Indonesian Confrontation 1963-1966

[BingoBob]

Good afternoon

I am new to the board so be gentle.....

That said I am going impose on you my impudence by asking for assistance straight off, if I may?

I am cataloguing a few images of the Indonesian Confrontation for the Imperial War Museum and I don't recognise the location of these images. Can anyone help, please?

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/RAF_T_005243.jpg

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/RAF_T_005247.jpg

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/RAF_T_005217.jpg

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/RAF_T_005225.jpg

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/RAF_T_005233.jpg

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/RAF_T_005240.jpg

http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/media/images/Photographs/Image/RAF_T_005263.jpg

Many thanks for any help comments, insults etc..!

Bob

[parabellum]

Can't help thinking that this post might do better in the Military forum, even though it is obviously 'History' ?

[BingoBob]

Thanks! Will copy it over there as well.

[merlinxx]

With the Belvedere in one pic. may be stick on the Rotary forum as well:ok:

[Fareastdriver]

No 1 Ops and accomodation at Sepulot. The chap with the hat is the FATOC. Cannot remember his name.
No 2 Sepulot Airstrip.
No 3 Beverley dropping somewhere , possibly Pensiangan.
No 4 Beverley dropping at Long Sumado.
No 5 Twin Pin unloading fragile items at Sepulot.
No 6 Single Pin doing the same.

All our stuff was thrown out of the back of a Beverley. Food, fuel (four drums on a pallet), beer and anything else that woudn't break too badly. Important things like spares and explosives used to come by 209 Sqn.

[virgo]

What an absolute delight "History and Nostalgia" is ! Display a forty-year old photo of a place and an aeroplane and somewhere, someone, will know what it's all about.
Well done Fareastdriver - what were you on out there ?

[Fareastdriver]

I first arrived at Sepulot on 230 Sqn in Jan 1966. Those pictures were taken before then when it was a forward airstrip and defended by the RAF Regt, (Chap with the hat in the Single Pin picture). In 1966 the Ghurkas arrived so there was a company of Ghurkas plus two 230 Sqn Whirlwinds. They then brought in a recce Sioux. The RAF already had a 24 volt Helistart Landrover and the AAC brought their own. The next day these two, the only vehicles within fifty miles of each other had a head-on collision and we were back to one RAF landrover.
The used fuel drums were thrown into the river. They would float downstream and were much appreciated by the local Murats. They would store water and suchlike and the residual gallon or so of AVTUR was used for cooking. Come the AAC and into the river went the used drums of AVGAS. After a couple of muffled thumps and glows in the dark they learned the difference between blue and red drum tops.
In about August we handed it over to the Navy. They had a new way of disposing of drums. The Petty Officers would flog them a new, full one for M$50.

[BingoBob]

FarEastDriver,

Many thanks for the info. Identifying these has been a absolute nightmare and you have helped immensly! I was alwasy leanign towards Sepulot put couldn't quiet prove it. Do you think the Belvedere is also at Sepulot?

Ah so the remote strip was Long Sumado - I have been searchibg for that one for quiet a while....

Bob

[Fareastdriver]

The Belvedere is definately not at Sepulot. Long Sumado was near where the east-west section of the border of Indonesia with Sabah turned north-south.
The parachute loads for the Beverley were packed the night before and this led to some parachutes sticking overnight and candeling when the were dropped. Other would open late and 'snatch' so the load would break up.

At Sepulot airstrip there would be spectacular clouds of AVTUR as four drums hit the ground at high speed. Once it was raining fish when a Ghurkha ration pack broke up and one learned to carefully open very stubby cans of beer.

Going back to Long Sumado. The dark patch one half of the way down the strip is where they buried the remains of the first and last Royal Engineers air portable grader.

They just filled in the hole.

[linken]

I agree in regard to Sepulot. The Beverley boys dropped fuel on the runway, all food and beer was always dropped in the river.

[Fareastdriver]

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee224/fareastdriver/BorneoMap.jpg

Found this whilst bumbling around the house. Will bring back memories for ex-Borneo pilots.

[Lancastrian]

The map must be post "68" as when I was there KK was known as Jesselton....Changed to Kota Kinabalu Sept 30th 1968.

[Fareastdriver]

Absolutely. Edition No 13, dated April 1969.

[patrickmcgarry1]

how could one forget ,that my friend is SEPULOT

[K4267440]

Just joined the PPRune and caught up with this report. Fantastic.

I live in New Zealand and was stationed at Sepulot, as the only Medic (RAF), in the sixties and I am trying to get together as much as I can.

The only casualty we had at the time I was there was a Gurkha who died from drowning after being caught under the pallet after an air-drop. Mouth to mouth was carried out during the flight ( think it was in a Whirlwind ) from Sepulot to Labuan, but I lost him.
I am keen to try to obtain as much as I can and any help would be welcome.

Regards
Brian

[K4267440]

Hi. I'm having a heck of a job viewing the photos.

I was at Sepulot when the Bev's did their drops for us and I'm sure that one of them was our camp along side of the Kalimantan river. Can you help please ?

Regards
Brian

PS. New to this site so still feeling my way!!!