|
On 17 June 1968, 2 Cessna aircraft piloted by Singapore Air Defence Command (SADC) pilot trainees landed at Royal Air Force (RAF) Seletar. This marked the transfer of the fortnight-old Armed Forces Flying Training School to Seletar from its temporary premises at Maju Camp and the birth of military flight training in Singapore. It was another moment in Singapore aviation that Seletar Airbase had witnessed in its long history.
The Birth & Childhood of RAF Seletar - 1923 - 1939:
With the British government decision to build the Naval Base in Singapore, it was decided, in 1923, to set up an airfield and seaplane base as well. After a survey, the 600-acre site that would become RAF Seletar was selected. Supervised by Mr C. E. Woods, the RAF Far East's Principal Works and Building Officer(1), Seletar took shape from Apr 1927. In Feb 1928, Seletar received its first aircraft, 4 Supermarine Flying Boats of the Far East Flight who had completed a landmark journey from Britain. The Flight became the RAF’s 205 Squadron (Sqn), the first, and incidentally also the last, RAF unit to fly from Singapore. The airfield, with an oval-shaped grass landing strip, became home to land-based torpedo aircraft. Seletar was finally commissioned as a RAF Station in Jan 1930.
As a purpose built location for the operation of both land-based planes and seaplanes, RAF Seletar also served as Singapore's first civilian airport. It saw the arrival of famous personalities like the aviatrix, Amy Johnson and the famous actor-director, Noel Coward and the development of the first commercial air mail and passenger services in Singapore and Malaya. When the civilian airport at Kallang opened in Jun 1937, RAF Seletar became a purely military airfield housing flying boats like the Short Singapore and Sunderland, torpedo-boats like the Vickers Vildebeeste and the Straits Settlement Volunteer Air Force which had been set up in 1936.
Seletar during World War 2 - 1939 - 1945:
At the beginning of WW2, RAF Seletar had been joined by the Tengah and Sembawang airfields to aid in the defence of Singapore. Consolidated Catalina flying boats were also added to its aircraft strength. It was a Catalina attached to 205 Sqn that discovered the Japanese invasion force heading for Malaya on 06 Dec 1941 but which was shot down before making a report. Some of Seletar's old Vildebeeste bombers were detached to Malaya to interdict the Japanese. In Jan 1942, Hurricane fighters began flying out of Seletar to defend Singapore against Japanese air raids, a number of which targeted Seletar. Ironically, the Allies would also attack Seletar during the Japanese occupation as well. After the British surrender, RAF Seletar was handed over to the Japanese Naval Air Force and used as a training and patrol base. The grass landing strip was replaced with a concrete one. After the Japanese Navy's withdrawal from Singapore in Feb 1945, the Japanese Army took charge of Seletar until it was returned to British control after the Japanese surrender.
RAF Seletar: the End of an Era - 1945 - 1971:
After the war, RAF Seletar served as the RAF's main logistics, maintenance and training base in the Far East. It was not only the main flying boat base in the region but also a SAM Base with Bloodhound missiles. RAF Seletar saw a wide variety of RAF aircraft types coming through its 'gates' for either repair or for its transport and helicopter squadrons. A number of its units and their aircraft were detached to take part in operations during the Malayan Emergency, the Korean War and 'Konfrontasi'. Some of the most famous British planes in WW2 like the Spitfire, the Mosquito and the Sunderland also made their last flights from Seletar. With the decision to withdraw British forces from Singapore, arrangements were made to transfer RAF Seletar in stages to the Singapore Government. The first step was the transfer of the Armed Forces Flying Training School in June 1968. On 31 Mar 1971, RAF Seletar was officially transferred to the Singapore Government.
Seletar Airbase - 1971 - present:
When the Singapore Government took over Seletar Airbase, they discovered that the facilities in the 2 camps (East & West) that made up the airbase were larger than what was actually required for flight training. Some of the buildings were used by the Government to house other SAF units, while some of the quarters that the British had built were released for rent to the public, which proved very popular.
At the same time, Seletar was also opened up to commercial aircraft again, becoming Singapore's airport for smaller aircraft. Once again famous personalities come to Singapore via Seletar as they did in the 1930's. With the transfer of the RSAF's flying training overseas and the transfer of most SAF units out of Seletar, the commercial aspects of Seletar have taken on a bigger role.
Today Seletar continues to play a role in the aviation development of Singapore. Young aspiring pilots get their training from the Singapore Youth Flying club based there. Also the government has announced plans for Seletar to be developed into an aviation hub. Thus Seletar will continue to be at the forefront of Singapore aviation for many years to come.
Sources:
1. Lion in the Sky by N. Shorrick, Federal Publications Sdn Bhd, 1968.
2. RSAF Flying Training School - 20 years of Flying Training - 1969 - 1989 by MAJ Lee Fook Chuen, Team Leader, Editorial Team, 1989.
3. ST, 11 May 2006, pg. 1.
(1) Lion in the Sky
|
