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Imperial War Museum. Via Wikimedia Commons
Seletar (103.867E
1.415N) was an airbase
on northern Singapore Island. It was defended by 8 40mm Bofors antiaircraft guns, the heaviest antiaircraft protection of any airbase in Malaya, but still pitifully inadequate, and the airfield was within easy artillery range from mainland Malaya.
The workshops and maintenance unit (151 Maintenance Unit) were adequate
to maintain perhaps two squadrons, but had to service the entire Malaya
air force.
When war broke out, the airfield was equipped with radar and was headquarters of RAF Far East Command and 224 Group. 36 Squadron with 5 Vildebeest, 100 Squadron with 6 Beaufort and 14 Vildebeest, and 205 Squadron with 5 PBY Catalina, as well as 1-VI.G.III, 3-VI.G.III, and 2-VI.G.V from the Netherlands East Indies Air Brigade with 18 B-10 Martin and 12 F2A3 Buffalo and GVT-8 from the Netherlands Naval Air Service with three Do-24 were based here.
The airfield was bombed from the first day of the war, and had to be abandoned early in the battle for Singapore.
References
Richards and Saunders (1954; accessed 2011-5-6)
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