ah Kai | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Ah Kok | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Ah Lek | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Cheng Poh | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Chew Wah | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Lee Chim Huk | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Chim Tuan | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Hock Kee | Cpl. (Corporal) |
| Lee Hong Seong | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Kiah Wah | Cpl. (Corporal) |
| Lee Kiah Yong | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Kim Chye | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Kim Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Kwee Siew | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Phang Seng | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Lee Swee Kim | Pte. (Private) |
| Lee Tung Seck | Pte. (Private) |
| Leong Fook Sung | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Ban Huat | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Cheng Ban | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Cheng Quee | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Chin Aik | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Chin Piow | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Chuan Chye | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Eng Chuan | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Eng Guan | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Eng Teck | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Lim Hock Siang | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Lim Keng Hock | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Lai Heed | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Liang Quee | C.S.M. (Company Sergeant Major) |
| Lim Poon Soh | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Seak Ink | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Sian Teck | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Tay Soon | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Tian Pee | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Lim Wee Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Lim Yong Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Robert Lim | Pte. (Private) |
| Loh Weng Sun | Pte. (Private) |
| Low Boon Joo | Pte. (Private) |
| Low Kim Teo | Pte. (Private) |
| Lye Boon Hong | Pte. (Private) |
| Lye Kee Fook | Pte. (Private) |
N
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Nah Kim Choon | Pte. (Private) |
| Neo Ah Kuan | Pte. (Private) |
| Ng Ah Hoi | Pte. (Private) |
| Ng Teck Cheng | Pte. (Private) |
O
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Oh Tiang Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Ong Chip Yean | Pte. (Private) |
| Ong Hong Kiat | Sgt. (Sergeant) |
| Ong Kee Hock | Pte. (Private) |
| Ong Seng Wee | Pte. (Private) |
| Ong Siow Sian | Pte. (Private) |
| Ong Tiang Hee | Pte. (Private) |
| Ong Tiang Tye | Sgt. (Sergeant) |
| Ong Yan Keng | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Oou E. Thiam | Pte. (Private) |
| Ou Koh Bee | Pte. (Private) |
P–Q
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Phang Kim Joo | Pte. (Private) |
| Phang Teck Meng | Pte. (Private) |
| Phua Cheng Yong | Pte. (Private) |
| Poh Peng Thua | Pte. (Private) |
| Quek Cheok Yan | Pte. (Private) |
S
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Seah Peng Hong | Pte. (Private) |
| Seah Seow Knea | Pte. (Private) |
| Seet Cheng Tuan | Pte. (Private) |
| Seet Kim Hock | Pte. (Private) |
| Seet Seng Wan | Pte. (Private) |
| Seet Tiam Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Seow Beng Hay | Pte. (Private) |
| Seow Cheng Watt | Pte. (Private) |
| Siow Choon Leng | Pte. (Private) |
| Soh Kim Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Soh Wee Tee | Pte. (Private) |
| Song Chin Eng | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Song Chin Joo | Pte. (Private) |
| Song Ong Whatt | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
T
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Tam Kim Hye | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Ah Keng | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Ah Soo | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Bah Chee | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Boon Khiam | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Boon Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Chiang Chua | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Chiang Koon | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Chim Nam | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Chong Khee | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Chwee Watt | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Eng Hoe | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Heng Beng | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Jim Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Jin Gam | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Keng Cheng | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Keng Kiang | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Kim Choon | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Kim Poey | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Koon Kim | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Kwee Pong | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Tan Luang Kia | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Tan Nghee Hong | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Piah Eng | C.Q.M.S. (Company Quartermaster Sergeant) |
| Tan Poh Tiam | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Say Lye | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Soo Bit | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Soo Cheng | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Soo Lay | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Soo Yok | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Soon Huat | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Teck Swee | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Teck Yee | Sgt. (Sergeant) |
| Tan Teck Yee | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Teow Suan | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Yean Keok | Pte. (Private) |
| Tan Yong Fook | Pte. (Private) |
| Tay Ah Kow | Pte. (Private) |
| Tay Boon Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Tay Boon Teck | Sgt. (Sergeant) |
| Tay Eng Bee | Pte. (Private) |
| Tay Hong Wan | Pte. (Private) |
| Tay Mong Keng | Pte. (Private) |
| Tay Peng Hee | Pte. (Private) |
| Tay Seng Piow | Pte. (Private) |
| Tay Teck Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Teo Bah Dong | Pte. (Private) |
| Teo Cheng Poh | Pte. (Private) |
| Teo Cheng Quee | Pte. (Private) |
| Teo Hock Choon | Pte. (Private) |
| Teo Hoo Leong | Pte. (Private) |
| Teo Joo Geok | Pte. (Private) |
| Teo Siong Moh | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Teo Swee Lim | Pte. (Private) |
| Teo Tiam Hock | Pte. (Private) |
| Thio Theam Seng | Pte. (Private) |
W
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Wee Cheng Joo | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Chin Kim | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Chong Yan | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Chuan Swee | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Gon Dol | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Kim Seng | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Poh Hock | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Soon Chye | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Soy Sai | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Tiam Watt | Pte. (Private) |
| Wee Tiang Wah | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Wong Seck Kee | Pte. (Private) |
Y
| Name | Rank |
|---|
| Yap Cheng Hoe | Pte. (Private) |
| Yap Lay Swee | Pte. (Private) |
| Yap Tai Chong | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Yeo Boon Gnan | Pte. (Private) |
| Yeo Soy Bah | L/Sgt. (Lance Sergeant) |
| Yeo Thye Lim | L/Cpl. (Lance Corporal) |
| Yew Ah Hoon | Pte. (Private) |
Notes on the Roll 說明
- Ranks. In the original list a rank is given once at the start of a line and applies to every name on that line. Here each name has been given its own rank so that it can be found on its own. Abbreviations: Capt. = Captain; Lieut. = Lieutenant; C.S.M. = Company Sergeant Major; C.Q.M.S. = Company Quartermaster Sergeant; Sgt. = Sergeant; L/Sgt. = Lance Sergeant; Cpl. = Corporal; L/Cpl. = Lance Corporal; Pte. = Private.
