Any Borneo Whirlwind veterans here?

[Dave B]

Shot of 225 Squadron Whirlwind departing from hill station Jambu.

[Old-Duffer]

A slight Thread drift for which I make no apology. 110 took over Nanga Gaat from the RN and hence the name of the pub which was there. There is a story regarding the 'nine holer' to which one adjourned for obvious reasons. This place was covered with a tin roof and modesty was preserved by the use of hessian screens and some slightly more permanent walling. The medical orderly decided that the place needed to be fumingated and so asked the Gurkha officer if he could chuck a smoke grenade in. There then followed the usual bit where the officer told the sgt, who told the cpl, who ordered the L/Cpl, who passed the order to the Private. By this time, the smoke grenade had become a '36' grenade and this was duly thrown into the pit, fortunately, having first coinfirmed that the was nobody perched over the hole. The bang was most impressive and assured a certain amount of redistribution of the contents of the pit. All that can be siad was that there was no fan involved.

SATU RATUS SEPULOH

(The 110 Squadron Song – Origins & Lyricist Unknown. Sung to the tune “The Times They Are A’changin”)

We bring you a tale of One Hundred and Ten
Of weird whirly birds and far weirder men
The Far East is where these strange deeds were all done
With the aircrew all rapidly ageing
But the strife is all over, the battles are done
And the times they are a changing

T’was at Nanga Gaat that we first found our fame
But now we are told we won't go there again
No more happy nights in the old Anchor Inn
Where we drank till the darkness was fading
Then flew all the day before drinking again
But the times they are a changing

The market place knew down in old Kuching
And many a night that they would all hear us sing
Of Simangang, Sibu, Nanga Gaat and such
And how we all like them so very much
But now we are moving up to Labuan
How the times they are a changing

The Tokyo our custom is now bereft
All our young maidens we have now left
No more nights spent down on good drinking sprees
Our times spent dodging the redcaps
For now we are once more civilised chaps
Gosh the times they are a changing


So live with your memories my merry men
Friar Tuck’s saahnie boxes you’ll ne’re see again
For banished abroad from this fair land are we
Across t’ other side of the ocean
But given the chance would come back again
But the times they are a’ changing


Old Duffer - in nostalgic mode

[Tiger_mate]

Does anybody know what restraint was applied to the drumstock to stop it rolling down the hill? Both stakes and webbing straps (into bundles) have been suggested, but I would prefer to get it right if possible.


Also does the log (big chock) at the back of the LS look about right.

[nacluv]

Might be speaking out of turn here, but you asked for opinions on missing details in your port/stbd switch.

From a leyman's perspective, I note that in most (if not all) photos the stbd side sports a white blade antenna just rearward of the extended side door. See FED's very first photo of the comparison between port/stbd views.

Hope this helps in some way! Great painting, by the way.

[G.O.G.]

Any Borneo Veterans Here?

Hi Tigermate
The fuel drums were not tied down as the pans were flat. the main fuel dump had a cattle type fence round it. Can send photos if required.
If you look at one of the pictures I sent you, in the bottom right hand corner you can see part of the log. Happy painting look forward to see the finished product

[Tiger_mate]

Perfect feedback although on this occasion, that one is in hand. Once I have moved areas, loose ends such as the FM aerial need to wait until the entire canvas is painted and I start all over again. Second 'wave' covers detail missed first time around and sometimes involves major remedial surgery. I also review every square inch, and if it can be done better, out come the brushes. Some paintings strike gold first time around; most dont.

I remain undecided about a chock v sandback and will include people before calling it a day. Interested to know if any visible birds or wildlife would be sterotypical in an image such as this. . Ie not bugs/ snakes but something of size.

[G.O.G.]

Any Borneo Veterans Here?

Tigermate
Cant remember much wildlife but we did have two pet monkies, Charlie and Min plus two dogs Fred and Flipper who used to hang around on the veranda by the headquarters while we were at work. Have slides some where will try and find them.

[Tiger_mate]

Can somebody please tell me where the refuel cap is on a Whirlwind?
If I put the dog or dogs walking around the stationary aircraft which in turn has aircrew/groundcrew in attendance would that be a fair presentation?
I suspect the monkey may be too small but if he/she had a habit of locking onto people shoulders, I may be able to provide a gesture in that direction.

Would GC have had a tray type wooden toolbox or A.N.Other?
Would a turn-around AF/BF have involved any specific POL on a regular basis, such as may be illustrated with an oil jug or can?
If I give the airborne helicopter a netted load of fuel drums; what would be a realistic ammount of (full) drums in net, and would it be likely for a helicopter to return to Nanga Gaat with empty drums in a net?
Anyone got any photos of a stripped down 105mm howitzer?

[Fareastdriver]

If I give the airborne helicopter a netted load of fuel drums

It was policy Not to carry passengers whilst underslinging loads. Especially with a Whirlwind which couldn't. Two full drums would be a reasonable load but it would have been a waste of time as the helicopter would have used fuel at the same rate as the contents of the drums. Empty drums were OK. You would have been able to carry four as that was all the net would have held.
Go back to Post 7 and the picture of 329. Zoom up and you will see the fuel filler above the bottom pilot's step near the lower/forward corner of the main door. You can see the faint white earthing sign by it.
'Stripped Down'; remove the blast plate.

