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The ship docked at Singapore Harbour. Among the passengers, disembarking was Brigadier Herbert Lord. Lord moved forward to start the Army. He had to acquire buildings, raise finances, find people, but he faced these challenges with faith and courage.
In May 1935, the Salvation Army meeting was held in a rented building at 47 Killiney Road. Reinforcements arrived and social homes were established. With a heart for service and love, they reached out to the poor, the needy, the prostitutes, the prisoners and the marginalised. From Singapore, he sent officers to pioneer work in Malaya.
Commissioner Herbert Lord – A Humble Servant of Faith, Courage
When war started in Europe, Herbert Lord began preparing for emergencies. The officers were sent for training to be ARP Wardens and St. John’s Nurses. Headquarters became the focal point of an ARP Post and a reception for the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade. A large Red Shield Canteen was set up in Queen Street. The Salvation Army under his leadership hoped for the best but prepared for the worst.
When Singapore fell, Herbert Lord with a number of his officers, were taken prisoners, spending three and a half years in Changi Prison where the Army assisted in providing medical services at Changi with 150 doctors. Beyond nationalities, there was much goodwill and unity with amongst prisoners local and foreign. Even in prison, Brigadier Herbert Lord’s faith and courage continued to encourage and inspire his fellow prisoners as part of his service as a welfare officer.
In 1941, during the Japanese war, The Salvation Army provided social relief from condensed milk for babies to operating a mobile canteen and taking in the sick and wounded. After the war in 1946, there was much partnership between The Salvation Army and government to rebuild Singapore.
