Building of Butterworth

The scale of this commitment is even more imposing when considering the effort and investment needed by Australia to transform a modest RAF airfield into a modern RAAF air base capable of sustaining a sizeable operational air force.

Although Britain handed the RAF base at Butterworth to Australia on free loan, Australia also paid Britain a fee roughly equal to 50 per cent of the capital cost of the existing RAF facilities. Australia then assumed responsibility for the development and funding of the base expansion.

No 2 Airfield Construction Squadron (2ACS) RAAF arrived in late 1955 to begin a construction/refurbishment program which extended and strengthened the main runway to 2,400 metres, built hardstands, taxiways, hangars, fuel storages, armament storage facilities, power supplies, an air traffic control tower, supporting operational facilities, and water and domestic facilities.

The extension and strengthening of the north-south runway into water-logged paddy fields proved particularly challenging, but the RAAF airfield construction squadrons had retained much of their World War II expertise and had an enviable reputation for getting difficult jobs done well. They were up to the task.

On July 1, 1958, as eight Canberra bombers from No 2 Squadron touched down, the expanded and refurbished base was transferred from RAF command to RAAF command, becoming RAAF Base Butterworth. In November 1958 and February 1959, Nos 3 and 77 Squadrons arrived with their Sabre fighters.

‘Britain handed the RAF base at Butterworth to Australia on free loan.’

RAAF Butterworth soon settled into operational focus, including supporting various RAF fighter, bomber, transport and helicopter operations as the Malayan Emergency slowly ground to an end. In turn, the base also required significant logistic support and No 36 Squadron’s new C-130A Hercules transports – Australia was the first non-US purchaser of the Lockheed four-engine military transport – proved their worth in maintaining regular services to Butterworth from the east coast of Australia.

By late 1962, tension with Indonesia increased as Britain planned to progress to independence the territories of British North Borneo, Sarawak and Singapore by federating with Malaya and creating an expanded Malaysia. In January 1963, Indonesia escalated the tension into military ‘confrontation’, resulting in an increase of operational tempo at Butterworth. RAF and RAAF strike aircraft prepared for conflict, preparing target folders and rehearsing strike missions.

That saw RAAF Sabres by day, and two-seat Gloster Javelins of No 60 Squadron RAF with their Westinghouse APQ-43 radars by night, on fully armed, ongoing air defence alert.

Hostilities eventually ceased in September 1965 after a failed coup set in chain events that elevated General Suharto to the presidency of Indonesia.
In June 1962, an additional demand was placed on the RAAF when SEATO called for assistance with the air defence of Thailand. Australia responded by deploying No 79 Sabre Squadron to Ubon. In reality, the new deployment was actually a half-squadron. Although it was not publicly acknowledged, the operation, mounted and supported from Butterworth, involved an innovative aircraft and pilot rotation arrangement between the RAAF base and Ubon.

The routine involved a No 2 Squadron Canberra flying a navigational exercise to the north. As the Canberra taxied for departure from Butterworth, one or more Sabres could be seen taxiing, in radio silence, and departing closely behind the Canberra. Once airborne, the Sabres joined into close formation with the Canberra to offer a single radar return. The Canberra was duly intercepted by Sabres operating from Ubon and returned to Butterworth. Only a close observer could see the returning Sabres had different tail numbers to those that had departed Butterworth about two hours earlier.

The six-year RAAF deployment to Ubon ended in August 1968, soon after No 2 Squadron deployed from Butterworth to Vietnam and No 75 Squadron arrived at Butterworth with its Mirage III interceptors. But by far the most substantial change regarding the nature of the RAAF presence at Butterworth was soon to come following the declaration, in January 1968, that Britain would withdraw from its interests ‘East of Suez’ by 1971. We will discuss the implications of that in our next column.