Date Posted: 5/02/04 14:55:47 Author:Dave Scarff Subject: Re: JATCC PAYA LEBAR 1958-1960 In reply to:
George Hall
's message, "JATCC PAYA LEBAR 1958-1960" on 5/11/03 23:27:09
George.
Just a quick one, did you know there is a Seletar Association for ex RAF Seletar types, I have been a member for about eighteen months and have taken advantage of membership and taken my wife back to Singapore to look at the island, the old station and Paya Lebar (now a Singapore Armed Forces airfield). Just look for RAF Seletar on the web and you will find an entry by Dave Taylor, he is membership secretary.
Also getting a few photographs together, will send them by the net in the near future.
Remember Sqn Ldr Cutts (C.O) Sgt. Bill Swan, Wally Guildford Miles (my old mate) Dave Peters, Johnny Porter, Pablo Rinaldi; faces I remember but names long gone.
Good days, Good friends!!
At Jatcc Feb 1960 to Aug 62. Remember S/Ldr Cutts good C.O. W.O. McNally Comms W.O. Bill Trewin Controller, Fred Jolley Ops. Good place to be posted to especially during the change over to new ops Block
Must be a feew more us olduns out there somewhere?
Cheers to all ex Jatcc
Hi Jim, we never met however, I was stationed at WSCRZT from 1967 to 1979, Sqd Ldr Terry Miles was our C/O, a great guy, Fair, By the book operator, knew his job plus. Was one of a number of great C/O's I had in a period of 9 years. When I was at Changi in 1967, JATCC was operated by Singaporeans, I worked with D1 most times, I understand the transition was smooth so I guess you earlier guys did a creditable job of training. Peak times saw around 300 plus movements in a day, we had a large number of 'Air America' white painted jobs, a few DC 3's from Cambodia and a fair number of black painted unknown types arrive after dark, and always leaving in the dark, the skippers all had yank accents so it doesn't take much to guess what they were up to.Vietnam was very busy during that period with the build up of American 'Advisors' and C130's abounded. VC 10's off the SJ Beacon were a delight. The Station Commander of Changi took many of us up into the D 1 and I.F area to see what good navigation was about, it was a busy time, loved every moment, except when we lost a Lightning as a result of failed hydraulics, then a Shackleton in the Indian Ocean
also a Javelin, though I am unable to recall the ID of the Jav, the Shacklebomber was a 205/209 job, very sad loss.
