Farewell to A Loyal Soldier - COL (Ret) John Morrice

SAF pioneer, 79, dies of heart attack
By Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times, 25 Oct 2014

AS A colonel, Mr John Morrice had 300,000 men under his command. But there was one person whom he reported to, and that was his wife, Stella.

This was how Mr Andrew Morrice, 47, a wholesaler of motorcycle parts, described his parents' marriage. The elder Mr Morrice, 79, died of a heart attack on Thursday night.

"If we needed something, we would go to our mother. Then, she would go tell him to do it and he would," said his son.

Post by The Singapore Army.

Mr John Morrice was one of the pioneers of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), joining in 1957 as a regular and retiring 26 years later in 1983 as a colonel.

He was the first Officer Commanding of the first Officer Cadet Company, and headed the 2nd Singapore Infantry Brigade and the SAF Training Institute, among other appointments.

He was also on the front lines during Konfrontasi, conducting patrols during the troubled period from 1963 to 1966, when Indonesia opposed the newly formed Malaysia, which Singapore was then a part of.

Lieutenant-Colonel Swee Boon Chai, who was in Mr John Morrice's first batch of officer cadets in 1966, said his former officer was an "efficient and consistent" man. "He would write his reports daily and filed them conscientiously at the end of training sessions," said the 68-year-old retiree.

Mr John Morrice also served as president of the SAF Veterans League for more than 10 years, organising overseas tours and golf competitions.

He stepped down last year. His dedication and commitment to the army drew praise from Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen: "He is a shining example of a devoted soldier who served his country to the best of his abilities and for as long as he could."

After retirement, he worked for 14 years at Singapore Technologies, covering the Middle East, where he spent seven years when he was in the army.

Growing up, Mr Andrew Morrice remembers his dad as a man who was always ready with a joke or advice.

The family would spend Saturdays at a relative's house before going to church on Sundays, followed by a barbecue at the beach.

"He is a lot closer to my children than he was to me, growing up, though we became closer later. Sometimes, he would act like a kid with them, fighting over the remote," said Mr Andrew Morrice.

Mr John Morrice's wake is at St Teresa's church, and he will be cremated at Mandai Hall 2 at 11.15am on Monday.

PM Lee pays tribute to late SAF pioneer
The Straits Times, 28 Oct 2014

PRIME Minister Lee Hsien Loong paid tribute to the late Colonel (Retired) John Morrice, a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) pioneer who died last Thursday of a heart attack. He was 79.

Writing in his Facebook page last night, he said Col Morrice helped to build the SAF, having joined the Singapore Military Forces when Singapore was still a British colony. When Singapore left Malaysia, Col Morrice decided to come back to Singapore.

"He trained the legendary first batch of officers to graduate from Safti, as their OC (Officer Commanding). Later, he commanded the 2nd Infantry Brigade, and became a mentor to generations of SAF officers. After retirement, he was the president of the SAF Veterans' League," Mr Lee wrote.

"I worked under John as a young SAF officer. When I joined the General Staff, he was one of the senior commanders we worked closely with. So I was happy to see him do this video for the Pioneer Generation Package," he added, citing a video which he included in his Facebook post.

"Without John and his generation of officers, we would not have today's SAF. My deepest condolences to Mrs Morrice and the family."

Col Morrice joined the SAF in 1957 as a regular and retired 26 years later in 1983.

Apart from his command appointments, he was also on the front lines during Konfrontasi, conducting patrols during the troubled period from 1963 to 1966, when Indonesia opposed the newly formed Malaysia, which Singapore was then a part of.

After retirement, he worked for 14 years at Singapore Technologies.