Hi everyone, I need your help especially from those of you residing in the UK. Please kindly share this post with your family and friends as I’m hoping to find my late grandmother’s former employer and his family with whom she had worked for in the 1950s.

My maternal grandmother, Madam Chua Bak Lang, passed away on 29 February 2016. Before she left us, she had told us about her past experience of working as an ‘amah’ (domestic helper) for British Royal Navy officers in the 1950s-1960s when Singapore was still under the British colonisation.

The Hully family

Grandma was deeply attached to the first family that she had worked for 3 1/2 years and fondly remembered the good old times she had while working for them.

As Grandma could barely understand English, she didn’t know her employer’s name (only addressed him as Sir) so I could only figure that out through an old letter of recommendation that he had written for her then.

Letter of recommendation from G.T. Hully

He was G.T. Hully, a British Royal Navy officer deployed at the Royal Malayan Navy base in Woodlands, Singapore in the 1950s-1960s. Grandma said he was in his 30s when she was working for him so if he is still around, he should be in his 90s now. By the way, the Hully family called Grandma by her nickname ‘Ah Moey‘ which meant ‘little sister’.

My late grandparents with Old Mrs Hully carrying my mother who was just a newborn baby

Grandma said Mr Hully’s mother was a very kind old lady who often treated her to homemade meals like traditional English breakfasts, Sunday roasts and afternoon teas. She even commented that Old Mrs Hully made a really good bread pudding. I could remember how Grandma’s eyes lit up and how she smiled so much when she talked about the family even though she was battling pain due to final stage of pancreatic cancer. She had always wished to be reunited with the family but thought it wasn’t possible so she didn’t talk about it all these years until when she was counting down to her final days.

I told Grandma I would try my best to find the Hully family. And I certainly hope I would be able to so the next time I visit Grandma’s grave, I could give her the good news and I am sure she will be so thrilled to know how the family is now doing.

Below are more pictures of the Hully family:

A closer shot of Mr G.T. Hully with his children

These are all the information I have, unfortunately. It’s probably like trying to find a needle in the haystack but if anyone recognises the Hully family from these pictures or has any information that might help me locate the family, please kindly get in touch with me at geri@springtomorrow.com

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Tags: british navygt hullypeople finderpeople searchperson searchroyal malayan navyroyal marinesroyal navyroyal navy veteran