Another tale of the `Tapes`.
At this point it may be useful for you to `google` Wiki`Operation Claret`,,and then scroll to the bottom, `External links`,Capt John Masters RNZA MC`,to give the back-ground to our operation, on 4Sept `65.
We had 2 Whirlwinds,4 pilots,, at the 2/2 Gurkha HQ in Lundu,W Sarawak in support of `OP Hell-Fire`,an op.that had been running for about 8 days across the Border. with ambushes,fire-fights,and the troops were withdrawing back from where they had started,but there were unclear `whispers` about 2 troops missing/injured,and that we may be required for a`casevac.``We` decided that we would send 1 helo,plus 2 pilots and myself ,when as a J-P(again!) as loady/winchy,leaving one aircraft plus one J-JP,at HQ as a reserve,in case we went u/s,etc.So we loaded up the SAR strops,few sandbags,a `Neil-Robertson` stretcher,fuelled-up ,ready to go..It was mid-afternoon,and clouds were building,when the Colonel appeared,complete with rifle,ammo,and `light-kit`,and `said` `,Go to Kandai`,so off we went,no further explanation,as he wasn`t on i/com.Kandai was an old LZ, that was used in support of the troops,with a 105mm pack-howitzer,and heavy mortars,brought in by Belvedere..When we arrived ,he told us that the troops had a badly wounded CSM,troops were cutting a clearing,for us to p/up the wounded and get him to hospital.He(Col.) was going to get the latest from the Signals/iNT,and `authorisation` to cross the Border for the pick-up,when the troops had a clearing sorted..So,we then considered what we would do/how we`d do `it`,whatever `it` would be..It was now late afternoon,,total cloud cover,and light rain...We knew the troops had an SAS trooper and a `Sarbe`,and that it `usually` worked,I had attached the stretcher to the tapes(2),and the aircraft with lots of knots ,,and Mick and John(pilots) had briefed the `man`i/c the LZ ,to set out lamps,and flares when /if we returned.! Suddenly the Colonel ran over,told us the clearing was done and the Sarbe was working...How far is it/direction.???...West,about ` X`k yards...?Okay,let`s go..and then he jumped on board ,hadn`t thought he was coming,as we started up,took off,turned the `homer` on`,and noted that it was now raining,the horizon,barely visible,and occasional lightning.flashes up ahead.We had climbed to about 5-600ft above `tree-top level`,and flew probably around 60 kts,to minimise noise,and then got the Sarbe `beep` and a vague heading.It was now `dark`,but the lightning helped,but the rain didn`t,The homer signal improved,so we slowly descended until we were about 100ft above the trees,and then a few`pinpricks` of lights became visible,agreeing with the homer indications..We`d arrived,but sadly ,this was not a clearing that was big enough to land in,or even get low enough to winch into ,as we crept lower and lower,until we were about level wIth the treetops,being blown about by the downwash;they blow outwards when you go down ,then close up over you..just like the `pitcher plant`..No lower,this height is okay,..as far as I can see..So,plan..B,..C? The Colonel is looking over my shoulder,so with the agreement from Mick,I send the NR stretcher down into a `black-hole` surrounded by a few torch lights.It doesn`t get tangled in the branches and reaches the ground with some `slack` on the remaining tapes,but not a lot.. now we wait,hovering in pouring rain,and a bit of a headwind,whilst the troops sort out the patient and stretcher.It was actually SSgt Smith,the SAS man who actually sorted it correctly.At this point I said `Put the landing lights on`..and on they came,pointing straight down ,illuminating those on the ground,and the surrounding tree-tops...they were close,all around,Then the Colonel unfastens himself from his monkey harness,and goes to get onto the abseil tapes,to go down to the ground...!!!fffs.I yell at him that he is `Not going down...using a lot of Anglo-Saxon vocabulary,and `eyeball to eyeball`.I doubt he had ever had anyone,let alone a JUNIOR RAF orficer tell him to` FO`...
Anyway,waving arms from the `floor-show` indicated they were done,so it was now a case of `up-gently`,and it had stopped raining.We missed all the branches ,and with the landing lights still on,established a climb until there was a clearish shadow of the stretcher against the trees,up to about 600ft,then turned and flew back towards Kandai at about 30-40 kts.Probably another 10 minutes ,we avoided the hill near the LZ,put the stretcher on the ground,hauled in the tapes,the Colonel jumped out,and another medic checked the patient,put him into the aircraft,picked up the Colonel,to whom I apologised later,We now needed fuel so full speed back to base to hot refuel,another medic checked the patient ,change of pilots,medic comes along,then off to Kuching hospital....
Later,next day or so the Colonel apologised,as he had not considered he could have got jammed in the wet tapes,or slipped 200ft to the ground,and become another casualty.
The wounded Gurkha CSM recovered,but later retired,went back to Nepal,got married and had children,so still some`lead in his pencil`..
The Colonel got a `no tea or biscuits` with the Brigadier, as he`d taken it upon himself to `authorise` the rescue,;Mick got a `carpet-shuffle` from OC 225 Sqdn,as he`d not been told,until after the event,and I think I went on 2 weeks leave,or into Changi Hospital to have my varicose veins removed...
John Masters received an `immediate `MC`,which to my mind should have been a VC...