[quote="LaurieB"]

BarryF wrote:

The helicopter in your photos is a Westland Scout AH1. From my time at Terendak (March 67 to April 6, I seem to recall that the AAC Sqn had around 6 of these machines and a couple of Souixs (spelling) as well.

I spent many an evening during the summer of 67 watching you guys hurl yourselves from the helicopters, thinking what nutters you were.

Here's a photo the I took of one of the Scouts at Terendak on 9 April 1968:

Laurie,

Thanks for the information. I think it was either 7 Air Recce Flight AAC at 28 Comwel Brigade. I used a Sioux for a lot of my post-Confrontation work out there. Not free fall stuff, though, just getting around and some photography. It was like sitting in a goldfish bowl.

Those nutters were mostly Aussie nutters. I did quite a lot with them both at Terendak and at Kluang (Cessna 172 ... took ages to get to a few thousand feet).

Thanks again, Barry

PS I'll have a look at those images to try and spot that number.


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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia

LaurieB wrote:

Barry/Roy, are you able to read the serial any clearer on your prints? I would be interested in knowing if it is the same helicopter.

Laurie.

I can't make it out, Laurie. This is the best I can do from the scan sent to me (Roy sends in high resolution so he's done what he can do with the original material).




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BarryF, who fought for the Right to Wear the Pingat Jasa Malaysia

Barry,

Thanks for trying. I'm 97% sure it is the same aircraft.

Laurie.

Is it possible that the Whirlwinds (and Sycamores before them) came from 110 Sqdn, RAF, Based at the RAF Element, RAAF Butterworth?

A Beverly came up from Singapore the day before Butterworth closed down for Christmas, and took two Whirlwinds down to Brunei. I was a passenger on the Bev.

The insurection had just begun.


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Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka,
from the HD Committee and its decision.

John Feltham wrote:

Is it possible that the Whirlwinds (and Sycamores before them) came from 110 Sqdn, RAF, Based at the RAF Element, RAAF Butterworth?

Hi John,

At the time that Roy took these photos, late 54/early55, 110 Sqn was operating Valettas from Changi & KL. It disbanded on 31 December 1957 and was reformed at KL on 3 June 1959 by amalgamating 155 & 194 Sqns. It then moved up to Butterworth on 1 September 1959.

Barry, I have amended the unit(s) on the Valetta photo to reflect all the Sqn's operating Valettas in FEAF at that time.

Mrs O L Hope wrote:

Your Memories and Mr Follows' story and the photographs that accompany it are the first insight for me into what my husband was involved. I am very grateful to everyone for sharing their memories with those of us who did not go to Malaya but for whom Malaya is a part our lives forever.

Dear Mrs Hope.
I was more than pleased to see that my few pictures , helped to give you some idea of what your husbnd was involved with. Watch this space there could be more.
Thanks for your kind remarks.
Roy

Roy

I have just spoken to a Malayan Vet last night who served as a National Serviceman in The RASC from Nov 51 to Jun 53, he lost 4 comrades in Jungle Warfare up country. they travelled right up to Ipoh and the border railway.

What gets me about people like this is that although he has the GSM (w/c Malaya) he will not be eligible for the PJM but cannot understand this denial by OUR Queen in the right not to wear the PJM. When I asked if he wanted to go into greater depth into the Malay Emergency he chose not to do so as he said that he becomes so emotional just thinking about those days.

My God how I would love someone like these guys to just be able to speak face to face with the suits denying us this right. Bloody sad state of affairs all round..............


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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John Cooper wrote:

Roy
When I asked if he wanted to go into greater depth into the Malay Emergency he chose not to do so as he said that he becomes so emotional just thinking about those days.

My God how I would love someone like these guys to just be able to speak face to face with the suits denying us this right. Bloody sad state of affairs all round..............

