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By Corporal Mick Hughes
I arrived at Baucau on the 19th of February 2000 to replace the current detachment that was returning to Dili.After receiving our orders, we departed Dili Port at 1300 h in a small convoy that consisted of one Landcruiser and a Unimog. The group that was heading to Baucau that day consisted of myself, PTE Grant Millgate and two other soldiers, acting as co-drivers, who would return to Dili the next day.
The trip east to Baucau took about four hours and passed through a number of small villages. About halfway is the village of Manatuto where we stopped for a short halt. As this was the first time I had left Dili, since arriving in country about a month earlier, my morale was high.
We were deploying into a part of the island known as Sector East. This sector stretched from just north of Hera to the tip of the island at Com. The sector is split into three separate commands. The Philippines controls the Manatuto area, and the Los Paulos area is Korean controlled. The Baucau region is manned by the Thais.
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Upon arrival at Baucau, we were greeted by the Liaison Officer MAJ Burgess and also CPL Mick Krake. The detachment at Baucau was a small but very diverse group which included Petroleum Operators, a RAAF Airload team (which departed the next day) and Signal Operators. In total the whole detachment numbered only ten people. The other member of our team was PTE Ryan who was replaced by PTE Rodney Markham at a later date.
Baucau Airfield is located approximately six kilometres south of the village of Baucau. It is the largest airstrip in East Timor, with the runway itself over two and a half kilometres long. The airfield is situated on a plateau approximately 520 m above sea level, which overlooks the ocean. Due to its elevation the temperature is much cooler than Dili, which was a great relief.
Our main role at the airfield was to provide support to the various countries that were entering East Timor as part of UNTAET. We provided accommodation and rations to personnel and stored their equipment in our Transit Area prior to it being moved by road convoy or by air.
The team in Baucau supported a huge variety of countries, some of the more interesting were Thailand, Korea, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Brazil and Chile.
Another memorable task was when we provided support to UNTAET when 250 UN vehicles were flown in to the airfield in giant Russian Antonov aircraft. During my time there, we worked loading an unloading many different types and nationalities of aircraft including AN-124 Antonovs, Boeing 707s, C-130s, Caribous and Tri-stars. We also operated with a number of different helicopters such as MI-8s, MI-26s and Pumas.
Our other roles mainly revolved around providing MHE support such as unloading the ration convoy for the Thais each week.
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Also back loading the road convoy, providing forklift crane, Mack and 20 ton trailer support to the entire eastern sector, recovery of damaged UN vehicles and support to Civpol.
The ten weeks I spent in Baucau was an enjoyable time where I learned so much about many different cultures and made a lot of new friends. All of the contingents at the airfield made an effort to socialise as much as we could. On most Sundays, for example, we would play Civpol and the Thais in a game of volleyball or soccer, and we would also take turns at cooking for each other.
On the 28th of April, I left Baucau with WO2 Milne and PTE Markham to return to Dili.
It was the saddest day in my time in East Timor.
 A bizarre 'Land Rover Graveyard' sprung up near the airfield as Baucau became a dumping ground for wrecked UN cars. |
 176 AD Sqn members around the Airfield sign. |
 CPL Hughes hard at work. |
 A Russian built Mil MI-8 helicopter carrying out ops from Baucau Airfield. RIGHT: A group of friendly Baucau locals, showing off on the regular Dili-Baucau-Los Palos bus service. |
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