A short (very short) History of the Base
Photos of the baseMarch 1928
A Supermarine Southampton (above) of the RAF Far East Flight the first aircraft type to land at what was to become RAF Seletar.
January 1929205 Squadron was reformed from the Far East Flight . The Squadron motto is Pertama di Malaya, which translates as First in Malaya.
RAF Stations in Singapore
RAF Seletar 1930s
January 1930
Far East Command was formed
May 1930
The air base was briefly host to Amy Johnson on her UK - Australia flight in her Gipsy Moth named Jason.
January 1937
230 Squadron arrived with Short Singapores,
June 1938
230 Squadron take delivery of Sunderland Mk 1s.
September 1939
230 Squadron arrive with Sunderland Mk 1s.
Sunderland picture supplied by Derek LehrleFebruary 1940
230 Squadron depart for Ceylon.
RAF Seletar post-WWII
September 1945
A detachment of 230 Squadron returns with its Sunderlands for 2 months
84 Sqn and 110 Sqn arrive with their Mosquitos.
11 Sqn and 17 Sqn arrive with their Spitfires.
Dave Croft supplied this next piece
A Fokker WWI Triplane at Seletar!
A reproduction of a Fokker Triplane was built around 1968 by two Englishmen, Alan Lowe and Alan Morris, both living in Singapore at the time. The reproduction aircraft was built at the Singapore Flying Club based at Singapore International Airport. When ready to fly both the flying club and the triplane were compelled to move to Seletar.
Permission to fly the aircraft was refused by the authorities and the aircraft languished at Seletar for another 4 years before being transferred to an American resident in Singapore. From there an FAA inspector for American registered aircraft visiting Seletar provided a CofA in the experimental category but the Singapore DCA stopped the aircraft flying out of Seletar (to Malaysia) minutes before take off.
The aircraft was dismantled and shipped to California and eventually flew for the first time on April 13th, 1979.
Photograph and information from Aeroplane Monthly, September 1979
August 1963
No.103 Squadron reformed at RAF Seletar as one of two transport squadrons added to the strength of the Far East Air Force in Singapore to support efforts in Borneo.
The main gate - the first & last view of RAF Seletar for many a young national serviceman
November 1963
No.225 Squadron deployed to RAF Seletar, Singapore with its Whirlwind HAR10s from RAF Odiham, for operations against Indonesian terrorists infiltrating into Malaysia and Borneo.
1964
No 65 Squadron commences deployment with its Bloodhound ground air anti-aircraft missiles. They stay until the station closes.
March 1969
Nos 52 (Andovers) 103 and 110 (Whirlwinds) Sqns leave with 130 Beaver flight and all flying ceases at Seletar.
November 1971
Far East Air Force disbanded.
1973
The embryo Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) takes over the base.
1984
RSAF FTS moves to Seletar with No 150 and 160 Squadrons, RSAF.
2001
Looking like a war zone, H block, West Camp - once the largest accommodation block in the RAF - succumbs to the bulldozers in June 2001. How long before the rest follows?
Main Gate, 2001
A plea
Many members hold much information about the dates mentioned here. Please help build the History section by sending it in. See the Contact for how to submit material.
Image taken from Google Earth. Remarkable detail.