Indonesia 1960s

[BingoBob]

Good afternoon

I am new to the board so be gentle.....

That said I am going impose on you my impudence by asking for assistance straight off, if I may?

I realise this is a 'history' post but there may be a few chaps out there who might be able to help so I have double posted.....

I am cataloguing a few images of the Indonesian Confrontation for the Imperial War Museum and I don't recognise the location of these images. Can anyone help, please?















Many thanks for any help comments, insults etc..!

Bob

[Cornerstone958]

Hi BB
Try going to Britains Small Wars this site will offer you other options
Good luck
CS

[Ewan Whosearmy]

Bob

I know the RAF attache to Indonesia from a three-year period (1969-1972, IIRC). If you let me have an email address, I'll let him know you need help.

He has a vast slide collection from when he was there (most taken from the air), and seemingly has a crystal clear memory of the whole place. He should be able to help.

Cheers

[SilsoeSid]

Bob,

I have in front of me an article from Aircraft Illustrated August 1985 entitled RAF 'Heavies' in Borneo. Seems to be the sort of thing you are after.
Photography by A.F. Porter.

A picture taken a few seconds after this pic, http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/med...F_T_005263.jpg, is the main pic of the article. XG451

The caption says, "A pleasing study of RAF Belvedere HC1 XG451, unloading troops at Lundu, Sarawak in 1966. Operated by No66 Squadron from Labuan in Borneo, Belvederes were active throughout the campaign.

There is a picture of Pioneer XL517 (formerly G-AOGK) at Lundu, which could be the pic http://www.iwmcollections.org.uk/med...F_T_005240.jpg

There are also pics of;
Argosy C1 XP445 at Kuching Airport in 1964.
"Based at Singapore from July 1963, the Argosies of No215 Squadron played a notable part in the operations in Borneo during the confrontations with Indonesia."

Hastings at Kuching - a photograph taken in late 1964 featuring TG569 in the foreground and an overall view of WD488.

Bristol Freighter NZ5904 leaving Kuching 17 April 1965

US Navy visitor - C-47 BuAer No17218 allocated to the Naval Attache, about to leave Kuching for Singapore 16 April 1965

Returning to RAF Kuching after supply dropping mission, No48 Squadron Hastings C2 WJ337 and No60 Squadron escort, Javelin F9 XH885 (on detachment to Kuching from Tengah) as they pass over the airport before landing on 4 April 1965

Malayan Airways Comet 4. BOACs G-APDN with removable Malayan Airways fleet name concealing BOAC lettering, as it passes a trio of Army Air Corps Auster AOP9s at Kuching on 22 September 1963.



I'll get it scanned and post it here. If it's what you are after, give me a PM and I'll send it off to you.

SS

[BingoBob]

Thanks SS, sounds just what I am after. Sent you a PM!

Cheers

Bob

[SilsoeSid]

Amazing what you pick up from old air museums. In this case one of the guys from Wellsbourne Air Museum gave us a load of old aircraft mags.


http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...d/DSC_0667.jpg
http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...d/DSC_0674.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...d/DSC_0671.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...d/DSC_0672.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...d/DSC_0673.jpg

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...d/DSC_0675.jpg

Strange thing is, I was going to throw it away 2 days ago during a big clean out, but only kept it because I thought I would post a 'Who Is This' on the forum. I don't have the full mag left unfortunately, bu there is a lot of info on the pages and I'm sure there is a back issue/archive section at the Aircraft Illustrated office/British Library.


So....Who is this?

http://i52.photobucket.com/albums/g1...d/DSC_0670.jpg

[Gainesy]

5217 and 5225 are from a Blackburn Beverley, but I guess you know that already.

[Chugalug2]

Talk about All Our Yesterdays! The Hastings doing the Run-In and Break at Kuching took me back to my days as a callow co-pilot, and sure enough my Logbook tells me that we did the very same thing in the same aircraft (WD337 not WJ) but on 30 Dec 1964. We had chatted to the Javelin crew beforehand and suggested that they would shoot down any Indonesian fighters that tried doing that to us. "You've got to be joking", we were told, "They've got Mustangs and if they get behind you while you're down there in the valleys supply-dropping there's not a lot we can do for you". "Oh, why?" Because we only have Firestreak and if we launch that it's just as likely to hit you as them!". "So what should we do if we are bounced?" " How slow can you fly?" We provided a figure assuming flap was run out. "And how low can you fly?" "Very" "And how tight can you turn?" Again info duly given. "Then do all three and just pray that he will go away!" Fortunately the occasion never arose and we arranged a post drop transit close escort and break at Kuching. Interestingly with us going flat out, the Javelin was still at a most alarming nose-up attitude throughout!

