“Look Mummy, there’s an aeroplane up in
the sky.”
These words were spoken on Pink Floyd’s The Wall album, and the remind me of the time when I was a small child, in the 1950s, when the sight of any aircraft was a cause of excitement. Today, if I look up on a clear day I can see a dozen or more airliners making vapour trails in the sky. But in the 1950s there was almost nothing. That all changed when we went to live in Singapore in 1961. Because of the presence of British military bases on the island, as well as a busy civil airport, Singapore’s skies were amongst the busiest in the world.
On a couple of occasions in the early 1960s, my father took us along to an RAF air display. This was a big thrill for a youngster like me, brought up on war comics. I can’t be 100% sure, but I think the display was at Changi, although something at the back of my mind says Seletar. In retrospect I think it was very generous of the RAF to open their doors to the public, at a place that most governments would have regarded as most secret. Anyway, I remember that there was always a big crowd at these events.
These words were spoken on Pink Floyd’s The Wall album, and the remind me of the time when I was a small child, in the 1950s, when the sight of any aircraft was a cause of excitement. Today, if I look up on a clear day I can see a dozen or more airliners making vapour trails in the sky. But in the 1950s there was almost nothing. That all changed when we went to live in Singapore in 1961. Because of the presence of British military bases on the island, as well as a busy civil airport, Singapore’s skies were amongst the busiest in the world.
On a couple of occasions in the early 1960s, my father took us along to an RAF air display. This was a big thrill for a youngster like me, brought up on war comics. I can’t be 100% sure, but I think the display was at Changi, although something at the back of my mind says Seletar. In retrospect I think it was very generous of the RAF to open their doors to the public, at a place that most governments would have regarded as most secret. Anyway, I remember that there was always a big crowd at these events.
My father seemed to know a lot about
military aircraft, and he was almost as thrilled as we were to see them flying
at close quarters. He pointed out the
Avro Vulcan, Handley Page Victor, Hawker Hunter, Canberra, Meteor, Javelin and
lots more. I loved them all, but I
particularly fell in love with the Beverley, which was a big-bellied transport
aircraft that looked a lot like a pregnant guppy. The various aircraft demonstrated their speed
or manoeuvrability, and even some formation flying.
After the flying was over, we were at
liberty to walk around the hangars where we could inspect aircraft really close
up. There were one or two vintage items
that looked like they had survived from the second world war, which my dad said
would be used for reconnaissance or radar patrols.
In reality, living in Singapore at that
time was like one continuous air display.
At the Naval Base School there seemed to be a procession of aeroplanes
and helicopters coming in and out of Seletar, and military aircraft seemed to
turn up any time, anywhere on the island.
I never got bored with these planes, as they all seemed to have their
own distinctive character. I have to
admit that, wonderful as they are, most of today’s airliners look pretty much
the same to me.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
** Found these these photos of planes
mentioned by Tim at the National Archives Picas Website.
A RAF Meteor Fighter being towed at midnight from RAF
Changi to Seletar Technical Training School. The jet will be used by the
Singapore Air Force for ground training. Picture shows the Meteor being towed
along Upp Serangoon Road (Sep 1969)
Canberra
WE139 which won the London-Christchurch Air Race in October 1953 in 23 hours
and 51 minutes. Royal Air Force, Changi, Singapore.
Lightning supersonic fighter jets of the RAF 74 Squadron at Tengah Air
Base. Known as “Tigers”, the 12-missiles jets will take over the air defence
duties in the Far East. (1967)
