Clarence Tan Kim Peng is a Singaporean former lieutenant-colonel best known for contributing to the creation of the

Commandos A commando is a combatant, or operative of an elite light infantry or special operations force, specially trained for carrying out raids and operating in small teams behind enemy lines. Originally, "a commando" was a type of combat unit, as opp ...

formation of the

Singapore Armed Forces The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the military of the Republic of Singapore, responsible for protecting and defending the security interests and the sovereignty of the country. A component of the Ministry of Defence (Singapore), Ministry of D ...

(SAF) in its infancy and early years.

Career

Tan began his military career as a volunteer in the Singapore Military Force (now the

) in 1960. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant after completing the Officer Cadet Course in the Federation Military College in Malaysia, after which he served as a platoon commander in the

Singapore Infantry Regiment Infantry is the largest formation of the Singapore Army, comprising six active battalions—the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th and 9th Battalions, Singapore Infantry Regiment (SIR)—based in Clementi Camp, Kranji Camp III, Maju Camp, Mandai Hill Camp, ...

(SIR)'s 1st Battalion. During the Konfrontasi (1963–1966), Tan was posted to various units, including the Malaysian Special Operations Force, and performed frontline duties in Sabah and Taiping in Malaysia. In June 1967, Tan and Chan Seck Sung attended the ranger and airborne courses conducted by the US Army in

Fort Benning Fort Benning (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...

, United States. He was promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

during this period of time. In 1967, Tan was tasked with recruiting eligible candidates for the Singapore Armed Forces Regular Battalion, the precursor of the 1st Commando Battalion. He was promoted to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

in April 1969 and was appointed as the

commanding officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...

(CO) of the SIR's 4th Battalion a year later. He was reassigned to be the CO of the Singapore Armed Forces Regular Battalion again in January 1971 and remained in this position until the unit was renamed "1st Commando Battalion" in June 1978. He was promoted to lieutenant-colonel during this period of time. Later, Tan was transferred from the 1st Commando Battalion to the 5th Singapore Infantry Brigade, but he returned to serve as the commandant of the newly established

Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation Commandos is the special forces formation of the Singapore Army responsible for conducting special operations. Commandos are tasked with Infiltration tactics, infiltrating Airborne forces, behind enemy lines by Raid (military), raiding and recon ...

in 1981. He held this appointment until 1988 and served as a defence attaché in Australia before retiring in 1992.

Bibliography

References

* ''For Honour and Glory: A Celebration of Commando History (1969–1994)''. * Interview
Legit Old: Clarence Tan -- S’pore’s first-ever Commando officer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tan, Clarence Kim Peng Living people Singaporean people of Chinese descent Singaporean military leaders 1941 births