[Fareastdriver]

Going to the original pictures.
No 1 Ops and accomodation at Sepulot. The chap with the hat is the FATOC. Cannot remember his name.
No 2 Sepulot Airstrip.
No 3 Beverley dropping somewhere outside my operational area.
No 4 Beverley dropping at Long Sumado.
No 5 Twin Pin unloading fragile items at Sepulot.
No 6 Single Pin doing the same.

All our stuff was thrown out of the back of a Beverley. Food, fuel (four drums on a pallet), beer and anything else that woudn't break too badly. Important things like spares and explosives used to come by 209 Sqn.

[Lancastrian]

Guarded a lot of that stuff at Labuan and Tawau...Sepilok is now a the reserve for the Orangutans. Went back on a holiday in 99.....what a difference. Some of the things that stood out on service there....Ted Heath visiting Labuan care of Comet...quite a hushed job at the time. The Vulcan that was spotted on approach to Labuan with many saying.."What the f...." only to witness a touch and go visit. Javelin that locked a nose wheel and did time in the monsoon ditch. Petronas and the oil rich workers have transformed both areas. Labuan has a massive marble shopping arcade with moving walkways. Problem is, no shops open inside. Sandakan still has its pirates though working the mangroves. The Malay authorities have or had quite a few machine gun posts located there. By the way, the workhorse for many of us going to and from Tawau was the Herald....

[henry crun]

SilsoeSid: can you resize those pics so we don't have to scroll from left to right to read the replies ?

[SilsoeSid]

Sorry Henry,

I posted them large to get the detail for anyone who wanted to download them.
I'll adjust the link so that it is a link and not the img.

(people could always use the return key a bit more!)

[Biggles225]

Great pics! Took me back a few years.

I think they look more than likely taken at Sepulot, but after only a couple of visits years ago I could be wrong! Lundu doesnt (or didnt) look like that, and there is no way you could put a Twin Pin down on the football field we operated from. Whirlwind Wessex and Belvequeers only.

It could be that the pics of Twin and Single Pin credited to Lundu are at the strip at Sematan, which wasnt that far away.

[Fareastdriver]

If I had a gizmo that would transfer 35mm slides to a computer I would show you lots more pictures of Sepulot in 1966.

[BingoBob]

Thanks chaps for all your help. Sepelot, is where I have been leaning towards with these but could find very few photographs which could confirm it either way. The Museum thanks you!

How about here? Are these No 66 Squadron Belvederes at Kuching?






While I have your attention. For those who were out in Borneo and Malaya any ideas about the location of this non-airfield scene?



Once again thanks!

BingoBob

[Blacksheep]

Beach Road, Singapore. Outside the Britannia Club just opposite the entrance to Raffles (which is marked by the tree at the left of the picture, just behind the trishaw driver's head).

[Gainesy]

...and her name is Susan.

[sycamore]

S-Sid,I don`t think the Bevelgear is at Lundu,or the S-Pin,nor Sematan either; `Who is it` I think is John Zmitrovicz?,known as `ZZ`,and believed to be living in the Shoreham area.A `gentleman `aviator..Syc. Any more ?

B-B,5252,5253 are both at Kuching..

[BingoBob]

Thanks Blacksheep, excellent - very precise, information received and understood.

Sycamore, thought they were Kuching but just wanted to check.

Cheers chaps...


Changi Sea Sports club, Changi?

[John Purdey]

Perhaps a forlorn hope, but can anyone shed further light on the loss of Flt Lt Bert Fraser, who was shot down just over the Indonesian border while flying his RAF helicopter on 17 November 1965. A most thorough trawl through the available records produced no useful results, and nor did two visits to the area of his crash by the then Def Attache. Local villagers recalled the crash, and the recovery of the body of his passenger; but no-one could explain what had happenened to Fraser.
I can supply more details of the research that has been undertaken so far if anyone can help.
John Purdey