Originally Posted by
Pontius Navigator
Your father did not 'serve' on Vulcans in Singapore in the then accepted sense of the word.
The Cottesmore Wing held the Far East reinforcement mission from 1964 through to about 1968 when the task was switched to the Waddington wing and all the aircraft were swopped over too. The Cottesmore wing then moved to Cyprus to become the Akrotiri Bomber Wing.
The Singapore task was for up to 24 Vulcans to deploy to RAF Tengah in Singapore where there were two purpose built squadron facilities. The crews were planned to fly either via Cyprus, Bahrein (overflying Turkey and Iran) thence to Gan and Singapore. Alternatively, in case the 'Eastabout' Route was not possible for pilitical reason there was also a 'Westabout' route via Canada, the USA, and Guam.
I do not know how often the mission was practised but I know of one eastabout from Cottesmore in Apr 65 with, if I recall correctly, 8 aircraft from 35 sqn. It is likely that IX would have done a detachment the following year. These exercises lasted some 4-6 weeks.
Following the withdrawal from RAAF Butterworth of the 55/57 Sqn Victor (Bomber) aircraft detachments in 'Aug '65, 4 Vulcans were detached from RAF Cottesmore to RAF Tengah, Singapore as the Medium Bomber Force Detachment. From Aug '65 to Feb '66 9 Sqn aircrew had the committment. Feb '66 saw 35 Sqn take over the detachment until May '66 when it was 9 Sqns turn again. From Nov '65 to Feb '66 the Det Cdr was Sqn Ldr DBR Harris (9 Sqn) and from Feb '66 to May 66 it was Wg Cdr DA Arnott, DFC (OC 35 Sqn). Engineering support coming from the Engineering Wing, RAF Cottesmore. Aircrew detachments were for up to 3 months at any one time. Groundcrew tour lengths were 3 months with an option to complete further 3 months. During Dec '65 and Feb '66 the whole detachment redeployed to RAAF Darwin for exercises with the RAAF.
I was on the detachment at Tengah from Nov '65 to May '66.
It was a long time ago but I think the dates are correct.
So Sarah's Dad could have spent a few months in Singapore.
'We knew how to whinge but we kept it in the NAAFI bar.'