Australian involvement in South-East Asian Conflicts

The Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) and the Indonesian-Malaysian Confrontation (Konfrontasi) (1962-1966)

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The Malayan Emergency (1948-1960): Australians on Operations

RAAF Operations: Transport Operations

Dakota aircraft of No. 38 Squadron flying over Malaya in 1950. The aircraft are on a cargo run, and they will drop to a lower altitude before pushing bundles of supplies attached to parachutes out of the large open door on the fuselage. As well as being amazingly versatile, the Douglas Dakota or DC-3, with its pleasing 1930s styling, is one of the most elegant aircraft of all time. [State Library of Victoria; H2002.199/2910; an015179 Image reproduced courtesy of the State Library of Victoria]

Dakota aircraft of No. 38 Squadron flying over Malaya in 1950. The aircraft are on a cargo run, and they will drop to a lower altitude before pushing bundles of supplies attached to parachutes out of the large open door on the fuselage. As well as being amazingly versatile, the Douglas Dakota or DC-3, with its pleasing 1930s styling, is one of the most elegant aircraft of all time. [State Library of Victoria; H2002.199/2910; an015179 Image reproduced courtesy of the State Library of Victoria]

When Cabinet decided to commit Australian military personnel to Malaya in 1950, the RAAF was able to respond quickly because No. 38 Squadron crews had returned home from Europe in late 1949 after taking part in the Berlin Airlift.

RAAF Dakota aircraft dropping supplies by parachute over a police post in a clearing in the Malayan jungle. The reliability and relatively slow speed of the Dakota meant that it was an ideal aircraft for these operations. During the Second World War RAAF and American Dakotas had carried out similar operations in support of Australian soldiers in New Guinea. [AWM FEAF0114]

RAAF Dakota aircraft dropping supplies by parachute over a police post in a clearing in the Malayan jungle. The reliability and relatively slow speed of the Dakota meant that it was an ideal aircraft for these operations. During the Second World War RAAF and American Dakotas had carried out similar operations in support of Australian soldiers in New Guinea. [AWM FEAF0114]

No. 38 Squadron RAAF flew its first mission of the Malayan Emergency in July 1950 when it carried wounded Commonwealth soldiers from airstrips at Ipoh and Taiping to Kuala Lumpur. During its two and a half years in the area the squadron carried out a wide variety of operations including troop transportation and evacuation, paratroop and leaflet drops, target marking, and meteorological observation.

After the squadron moved to Kuala Lumpur in April 1951 and began working with No. 1 Squadron RNZAF, most operations consisted of supply drops. During the year in which the two squadrons were stationed at Kuala Lumpur they dropped more than 400 tonnes of supplies to Commonwealth ground forces. Most of the supplies were dropped in 90-kilogram bags suspended from parachutes. No. 38 Squadron also carried out cargo flights throughout the region and as far afield as Japan, Korea and Sri Lanka.