- Spelling. The names are romanisations in the form printed in 1923, mostly Hokkien and Teochew, with no Chinese characters given. The same surname may appear in different spellings (for example Tan, Tam and Tay; Ong, Oh, Oou and Ou; Gan, Gaw, Gay and Goh; Chua, Choa and Chwee), and the same romanisation can stand for different Chinese surnames, so a descendant should search under each variant.
- Same name twice. "Tan Teck Yee" appears twice, once as a Sergeant and once as a Private. They may be two men or a repeated entry, and the roll does not say which.
- Initials. Three men are listed by initials or a forename in English order: K. T. Lee, Joseph Lee and Robert Lim. They are filed here under Lee and Lim.
- Officers. The officer list includes officers with European names (Brown, Myles, Hatch, Forrer, Wightwick) as well as Straits Chinese officers (Song, Tan, Seah and Teo).
- Transcription. This is a reformatted copy of the roll as previously posted on this blog, which was itself adapted from the 1923 book. It has not been checked line by line against a printed copy. Corrections and additions, such as Chinese names supplied by families, are welcome.
Historical Records and Photographs 歷史照片
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Members of the Singapore Chinese Volunteer Company who served during the Great War of 1914–1918. Click the photograph to open the full-size image..jpg)
Volunteer Section, Chinese Company, from YMFS. Click the photograph to open the full-size image..jpg)
Chinese Company, S.V.I., in 1917. (Source: Song Ong Siang, One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore.) Click the photograph to open the full-size image.Sources 資料來源
- Song Ong Siang, One Hundred Years' History of the Chinese in Singapore (London: John Murray, 1923), the source of the historical data. books.google.com
- Muster roll copy presented by Mr Tan Jin Gam, a member of the Chinese Company, as previously posted on this blog.
- "The King's Chinese: The Life of Sir Song Ong Siang", BiblioAsia, National Library Board (on the founding of the Chinese Company in 1901). biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg
- "Beach Road Camp and the Singapore Volunteer Corps", BiblioAsia, National Library Board (background on the Corps). biblioasia.nlb.gov.sg
About this record. This entry is part of Singapore Tombstones Epigraphic Materials (S.T.E.M.) 新加坡墓碑銘集录, a specialised digital documentation project and archive recording historical tomb inscriptions in Singapore, with a focus on Bukit Brown Cemetery 武吉布朗坟场, the adjoining Hokkien Huay Kuan burial grounds of Lao Sua and Kopi Sua 羔丕山, and other early Chinese burial grounds. Alongside the inscriptions, the archive keeps transcribed historical rolls and records, such as this muster roll, so that the people named in them can be found by their families and researchers.
Cite this entry as:
Raymond Goh. "Singapore Chinese Volunteer Company (S.V.C.) Muster Roll, Great War 1914–1918." Singapore Tombstones Epigraphic Materials (S.T.E.M.), tombs.bukitbrown.org, https://tombs.bukitbrown.org/2025/09/singapore-chinese-volunteer-company.html. Accessed [date].
Keywords: Singapore Chinese Volunteer Company, S.V.C., Chinese Company Singapore Volunteer Corps, Singapore Volunteer Infantry, muster roll, roll of names, Great War 1914-1918, World War I Singapore, 1915 Singapore Mutiny, Song Ong Siang, 宋旺相, E. A. Brown, Tan Soo Bin, Seah Cheng Joo, Teo Kiong Hee, Tan Jin Gam, Straits Chinese volunteers, 新加坡義勇軍華人連, 花名冊, Singapore genealogy, Singapore Tombstones Epigraphic Materials, S.T.E.M.
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