lauriebeThanks chaps, especially Laurie.
My goodness, they bulldozed a Buffalo? No!! What a huge shame. The chances are that may have been an RNZAF example from 488 Sqn.
I was reading recently about 488 Sqn’s fight to try and save Singapore and Malaya, that must have been an awful struggle. It mentioned the RAF had top secret emergency aerodromes hidden in the Indonesian jungle (Sumatra from memory) from where they operated Hurricanes and other aircraft. I wonder if anything remains at those locations now, maybe squadrons of abandoned aircraft still sit in the undergrowth?
Does anything remain of the aerodromes built in Malaya by the RNZAF? There is an excellent book by a member of No 1 Aerodrome Construction Sqn who went over and built four big strips before the Japs invaded. I can’t recall the book’s name but I’ll bet no-one here has seen it because it is an amateur effort, done on a typewriter and photocopied. There’s a copy in the University library. It is full of photos from before, during and after the outbreak of war in Singapore and Malaya. I tried to track down the author but he must be deceased. It would have been good to get decent scans of the photos and publish it properly rather than the hazy photocopis of his 1980’s book. I hope the originals are in safe hands.
Edit: I just remembered the book is called ‘Singapore Harriers’
Dave,
Unfortunately, because the Buffalo disappeared very quickly, I don’t think there had been enough time to get any real detail from it.
Also, I would be very interested in reading the ‘Singapore Harrier’ book. Do you know if there is a chance it might be available anywhere? I have done a search on several search engines, but no trace.
Do you have any locations for the airfields built by the RNZAF here? If so, I can do some digging around. Chances are that all traces have disappeared, but you never know. My knowledge of that time is a little scant at present. The only details of airfields that I have are mostly the more well known ones in Singapore and what was then Malaya.
BTW, if you know of any other good books which cover this period, please let me know.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeHi Dave,
I must have missed this when you originally posted. I live in Malaysia and have been involved in a couple of recent wreck finds.
The first was at the start of 2000, involving wreckage of a Brigand, RH755, found some distance north of Ipoh in Perak. The second, more recently, was the rediscovery of the wreckage of Vampire WG871 in the north of Johor. This aircraft, and its pilot, have a very interesting story which I am still researching.
Here are links to a couple of sites dealing with the subject of aircraft wrecks here. The first is the RMAF Museum. Unfortunately, this has not been updated for some while. The second is a local newspaper article on WG871.
http://www.gtitec.com.my/af_museum/wreckages.htm
http://www.thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2004/6/14/features/8088239&sec=features
I am also reminded of an incident in the early 70’s, if memory serves. A virtually intact Brewster Buffalo was found during redevelopement work in the Malacca area. The find was reported but, before any investigations could be carried out, the wreckage had been bulldozed into the ground because the site developer did not want to lose any time!!!
There are quite a number of wrecks still to be discovered in the deep jungle here in Malaysia. Because of the remoteness of the areas in which they came down, they are very difficult to reach.
WG871 is in that category. I have been lucky enough to visit the site twice in recent months. It was a very arduous trip, involving a 2 day trip up the Sungai (River) Endau, negotiating around 40 sets of rapids. There is a lot of wreckage still at the site. Unfortunately, there has never been any trace found of its pilot, Flt Sgt Tadeusz Wojciechowski. I laid a wreath, on behalf of his next of kin, last March at the Memorial Wall of the Terendak Military Cemetary, near Malacca.
I attach some photos taken on the trips. The first shows a typical rapid, whilst the second shows the Vampire’s engine which is partially buried, as Jagan mentioned in a previous post, around 6 or 7 feet into the ground. The third, shows what I believe to be the remains of a substantial part of the left wing.
The chances of finding any wreckage in Singapore is now pretty remote. The island has been developed a great deal over the past few years and I don’t think there are many areas that have not been covered.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeThanks for that guys. I think the pictures in the earlier thread are a little early for this particular company as I think he flew 61-67, but this is all new to me.
DGH,
Can’t help with the title of the book unfortunately but your time period for Mayflower Air Services is pretty much accurate. I lived in Plymouth and as a young lad in the early 60’s, spent quite a bit of time at Roborough Airport.
I remember seeing these aircraft on a number of occasions. Thought that I had some photos from that time but, as yet, haven’t located them.
However, check out the link. There is a photo of 2 Rapides on this which seems to about the right period. Although I think other operators also used this type from Roborough.
Sorry I can’t be more helpful at the moment.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeWatch out for a geniune ex-RAF Vampire FB.9 in the air a few years from now 🙂
Just found this amongst all the jumble that makes up a house move!
WL505 when it was part of the RAF Museum Reserve Collection at St Athan in September, 1976.
It is now with the Vampire Preservation Society at Bournemouth where it is being restored to flight status. Click on the link for more on that:
http://internet12.eapps.com/archangel/vampirepreservation.nsf/LUPages/Our+Vampires_WL505_WL505
Be nice to see this one back in the air again.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeHave just found another pack of RAFM photos. This included a shot of TW117 that I had forgotten about when it was displayed in the Bomber Command Hall.
