So pleased you like the stories so far.Its my pleasure to recall my youth and yes I do think I flew some fantastic aircraft.All a result of being in the right place in interesting times. I went on to fly all three Shacks.Managed to have a nine year break from Coastal Command and flew all three V Bombers.Two Squadron tours and then a spell at Boscombe Down,before returning to St Mawgan for the conversion to Nimrod before hanging up my flying helmet.but back to the Sunderland.
Arriving at Changi,ironically in a 24 Sqdn. Hastings.The unit I was originally posted to.Via El Adem,
Habbaniya,Karachi Negombo and Butterworth.The crew was split three ways between the three resident squadrons,88,205 and 209. we only flew once again as a crew,Tourex, bringing a boat back to Pembroke Dock.
I was to join a crew consisting of all old hairy's,been on boats thro WWII and had "More time on boats than you have had hot dinners's lad" a phrase I was to hear often!! I did the neccesary thing ,tugged my forelock,stayed shtum and walked the regulation two paces behind the Skipper,with perhaps the occassional "Aye Aye'.
FEFBW's area of operations was vast,from the Maldives,Ceylon in the West,to Japan/Korea in the East.North to Hong Kong and South to the Christmas Isles. We carried out SAR for most of that area,although the USN was responsible for the Phillipines and Japan.The Wing carried out strikes in Malaysia against the Communists.Kept three boats at Iwakuni,rotated month and month about between the three squadrons.Flying Anti-Sub and weather recce for the two Carrier Task Forces east and west of Korea,plus anti shipping patrols on Tushima Straits between Korea and Japan. Anti Pirate patrols between N.Borneo and Southern Phillipines.Malacca Straits.Exercises with the French Navy off Indochina,USN,RAN and RN.Plus of course the odd "Jolly"
SAR ment keeping a boat at China Bay ,Trincomalee Ceylon and Hong Kong,occassionally Glugor ,Penang.These were all regular units with marine craft support.We also had a commitment in N.Borneo,where we operated unassisted.I was most impressed ,that whether it be land in the sea or on a river,within minutes of arriving a "Shell" boat/canoe or scow would appear loaded with fuel in 5 gallon tin cans! which then had to be lugged up on the wing and poured into the tanks via large funnels and chamois leather filters.Fascilities ashore were nonexistent.There were no hotels,we occassionally were put up in a Goverment Rest House.But as we had to maintain a boat guard,and being the junior,I often stayed onboard.For which we were paid the lordly sum of sixpence a day"Hard Lying Allowance" It was no hardship,we had bunks,a galley and could fish,or use the wingtip as a diving board for a swim.Shangri-La.
Each crew had their own aircraft and as we flew in just a pair of shorts and a headphone crews kept their kit on board,we did not wear Mae Wests and only used winter flying kit in Japan during the cold weather,but more of that ,later.
The majority of flights involved a large amount of transit flying,usually in excess of 10 hours,operational flights between 12 and 15 hours and 100-120 hours monthly totals were the norm.
In flight rations were always bulk rations.Meat,Veg usually canned and in some places were of dubious quality,so each crew had a lockable tin trunk on board where we accumulated tinned goodies,mainly acquired from our American cousins at Sangley Point,very generous,help yourself.Tinned Ham,Fruit ,Welches Grapejuice etc. Each crew had two Gunners,whose only flying tasks occured on operational trips.They usually were the cooks. we had two Primus stoves in a built in unit with a Oven/Hotbox between and it was the same unit used by the Empire Flying Boats so we ate well usual fryups,but on winter patrols up north it was large bowls of rib sticking mutton stew washed down with fruit and custard. The crew was divided into Port and Stbd. watches,those not flying helped in preparation,peeling spuds,chopping up various items it worked well and in my time we fed members of the Royal Family on a tour of Borneo.Various Senior Officers of all three Services ,who seemed to like flying with us .An Arch Bishop and last but not least ladies from the Foreign Office in Hong Kong to Seletar on indulgence.No complaints. Although I must tell this one.At Iwakuni,we were supplied inflight rations by the Australian Army Service Corp. The meat always seemed to be scrag end of mutton!! It was either get back at the Poms,or it was all the Aussies fed their troops on. Our equivalent of Gordon Ramsey was a dour Scottish Highlander Gunner,rarely did an emotion of anything other than distain cross his features! but he was a talented cook,or so we thought,and he kept a stock of secret herbs for his stews.We often had requests from American Air Force Officers to fly with us out of Iwakuni,something to do with the award of the "American Air Medal" if they completed a operational flight. On this occassion,winter,bloody cold,no heating on the aircraft,stew,in large quantities was the order of the day.This particular Major had somehow got up Jocks nose,probably said something rude about his coffee. He sat down in the wardroom with the skipper to have Jock serve his lunch.having tasted it.he congratulated Jock on the dish and asked what it was? The skipper swears Jock without batting an eyelid,explained that in Korea,the crew developed a liking for dog stew,it was his pleasure to serve it whenever he could manage to get one,and today it was a particularly nice little bitch that he managed to procure.!! I think he is still spitting,however,after that the story got around and American visitors used to bring their own rations,plus some for the crew.So we all did well.
Before you all start thinking it was all just a swan,with tropical sunshine and brown maidens.I will tell it as it was.Although we did live it up,we did play hard and work hard,as and when required.By todays standards in somewhat primitive conditions at times.