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Defence has marked 50 years since the start of “Operation Babylift”, the effort to evacuate hundreds of orphaned children from Vietnam for adoption in Australia.
Announced on 2 April 1975, the first two RAAF C-130 Hercules flights left Saigon on 4 April, bringing 194 children to Bangkok, where they were put on a specially-chartered Qantas Boeing 747 to Australia. Two more flights followed on 17 April.
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“Babylift was initiated by the US Government as north Vietnam communist forces pushed south in early 1975,” the Department of Veterans’ Affairs said in a statement.
“Thousands of orphans had been brought to Saigon, many of them in need of medical help that wasn’t available. Many were born of American soldiers and there was a fear they would be murdered by communist forces.
“The Australian Government committed aircraft in the form of Detachment S (for Saigon), made up of 10 transport planes from 36 and 37 squadrons, mostly C-130 Hercules. Detachment S operated out of Bangkok as well as Butterworth air force base in Malaysia, initially providing aid to refugees around South Vietnam.”
Babies were carried in cut-down packing cases lined with foam rubber, with one RAAF nursing sister describing the conditions on board her flight.
“The babies were simply laid side by side, five to a medevac litter, with a bottle of boiled water put in their mouths. This was to keep them sucking and adjust their ears to changing air pressure,” she said.
“A tie-down strap was used to secure them for take-off. It seems pretty rudimentary in retrospect, but at the time this was the simplest way of coping with such large numbers.”
Cardboard cartons were again used as improvised cots on the Qantas charter flight, another nursing sister relates.
“Every available space in the aircraft was soon filled to capacity, with the very sick orphans placed to the rear of the aircraft to receive intensive nursing,” she said.
“On arrival at Tullamarine [in Melbourne] in the early morning, amid tight security, the very ill children were transferred first to waiting ambulances.”
Tragically, 200 people – 143 of whom were children mostly under 12 months of age – were killed in the US Babylift program when their C-5A Galaxy crashed shortly after take-off from Saigon, though the remainder of the flights departed safely.
“Operation Babylift remains a poignant chapter in Australia’s history, reflecting the nation’s commitment to humanitarian aid amid the chaos of war,” the DVA said.
“As we mark this 50th anniversary, we honour the bravery of those involved and remember the lives saved and lost during this remarkable mission.”