No date on this one though.
BR,
Laurie.
lauriebeBruggen which mosquito is that behind the Sea fury?
Sorry for the delay in posting this. Just getting over a house move and managed to locate the photos that I took at the RAFM 78/79.
Here is TW117 at that time. Not a very good photo, but the only one that I have.
Also attached is the Sunderland before she went inside. Taken March, 1978.
Have quite a few more from that time if anyone is interested.
BR
Laurie
lauriebeIt is the gearing behind the hub that has been confusing me. I don’t recall seeing that before.
The blades also appear a little thick for Corsair/Hellcat. Unfortunately, my reference books do not give details of prop construction on Japanese aircraft.
I must admit, my first thought was possibly from a Japanese aircraft.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeLaurie,
See if any of the posters here would know where the airframe data plate is usually located and then go looking for that location on the wreckage.
– Hamtech.
Thanks for that. I’m pretty sure that the main data plate would have been in the cockpit area. Very little remains of that. There were no other plates visible.
We plan to visit the site again next year. Because it is located in deep jungle, it is very difficult to reach. Getting there entails a 2/3 day journey up river, over some 30+ rapid sections. Quite an experience though.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeThis plate records the serial number of a sub assembly. It could be flap, dive brake, wing etc. It is not easy to tell what the highlighted area used to be! As these parts were identical to those used on the FB5, that would account for that discrepancy.
To find the aircraft data plate, you will need to find the remains of the fuselage pod.
Hope that helps
Bruce
Thanks for that info, Bruce. It pretty well confirms what I had suspected re the commonality of parts between the Vampire FB5 and FB9 in some areas.
The fuselage pod, or the little that remains of it, is in a crater behind the camera. I doubt that there will be much to be gleaned from that. We did find the remains of the nose wheel assembly in that and there is still quite a bit of debris buried there.
BR,
Laurie.
lauriebeHi Mark,
Wot a shot!!! Sorry I missed that.
Just got back after 2 weeks away and am now busy catching up on all the postings since the first couple of days of August.
I thought the caption should be something like: Just a few more branches to trim and then we’ll have the shape right!
Greenskeeper, look forward to checking out the DVD.
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeA-37B.
6000 HP strapped to a very small aircraft. 🙂
Mark12 still grinning ear to ear.
Mike
Great pictures Mike. No wonder Mark12 is grinning!!! 😀 😀 😀
BTW, did the other Mark make it?
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeAshly Ezell asked me to post this photo I took yesterday…he said you men across the pond would enjoy it…so here it is.
Laurie…I got a gift getting made for you I told you I would get coming your way….it will be a week probably before I get it out but it has real sound and moving objects….(one in paticular you will enjoy) 🙂
Bob aka greenskeeper
Bob,
Another great view!!! Keep ’em comin. Any chance we’ll be able to do this over Salisbury Plain?:D
I shall be in the jungle again next week for 2 weeks. Will check the mailbox on return!!! 🙂
BR
Laurie.
lauriebeDo you gents prefer this background?…..we did a little air to air the same day.
Greenskeeper
Hi Mike,
Any background will do me! Great shots. Wish I could have been there. Hope all went well with shoot.
Regards,
Laurie. 🙂 🙂
lauriebeHey Lauriebe
If you don’t mind the compliment , you seem to have quite a history , RAF service , cool hand under circumstances where others do the compulsory ‘forgot to take pictures’ thing, i.e. the 105 incident , and those air to air shots out of Manby !
If you don’t mind me asking , what did you do in the RAF ?
and , have we had a thread asking what kind of working in aviation related experience (military / cilvil / amatuer) the forum users have ?Regards
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks for the compliment. As far as the photos go, I think it was more a matter of being in the right place at the right time. I have one more set of interesting piccies. That shows an RAF VC10 C Mk 1 of 10 Sqn making an emergency landing at RAF Tengah, Singapore, on the afternoon of 29 April 1968. Being trying on several forums to put an ID to this aeroplane. No success yet.
I did 2 stints in the RAF altogether. First 1964 -69 as an Air Defence Operator, serving at Bawdsey in Suffolk, Western Hill here on Penang Island and, lastly, at Hartland Point, North Devon. Second stint was as an Adminner at Manby, Akrotiri, St Athan, Cranwell & Innsworth as well as two tours with the Careers Information Service at the offices in London and Nottingham.
I left the ‘mob’ in Oct 89 and spent almost 11 years in Saudi Arabia working for BAe on Al Yamamah before deciding to put the feet up early and come out east to live.
For Papa Lima, on the 105 incident, I am reliably informed that it was the second prototype, 105-02, that was involved at Farnborough. It carried the reg SE-XBZ at the time.
BR,
Laurie.
lauriebeQuick thinking on your part, lauriebe, I am sure I would have forgotten to take any pix among the general excitement! I now wonder if it was SE-XBJ or SE-DCX – can you see on the original photo?
Unfortunately not. It’s only a small print and the aircraft image is too small to make out any real detail. Can’t find the negatives either.
BR
Laurie.
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