I was off with my ex- Colonial Office friend to have a chat at a Longhouse about 500 yards short of the Indonesian border on the main North/South river. The sides were very steep and the longhouse was built one third of the way up the hill. The land was cleared for the helipad in the shape of a U. The two arms pointed towards the river and the pad was built on a bit of flattened ground in the middle. You approached the pad by flying between the trees at the hill, turned right and landed. Departure was straight ahead, right again an out.
They didn’t have many visits, primarily because we didn’t want to bring too much attention to them from the Indons who, if they were around, were in visual range. As a result the helipad was a bit tatty and I had to bounce the aeroplane a couple of times to make sure the ground was firm underwheels. I had a wander around (up and down actually) and my attention was brought to a young boy who had the most Godawful infection on his leg. It was blistered and swollen from his ankle to the knee and he was hobbling along on a primitive crutch.
I brought this to the attention of our Intelligence bod who had not seen it before. We thought about taking him to Pensiangan but the chief wasn’t happy with that. I then suggested that I fly to Pensiangan and see if I could persuade a doctor to come out there. He agreed with this so I climbed in, fired it up and flew off to Pensiangan.
On arrival I left the helicopter under the capable guard of the Ghurkhas and went into the village. Halfway down there was a big sign that said WHO (World Health Organisation). In I went and there was a Taiwanese doctor; this was when Taiwan was the official China in the United Nations. I explained what I had seen and to my surprise he jumped at the chance to go and have a look. We flew back to the longhouse; he didn’t comment about the thumping landing and had a look around.
Apart from a helicopter that strongest magnet for Borneo villagers is a doctor. Whilst he was looking at the boy there was a line forming outside all nursing some sickness or other. He diagnose was fairly rapid; he had Yaws, similar family to syphilis and infectious though not at this stage. He needed a concentrated course of penicillin and that could not be monitored in the longhouse. He asked whether it was possible to get him to hospital in Jessleton. It was up to me so I said I would. As the doctor had recommended it the chief was agreeable as long as he had somebody with him. An uncle was selected so both of them plus the tasked passengers got in and we flew to Pensiangan to drop the doctor off. Our man went up to the radio room whilst we were there and when we arrived at Sepulot everything was in hand.
Another pilot joined me who had the map and airfield information for Jessleton. There was no system of sending flight plans so when we called up Jessleton ATC we were surprised when they told us they were expecting us. They directed us to a corner of the apron where an ambulance was awaiting. We shutdown and led the now goggle eyed passengers to the ambulance parked there with open doors.
They wouldn’t get in!!! You could see them looking at the ambulance and then back to my helicopter. Suddenly it hit me. The ambulance didn’t have a rotor on top. The only forms of mechanical transportation they had ever known were helicopters. This vehicle cannot be any good because either it doesn’t work or it’s broken.
A combination of my and the ambulance crew reassured them and they were transported off to hospital. We had enough fuel to get back to Sepulot and we left. I filled in and SOR form when I got back to try and imprint some form of legality but there was no action taken.
It was all part of ‘Hearts and Minds’, a policy of being as friendly and helpful to the locals as possible without interfering with the task in hand. To this end if there was spare payload and any locals wanted a lift than they would be waved on board. A fifteen minute flight was worth a day’s walk. As I mentioned before we used to herd the empty fuel drums into the river and they would be picked up. Sometimes when a longhouse not on the barrel route did us a favour we would respond by loading four empty barrels, packets of salt, sugar and the favourite, chocolate and dropping them off for them. The doctor suggested that on these trips to the longhouses it would be a good idea if he came too. I didn’t give an answer because I thought that having UN personnel flying on what was effectively an operational intelligence flight could be a bit iffy.
I was told the result of the treatment. He was discharged after two weeks on the way to a full recovery. They were flown in a Twin Pin of Sabah Air to Sepulot and there they met up with their relatives. After that they had a two-day walk back to their longhouse. Not all in one go; there were a few longhouses en route to eat and to sleep.
Next: Back to Tawau
Last edited by Fareastdriver; 26th Nov 2016 at 21:05.