[Tiger_mate]

The whole canvas is now covered and the final phase will be to revisit all elements of the canvas inserting points of detail missed first time around. It is not too late to make ammends if any glaring errors are noted. I am very pleased with the overall appearance but I wasnt there and anybody who was may wish to comment if there is something that needs changing.


It still needs some people for sure and if I can manage it without overcrowding, a 105mm gun or two.

[Fareastdriver]

I think it is super. The only thing that I can think about is that the aircraft do not have squadron letters on them. As they seem to be 110 Sqn aircraft they would have the letter on the aft cheeks of the main fuselage.

[Tiger_mate]

Thanks for that: 'Royal Air Force' on the far airframe, FM aerials, registrations and codes are all incoming over the next few days. I am still considering a netted load notwithstanding that there is at least one pax + crewman in the primary aircraft.

[gandwnich]

Reading your comments - FM aerials - If I recall the whirlwinds at the time had VHF - 1985 series - single dipole aerials, TX/Rx, Arc 52 UHF TX/RX - Bladea aerials, and Collins hh - wire aerials along the tail boom - I was on 110 as a wireless mech - Dec 1964 to Dec 1965 - spent Sept to end Nov at the Gaat

[gandwnich]

Hi Swede - I was at NG from Sept - to end Nov 65, we were the first there after moving down from Labuan, there was a photo taken of the groundcrew to celebrate the squadron receiving it's colours, by any chance do you have a copy. The people i remember - Cliff Crocker, Chris Tuck, FS Wally Hogg, Steve Borrowdale, John mellows, armourer - ginge Durant, my name Graham Nicholson would be pleased to hear from you

Cheers

Graham

[Tiger_mate]

Graham, i note your in Shropshire. So is the painting. If you could spare some time to talk over your memories and 'walk me around the site' so to speak, the kettle is on and I can get in some biscuits.

[Spot 4]

Is the painting finished yet?
I have a question, if the Navy were a Nanga Gaat 1st with Wessex, and taking for granted that a Wessex will have a greater payload then a Whirlwind, why was the Wessex replaced with an inferior airframe?
This subject is not widely known about and i have enjoyed the thread, would the conflict it be summarised as a jungle version of NI with relatively short distances and more a statement or stance rather than a hands on shooting war?
I ask because none of the links or dits give reference to a field hospital so I assume (yes I know what that means) that there was little if any need for one. Casevac does not appear to feature on the Borneo radar.

[Old-Duffer]

Spot 4 et al,

There is a book being published shortly which will describe helicopter operations in Borneo, mainly from an RAF perspective. The author - who is ex-FEAF truckie - has consulted extensively with the RAF's Whirlwind and Belvedere community, through a group called: The Old Rotors. He has also included other rotary winged stuff.

The Forward is being written by a Whirlwind sqn cdr from that era and the book will be very much at grass roots level ie what the guys did, not what the great strategy was. Anybody who was there will recognise others they knew.

As a further aside, The Old Rotors will be mounting a six month exhibition in a gallery at the RAF Museum Hendon, between dates to be decided. The exhibition will trace the early history of RAF helicopters, probably up to about 1980 or so. If you look on the RAF Museum website and then the RAF Historical Society tab, you will find the proceedings a one day seminar held at the museum in October 2000, which dealt with the development of RAF helicopters.

Old Duffer

[Tiger_mate]

Is the painting finished yet?

Not yet finished. Post 70 of this thread is linked to a webpage that is always up to date therefore it too will be the latest image. I hope to conclude within a week. I will conclude the thread with a final image. The sucess of this painting will probably lead to similar work with Belvedere or RN Wessex and I may be able to contribute to the forthcoming exhibition by loaning the original if the organisor reads these pages. I believe that AAC Scouts were used and wonder if they were used in a FAC role that could include Fast Air such as Hunters in a ground attack scenario.

[teeteringhead]

the early history of RAF helicopters, probably up to about 1980 or so

...well bgger me gently with the ragman's trumpet O-D, you've just made me feel old.

"Early history" and "up to ... 1980" indeed. I started (just) in the 1960s - first solo in a Sioux on 5th November '69 - and I thought I was one of the newer fellers.

Still, at least I never had the privilege (sic) of flying the Whirlwind on the front line ...

[Old-Duffer]

TTH,

The RAF first had an interest in rotorcraft in 1923, they operated gyroplanes in the 1930s and had autogiros in France in 1939-40. Later in the war they used rotary winged aircraft in radar calibration work and, together with the RN, introduced the Hoverfly towards the end of the war. The first true helicopter pilot in UK and the holder of Licence No: 1 was Wing Commander Reginald Brie.

Interest seems to have been lost until the Malayan Emergency and the deployment of the S51 Dragonfly to Malaya in 1950, which was so successful that along came the Sycamore and 194 Sqn.

I'm afraid that Bonfire Night 1969 for a first solo makes you a 'young un'. I'll tell what we'll do - you can have a couple of storyboards in the museum exhibition to tell us about loan service helios and the SOAF, can I say fairer than that!!

Old Duffer