raaf base squadron 1962-65

[daryl neighbour]

My father was stationed in ubon with the raaf base squadron in 1962. My enquiry relates to a thai national who worked in the Raaf sargeants mess. (not the American mess). He was given the name "Sammy". I will shortly be making another trip to isaan and ask if he might still be alive. Thanx in advance. My fathers name is James Neighbour "blue" and worked as an air traffic controller.

 

[Martyjustice]

Noticed that no one has responded yet. This forum it mostly Western expats living in Thailand. Very few locals in forum. Small chance that you would find this person through this forum. Good luck though.


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[Farma]

Good luck finding him. It's been such a a long time.

 

I remember when 79 Sqn reformed in Butterworth in 1986 we thought them tracking down the original 79 Sqn crewroom Ubon fridge that took pride of place when the phoenix squadron rose from the ashes was a near on miracle.

[PeterA]

I live in Phimai. There is an old Thai who worked at the barber shop in Ubon back then. I will ask him.

[KhunBENQ]

So few details and more than 50 years ago.

Any idea how old the person was at the time?

[tifino]

On 12/23/2018 at 12:40 AM, Farma said:

Good luck finding him. It's been such a a long time.

 

I remember when 79 Sqn reformed in Butterworth in 1986 we thought them tracking down the original 79 Sqn crewroom Ubon fridge that took pride of place when the phoenix squadron rose from the ashes was a near on miracle.

I'm back on the floor, over at the RAAF Museum on Friday.

I'll try for a better photo, of the current display - but the blue fridge door might just be of interest to you?

There used to also be an illustrated framed diarama pencilled sketch of the 'life' of an Ubon Sabre crewey... life out on the town.

 I might have to ask one of the Curators for more detail... It used to also be inside the glass cabinet display, near the fridge door.

The Malaya/Malaysia/Ubon display in the Heritage Gallery upstairs:

[ba ba]

Daryl, i have meet a thai in sisaket that worked in eather udon or ubon and i think he was in a mess, just tryed to ring a friend who knew him but no answer when i get hold of him will let you know what he has to say, I know were this chap lives and i will be back in isaan in march when i used to visit my mate this chap used to ride by on his puss bike and sing the cheep charie song , i am a vietnam vet myself

[ba ba]

sorry mate rang my mate diffrent name but the chap did work at the ubon base

[tifino]

 

 @Farma 

some close ups, the fridge etc @Ubon 

 

 

Note; there's a little quality lost from applying differing amounts of Perspective Correction to the photos posted here...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then some Ubon Pilot photos

 

and Domestic area of Ubon base

 

 

A group shot of Ubon Pilots relaxing

 

 

The Placeard about that Group photo also still mentions that (Item#5)  '...cartoon...' which is no longer on display, that I had earlier mentioned about

 

ps there was another fridge featured- from another time and era, but interesting nonetheless to see what can make it inot the RAAF Museum Collection! p.s. the pilot on the left is the spitting image doppleganger of actor Ed Devereaux: 

 

above shot is Item#2 listed below:

[Farma]

Thanks. It brings back some alcohol induced hazy memories from the hangar in Butterworth the night 3 Sqn changed to 79Sqn at midnight.

[tifino]

5 minutes ago, Farma said:

Thanks. It brings back some alcohol induced hazy memories from the hangar in Butterworth the night 3 Sqn changed to 79Sqn at midnight.

and then the time, decades earlier, we in Base Radio of Base Squadron, suddenly found ourselves as part of 478 SQN, albeit for only a short period during an upheaval of another time and place...

[SantiSuk]

On 12/24/2018 at 10:48 AM, PeterA said:

I live in Phimai. There is an old Thai who worked at the barber shop in Ubon back then. I will ask him.

I had a haircut from an oldish (guess: early/mid 60's) Thai barber in my local Amphur town of Kantharalak (Sisaket province and about 80km away from Ubon town) about 6 years ago. He spoke good American English and said he was the barber on the USAF base in Ubon, waxing lyrical about his memories of the airmen and the life. Could be an invaluable source to anyone wanting memories of life there as he clearly wanted to share stuff. No idea if he's still cutting where he was (my cut was a one-off there), but can check if anyone would want to follow it up, in which case PM me.

 

Maybe he moved to Phimai (see PeterA's post #4 above), though that would be an unusual coincidence since Phimai and Kantharalak are some 300 klicks apart