Shop Houses in Kluang

Derelict Shophouse in Kluang dated 1930

Row of Shophouses in Kluang with unique lion designs ( The British Imperial Lion or Chinese Mythical Lion?) perched on top of the shop front

Another view of the same row of shophouses, some dated 1936, 1939 & 1940

A shophouse with a different shop front, dated 1935

Another facade, dated 1929

Kluang

During WW2, the allies had the Austalian Battalions and the RAF stationed in Kluang -
"At Kluang we were billeted under canvas with the Australians ( 19th & 29th Battalions ) on the perimeter of Kluang Aerodrome . Food was very good with plenty of meat , butter , bread and cheese . The sections job was to repair and keep in operation the overhead lines between Kluang and Mersing . There were only two Blenheim bombers stationed on the airfield"extracted from www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories

However, during the Japanese invasion, the Japanese was reported to have located their forward base from KL to Kluang on 23 Jan 1942 and used the airbase to flying their planes over Singapore during the fighting withdrawal for the allied forces.

Again, during the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960, Kluang was the centre of operations against the CT in Johore as the town was approximately in the centre of Johore State. A large army garrison comprising HQ 63 Gurkha Inf Brigade and the 1/7 Gurkha Rifles, and the RAF was based in the vicinity of the aerodrome.

Actually, I was going to Kluang to search for the location of the airbase and the garrison. I was distracted somewhat by the beauty of the prewar shophouses in the old part of Kluang Town. Please see the pictures appended above.

Maybe next time, I will spend more time in Kluang to look for the location of the aerodrome. Last, I wonder why shop houses in Kluang are all mostly Dated?Can anyone out there advise me ?