Infantry Company sent to Butterworth airbase DPR/TV/1342

A company of Australian infantry from Singapore has arrived at the RAAF base at Butterworth in Malaysia. The company, Charlie Company of 1st Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment, at present serving in Singapore, boarded the British Logistic landing ship the Sir Lancelot at the big Royal Navy base on the island recently. They arrived at the wharf in buses dressed in marching order to embark in drizzling rain. Already on board were the company's vehicles and heavy stores. The ship sailed at dawn the next day and while she ploughed up the Strait of Malacca the troops rested. A total of 94 soldiers and four officers were aboard. An advance party of 17 were already in Butterworth preparing for the arrival of the main body. The Minister for Defence, Mr Fraser, in announcing the deployment of the troops in Canberra, said this was the start of regular deployments to the base. He said the companies sent to Butterworth on rotation would use the training areas and facilities of the base and its environs to vary and enhance their own training and to develop further co-operation with the Malaysian Forces and elements of the Royal Australian Air Force at Butterworth. Mr Gorton first announced the decision to rotate infantry companies to Butterworth in his defence statement to Parliament in February last year. The Sir Lancelot berthed at Butterworth after a 36 hour trip and the troops immediately disembarked and were taken to the base. They moved straight into newly rennovated quarters. While the men were unpacking the officer commanding Charlie Company, Major Ken Mallinson of Hurstville Grove, NSW, and the RAAF barracks officer Flight Lieutenant Mike Powell of Rooty Hill, NSW, moved around among the men to see that everything was in order. On the first full day at Butterworth those soldiers free from duties were divided into parties and taken on a tour of the base. Their most important stop was the flight line of RAAF Mirage jets. The RAAF has two Mirage squadrons based at Butterworth, No. 3 and No. 75. The engineering officer of 75 Squadron, Flying Officer Geoff Bond, 25, of Bardwell Park, Sydney, NSW, briefed them on the jets. Butterworth military air base is the biggest in Malaysia. Covering 670 acres, it has a colourful history spanning 29 years. It was occupied by the Japanese Air Force during World War II and since the war has grown into a base of major importance. On March 31 this year the base, which was owned by Britain, although run by the RAAF, was formally handed over to the Malaysian Government. The RAAF now shares the base with the Royal Malaysian Air Force. Soldiers of Charlie company were fascinated with the jets when they saw them close up and they lingered to watch 75 Squadron take to the air. For 1 RAR the move to Butterworth is a return to an "old stamping ground". The battalion was based in the general area at the end of the Emergency before moving to Terendak in Malaysia in 1961. The last permanent Australian troops at Butterworth were 110th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery which was withdrawn to Australia in June last year. For the next five weeks the company will be put through an intensive training programme and cadre course for reinforcements before being relieved.