Pioneer soldier cleared WWII undersea mines and disposed of active bomb overseas
Winston Wong, a retired Singaporean soldier, is being recognized for his pioneering work in bomb disposal and naval diving. His career included clearing WWII sea-mines, leading a dangerous 1978 bomb disposal mission in Bangladesh, and assisting in the 1986 Hotel New World rescue efforts.
Why it matters
Highlights the often-unseen contributions of military veterans to public safety and national heritage.
Until his retirement in 2018, Winston Wong, now 79, had kept his roles as a pioneering member of the SAF’s bomb disposal and naval diving units relatively hush.
Listen Summarise Winston Wong was a pioneering SAF soldier who cleared WWII sea-mines and led a dangerous 1978 mission to defuse a 272kg unexploded bomb in Bangladesh. He led rescue efforts during the 1986 Hotel New World collapse, coordinating survivor evacuations amid distress and rubble. Post-9/11, Wong trained Singapore's Bomb and Explosive Investigation Division, later volunteering as a heritage storyteller and supporting his daughter's vintage store. AI generated
SINGAPORE – For years, Winston Wong’s family knew him only as a former captain in the army who is calm and reserved.
Until his retirement in 2018, Wong, now 79, had kept his roles as a pioneering member of the SAF’s bomb disposal and naval diving units largely under wraps .
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