John.
It's sad to read about the chap emotionally scarred, through his military service in Malaya.
Yes the slimes in suits, should meet a few of these of men, if only to clean their shoes.
Thanks for the input about Pioneers. A couple of the jungle forts, had small airstrips specially for Pioneers. No doubt you will be only too aware, that before Pioneer, it was the little Auster aircraft ,of which were flown and serviced by the Army.
My first helicopter flight was in 1953 in a Dragonfly. I could be wrong, but I'm nearly sure it was an Army aircraft and the pilot was an army officer /Sgt. Why on the flight? I was taken on a recce over the jungle prior to operating in the same area.
Roy

Roy

You would certainly be interested in these AOP Pics from a mate from 48 years ago and even so today

http://www.users.waitrose.com/~g8jan/

JohnC


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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Roy

You would certainly be interested in these AOP Pics from a mate from 48 years ago and even so today

http://www.users.waitrose.com/~g8jan/

JohnC


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HD Committee: Amateurs in a Professional World
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Laurie.
Many thanks for identifying the helicopters, and placeing them with their appropriate squadrons. With the amount of helicopters in Malaya and the dangerous LZs they had to land in, there was not all those many accidents, although I very nearly had one in Fort Brooke. I think the biggest accident happend in Johore in around late 1956.
A Police platoon (Not mine Gov) while on operations requested for an helicopter. I'm not sure now, but it crashed either when taking off from the jungle LZ ,or comeing into land. Severely damaged, unable to take off, an other helicopter with a maintence crew aboard was despatch to the scene, this also crashed closed to the same place. A third one managed to land without mishap. With it ,being a long time ago, I don't recall all the details of the incident, but I do remember that the three helicopters involved belong to the RN. No one lost their lives, which was mainly through the actions of the platoon commander a friend of mine, who pulled some injured men out of the first crashed helicopter. This makes me believe that the helicopter, ie the first one to crash could have been on fire, but this I'm not sure about.
Roy

Follows wrote:

Laurie.
Many thanks for identifying the helicopters, and placeing them with their appropriate squadrons. With the amount of helicopters in Malaya and the dangerous LZs they had to land in, there was not all those many accidents, although I very nearly had one in Fort Brooke. I think the biggest accident happend in Johore in around late 1956.
A Police platoon (Not mine Gov) while on operations requested for an helicopter. I'm not sure now, but it crashed either when taking off from the jungle LZ ,or comeing into land. Severely damaged, unable to take off, an other helicopter with a maintence crew aboard was despatch to the scene, this also crashed closed to the same place. A third one managed to land without mishap. With it ,being a long time ago, I don't recall all the details of the incident, but I do remember that the three helicopters involved belong to the RN. No one lost their lives, which was mainly through the actions of the platoon commander a friend of mine, who pulled some injured men out of the first crashed helicopter. This makes me believe that the helicopter, ie the first one to crash could have been on fire, but this I'm not sure about.
Roy

Hi Roy,

Glad to help in some small way.

During the early days of helicopter operations in Malaya there were quite a few accidents of the type you mention. Chiefly because the first machines were underpowered. The Sycamore was one of them and there a still quite a few Sycamore "skeletons" lying around out here, particularly in the higher regions were they had most problems.

Unfortunately, I do not have too many details of RN chopper ops, but I'll see if I can get some on the one you mention.

Laurie.

Have just found this page, dealing with helicopter ops in Malaya during the Emergency, on the Britain's Small Wars site:

http://www.heliopsassn.co.uk/Helicopters%20in%20Malaya.htm

Gents - occasionally I research aircraft tail numbers, and regarding the Scout photographed at Terendak in 1968, you may wish to know that very sadly it was shot down during Goose Green / Darwin Battle in the Falklands, killing the the pilot, Lt Richard Nunn and causing severe injuries to his gunner Sgt Belcher RM. - Tony D

Kentsboro wrote:

Gents - occasionally I research aircraft tail numbers, and regarding the Scout photographed at Terendak in 1968, you may wish to know that very sadly it was shot down during Goose Green / Darwin Battle in the Falklands, killing the the pilot, Lt Richard Nunn and causing severe injuries to his gunner Sgt Belcher RM. - Tony D

Tony,

Thanks for that update. I wasn't aware of that fact but have just found this page:

http://math.fce.vutbr.cz/safarik/ACES/aces1/argentina-falkland.html

which confirms that XT629 was shot down by a Pucara.

My only ride in a Scout was in this aircraft late in 67.