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Old 25th Nov 2006, 15:48
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Westerman
 
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Anduki (Seria) Labuan and onwards

As promised some notes from the Malayan Airways timetable for 1956, which includes not only the DC-3 services but also the Rapides in Borneo which 828a was operating.
[snip]
Rapides first. 3 aircraft.
Labuan 0620 ML618
Anduki 0730
Lutong 0805
Sibu 1040
Sibu 1235 ML619
Lutong 1510
Anduki 1545
Labuan 1655

Labuan / Anduki
&
Jesselton / Ranau / Keningau / Labuan
I used to live in Borneo, and often travelled as pax between Anduki (the field for the oil town of Seria), and Labuan, and onward points. I remember seeing a Rapide at Labuan, though I never travelled on one. I think we always travelled on a Percival Prince out of Anduki to Labuan - would I be correct in thinking that was operated by Shell?
Originally Posted by WHBM
This is the DC-3 part of the service in 1956. With my professional timetabling hat on I think one or two flights are missed out, as the services are unbalanced.
[snip]
Sandakan 0745 ML411 A/C 7
Jesselton 0845/0905 ML407
Labuan 0950/1010
Sibu 1245
Kuching 1345/1405
Singapore 1645
Sharing some memories - I flew on that route, Labuan to Singapore, in 1957, leaving Borneo for the last time. We left from Anduki - pretty sure it was in a Prince - and stayed at the resthouse in Labuan - I seem to remember a two-storey building - which itself was unusual because the resthouses in Seria and Lutong were single storey. I think we must have had a spare day because we went to visit the memorial to the 1945 end of hostilities and I still have a photo of that. Perhaps these flights weren't daily?

I certainly remember the yellow stripe on the Malayan Airways DC3s, and the "very" steep walk, it seemed to me, to move from the door to the seats towards the front. And the sound of the engine - it was so distinctive. We took the DC3 to Sibu, Kuching, and Singapore - it had always seemed a long flight, and looking at the schedule you've posted it confirms it - surprisingly long, I thought at the time, from Labuan to Sibu. In Singapore we embarked on a Britannia for London. That was a long flight too, stopping at Calcutta, Karachi, Beirut, and Zurich. We touched down in Beirut as a colourful dawn was breaking. I remember the complimentary refreshment in the terminal if you were in transit. And the postcard in the seat pocket. (Why "don't" they do that anymore - such a simple way to bind the customer, and free advertising on a person to person basis, and just pennies.)

I went back recently. Anduki looks just the same. Well, almost. The shape is the same, as is the forest adjacent to the strip - it looked just as it did 50 years ago, and most of the buildings - the hangars on the right, the passenger terminal on the left. The field is half-tarmac now - it used to be grass with a sort of metal lattice on it or in it. I think the control tower is repositioned though. I formed the impression there are no fixed wing operations there now, only helicopters out to the offshore installations. But there's a good highway now to the capital, so scheduled air services perhaps aren't needed anymore.

regards, Westerman

Last edited by Westerman; 25th Nov 2006 at 15:52. Reason: Formatting
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