RAAF unit to mark 50th anniversary

DURING its peak in the 1970s, the Butterworth airfield had about 1,000 civilians who worked at the base for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).  

The civilians were part of the RAAF support unit which handled administrative and logistical matters. 

The Australian forces continue to make their presence felt al-though the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) took control of the base in 1988 and renamed it RMAF Base Butterworth. 

This year marks the 50th year of continuous combat support since the formation of the Base Squadron Butterworth (BSBUT) unit in 1958 at the RAAF base Amberley, Queensland, Australia. 

BSBUT was disbanded and re-placed in 1988 by RAAF Support Unit Butterworth. In 1999, the unit was disbanded and the 324 Combat Support Squadron (324CSS) was created.  

Happy occasion:Grigson(centre),officers and civilians cutting a cake at the base in Butterworth.

It is based here and will orga-nise a gathering to mark BSBUT’s RAAF Support Squadron’s 50th anniversary. 

Commanding officer Wing Commander Frank Grigson said the RAAF Base Squadron was founded when the Australian Government decided to base its operational squadrons in Malaya back in 1958.  

“But operational squadrons need a supporting unit to handle administrative and logistical duties,” he said when met at his office at the RMAF Base Butter-worth recently. He joined officers and civilians in cutting a cake during a simple ceremony. 

Currently, the Combat Support Squadron has 35 RAAF officers, one Australian public servant and more than 63 local employees who are civilians. 

The unit is responsible for providing limited logistic, communication and health support to Australian Defence Force units deployed throughout South East Asia.  

“All former and serving RAAF personnel and civilians at the base are invited to the celebrations.”  

Grigson added the three-day celebration would kick off with a parade at the base on May 23 followed by a dinner and dance at Penang Equatorial Hotel on May 24.  

There will also be a Sunday luncheon at the Australian Re- creation Club, Pulau Tikus, on May 25 where at least 300 people are expected to join in the celebration.  

Grigson said the Butterworth base was the only RAAF over- seas base and it was on the wish list of most ‘RAAFies’ to be based here.  

“The RAAF personnel had a life they never expected to have in Australia. There were maids to look after their children and their wives need not work.  

“There were recreation facili-ties for the personnel – including a school, hospital, radio station (RAAF Radio Butterworth). For a long time, it was the biggest Australian air force base,” he said.  

For details, call M. Thana- letchmi at 012-4162227 or T. Balakrishnan at 012-4306475.