USAcv2

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)
Caribous
Page 1

**Updated: March 14, 2020**
The Royal Malaysian Air Force received 18 new DHC-4A aircraft starting in 1966 and ending in 1973. They were assigned to the 1st and 8th Squadrons. The tail numbers were changed from FM eleven hundred series to FM fourthteen huindred series. In the mid 80's tail numbers were changed to M21 series. The RMAF Caribous were withdrawn from service September, 2000. They were replaced by CN 235 from Indonesia.

C/N	Year	Tail #	Tail Renumbers	Status
245	1966	FM1100	FM1401 M21- 01	- Departed Canada 4/26/66 arrived Kuala Lumpur 5/15/66 - Assigned to the 8th SQN. at Labuan RMAF Base, 9/66 - In storage at Kuching Base, Sarawak as of 9/15/00 awaiting buyers
246	1966	FM1101		- Departed Canada 4/26/66 arrived Kuala Lumpur 5/15/66 - Assigned to the 8th SQN. at Labuan RMAF Base, 9/66 - Crash at Meligan airstrip in Sabah on 1/12/67 - written off - Labuan Base (use for fire training)
247	1966	FM1102	FM1402 M21- 03	- Departed Canada 4/26/66 arrived Kuala Lumpur 5/15/66 - Assigned to the 8th SQN. at Labuan RMAF Base, 9/66 - In storage at Kuching Base, Sarawak as of 9/15/00 awaiting buyers
248	1966	FM1103	FM1403 M21- 04	- Departed Canada 4/26/66 arrived Kuala Lumpur 5/15/66 - Assigned to the 8th SQN. at Labuan RMAF Base, 9/66 - On display at RMAF Museum, Kuala Lumpur
270	1969	FM1104	FM1404 M21- 05	- Arrived Kuala Lumpur 5/3/69 - Crashed 5/24/99 crashed during regular training flight on approach into a swampy area at the end of the runway at Kunching (5 killed)
273	1969	FM1105	FM1405	- Arrived Kuala Lumpur 5/3/69 - Crashed into the sea location unknown.The U.S.S. Tarawa recovered this aircraft and delivered it to Kunching (1979)
274	1969	FM1106	FM1406 M21- 07	- Arrived Kuala Lumpur 5/3/69 - In storage at Kuching Base, Sarawak as of 9/15/00 awaiting buyers
276	1969	FM1107	FM1407 M21- 08	- Arrived Kuala Lumpur 7/4/69 - In storage at Kuching Base, Sarawak as of 9/15/00 awaiting buyers
277	1969	FM1108	FM1408 M21- 09	- Arrived Kuala Lumpur 7/4/69 - Labuan Base (used for fire training)
278	1969	FM1109	FM 1409 M21-10	- Arrived Kuala Lumpur 7/4/69 - Ditch into sea at Cowie Bay, Sabah 3/30/70 - written off - In storage at Labuan Base, as of 9/15/00
279	1969	FM1110	FM1409 M21-11	- Departed Canada 8/5/69 arrived Kuala Lumpur 8/22/66 - In storage at Kuching Base, Sarawak as of 9/15/00 awaiting buyers
280	1969	FM1111	FM1410 M21-12	- Departed Canada 8/5/69 arrived Kuala Lumpur 8/22/66 - Crashed Simanggang on 11/29/80 - written off - RMAF College at Alor Setar Base (engineering training)
281	1969	FM1112	FM1411 M21-13	- Departed Canada 8/5/69 arrived Kuala Lumpur 8/22/66 - Assigned to 1 SQN - Ditched in the water near Labuan 7/31/95 - In storage at Labuan Base, as of 9/15/00
296		FM1113	FM1412 M21-14
304		FM1114	FM1413 M21-15	- In storage at Kuching Base, Sarawak as of 9/15/00 awaiting buyers
305		FM1115	FM1414 M21-16	- Crashed Cameron Highland on 9/24/82.
306		FM1116	FM1415 M21-17	- Crashed Kampung Attap on 9/24/82 - written off
307	1973	FM1117	FM1416 M21-18	- Last Caribou built - Received 1/30/73 -Damaged beyond repair

**RMAF Caribou Squadrons**
	1st Squadron: Established on April 17, 1958 with Twin Pioneer at Sungei Besi RAF Base, Kuala Lumpur under RAF establishment. On June 1, 1958 the Royal Malaysian Air Force was established and the base was handed over officially to RMAF on October 25, 1960. 1st Sqn was deactivated in 1992 and all personnel and Bous were moved to Labuan RMAF Base to join the 8th Sqn. In Sept 1993 the 8th was renamed 1st Sqn or (1st Sqn was reactivated from 8th Sqn thus leaving 8th Sqn as phantom sqn). In 1996 this sqn was moved to Kuching RMAF Base until now. It doesn’t have aircraft at the moment pending the arrival of CN 235. Thanks to Major Kieron - RMAF
	8th Squadron: Established on March 1, 1966 at RMAF Base Kuala Lumpur with 4 Twin Pioneer. It is the first user of Caribou aircraft . The planning started in early February, 1966 when 4 officers were sent to RCAF Station, Trenton, Canada to do the conversion on Caribou. Thanks to Mohd Faizul Abdullah, who serviced in the 8th Squadron patch. After completion they flew the first batch of the first four Caribous (gift from Canadian Govt.) from RCAF Station, Trenton, Canada on April 26, 1966 (took 19 days) and arrived on midday May 15, 1966. The route taken was : Trenton - Goose Bay - Keflavik - London - Pisa - Athens-Beirut - Bahrain - Bombay - Culcutta - Butterworth - Kuala Lumpur. After fully operational in Sept 1966, it was moved to Labuan RMAF Base. The rest of the Bou came in batches later on from Canada.

(Click on to enlarge the photos)

No.8 Sqn Caribous celebrating its 15th Anniversary on March 1, 1981

                                                 (Mohd Faizul Abdullah)

<<< M21- 01(c/n # 245) was the first to arrive in the Royal Malaysian Air Force inventory in 1966. It had gone through communist insurgency and lastly, cloud seeding through the haze which covered Borneo in 1997 (visibility drops to 100 feet, they flew like bats in daytime). (Capt.Kalam bin Pie (RMAF)