Sometime in May`65,I was on a detached `Flight` of 225 Sqdn in NW Sarawak,1 Whirlwind,2 pilots,and about 7 g/crew,operating out of a village football field.The resident Army in the locality may have been the Argylls,or 42 Cmdo. A`runner` appeared with a message to `Scramble`,to go to an LZ(R123) and pick-up 4 SAS troopers who were`on the run`,believing they had been `compromised` by either Indonesian troops or by locals who would report to the Indos,as they were well over the Border..We had dropped the guys off in that LZ,a week before,and a usual patrol was about 10-14 days,so something was really amiss.
We loaded up,put in some more fuel,and I being the `JP` was in the back as `loady,winch-op,etc.We carried a couple of SAR rescue strops,for winching,and also a couple of rolls of `abseil tapes`, 250-300Ft long,3-4 inch wide,fabric tapes used at that time for `abseiling`,or as tape to secure fuel barrels in the aircraft.The LZ was part way up a mountain ,but was big enough to manoeuvre in,and if the troops were there it would be judged `secure`; if they weren`t,then it was a` no-go`.
All SAS patrols carried a Sarbe` beacon,and so after we had got around the mountain(which went up to 5000ft),Dick S got a signal on the homing indicator,but it didn`t line up as we approached the LZ,so we carried on until we were orbiting over/around an area about 3/4 of a mile further on,over primary jungle.Dilemma..if we hung around ,it would attract attention,from those chasing,it would take the patrol an hour at least to get to the LZ,and there maybe a `reception party ` there.Now,I dont recall if the Sarbe had a `voice` channel at that time,whether Dick used it,or not,but,we flew away,and then `homed back -in,just over the tree-tops,scaring sleeping fruit bats,and maybe an `orang-utan `or two in the process,until we came across a slightly more open area,and there was a red scarf being waved ,and 4 happy faces..!There was no way we could winch them out as we were still 200ft+agl,so we`d use the tapes,with the strops and a couple of sandbags as ballast,attached to the aircraft.
I launched them over the side and tried to get the strops clear of any swirling branches and onto the ground.
This then created a problem as 4 troops tried to get into 2 strops,but eventually,by much waving of arms,shaking of head,they began to get the message that we could only take 2 at a time ,and come back for the other 2.Eventually , we lifted the first 2 out and above the trees,and set off for a beach about 3 miles away,I misjudged our height a bit as one trooper went into the top of a tree sending it all spinning and he lost his Armalite into the forest,so we dropped them on the beach,recovered the tapes and strops,and went back,as the last pair had the Sarbe,found them,same procedure,back to the beach,a little higher this time,recovered the other 2,kit on board,and then set off for base.The trooper who had lost his gun was very pi$$ed off,as he thought he`d get CtMartial``ed,but we said to tell his Boss(P de la Billiere)that it was the Air Force` fault,not the trooper..nothing more was heard..We also explained how to fit strops properly,and to pass it on to the `others`...
This was not the first time the `long-line abseil tapes` had been used as there had been another one earlier in the year,lifting Sgt Ed Lillico out`..can be read in `Borneo Boys`,by Roger Annett...
and it wouldn`t be the last either..part2 another day...
The other pilot was Dick Symonds,a great guy,even used to go out with the troops on a `patrol` with his trusty SLR,;sadly died in the Wessex mid-air at Odiham.
Last edited by sycamore; 26th January 2025 at 20:26.