Some early Kiwis in Military Helicopters Stories

[Dave Homewood]

HELICOPTERS IN MALAYA

ACTIVITIES AGAINST TERRORISTS

WORK OF N.Z. NAVAL PILOTS

New Zealanders have now joined a squadron of the Fleet Air Arm using helicopters with the Royal Air Force in the fight against terrorists in the jungles of Malaya. Ivan Jamieson, formerly of Cashmere, says in a letter after six weeks of the work, that this co-operation of the two air forces with the Army and the Malayan Federation Police and, particularly, the introduction of helicopters have reduced by years the duration of the struggle to eliminate the terrorists.

“The natural cover of this terrain would provide the terrorists with hideouts for evermore,” he says, “yet somehow we seem to have the upper hand, in that we have driven them deeper into the ulu (jungle), where they are most restricted and handicapped. Ground patrols have gone as close as 100 feet to a terrorist camp and missed it. Once in the ulu any patrol is literally swallowed up.

“The trees are often up to 250 feet. A journey by foot, if practicable, would take weeks, but clearings, scarcely large enough for even a helicopter, have been gouged out of the jungle to bring some of the camps within 30 minutes’ flying time for these ingenious machines. I must admit that going out of these clearings with a load on seems to take an age, as 250 ft of trees is an awful lot when the margin for movement is, say, 10 feet all round.”

The naval squadron’s main role is troop lifting, Lieutenant Jamieson says. In 14 months’ operations it has established a splendid record. With eight naval pilots it now carries an average of 250 troops of all kinds each week. Since the state of emergency was declared, efforts have been made to open up the jungle, and in isolated parts police forts have been established which, because of their remoteness alone, need relieving every six weeks. The men at the forts are maintained, like other troops in the jungle, by the helicopters, and also by supply dropping from the Royal Air Force. The helicopters have been used to take in food, armaments such as mortars, medical requirements, and even tracking Alsatian dogs.

Evacuation of Casualties
Casualty evacuation is one of the most satisfying duties, Lieutenant Jamieson says. In about a year, more than 350 casualties have been taken out of the jungle by the squadrons. Many would have died but for the helicopters. Early this month, 30 Ghurkas—“fighters every inch of them”—were flown in to a jungle clearing. Almost as soon as the helicopters returned to base, they received a signal that one of the enemy had been killed and one wounded round that clearing. During the five years of unrest in Malaya, the police have compiled a black list of terrorists, and they can identify almost anyone shot in the jungle and provide a dossier of his movement, says Lieutenant Jamieson. Usually the ground patrols keep one of the surrendered enemy to identify casualties on the spot. Where this is not possible, the bodies of the enemy are brought out by helicopter. The bodies are usually slung in cargo nets below the machine.

The aboriginals in the jungle are becoming more or less civilised through British operations, Lieutenant Jamieson says. One of the functions of the jungle forts is to care for these Sakai. About half of them have British sympathies, and the others are working for the terrorists. A concerted effort is being made to bring friendly natives out of the jungle and settle them round the forts. They still use blowpipes for hunting, with barrels as perfect as rifles. A blow-pipe shoots its poisoned darts so forcefully that it is reputed to stop a tiger in his tracks.

Lieutenant Jamieson flew from Britain in January to join the squadron with Lieutenant George Cronin, of Nelson, and they were met by another New Zealander in the same unit, Lieutenant Geoffrey Dixon, of Otago.

PRESS, 26 MARCH 1954

[Dave Homewood]

HELICOPTER PILOTS

Kaiapoi Man Now Qualified (N.Z. Pres. Association—Copyright) LONDON, August 28.

A New Zealander is the youngest of the first three Fleet Air Arm pilots to qualify under a new British Admiralty scheme for helicopter specialists. He is 18-year-old Midshipman Robert John Carnie, of Clarkville, Kaiapoi, New Zealand. Today, at Culdrose, Cornwall, he received his flying badge at the Royal Naval Air Station, proudly watched by his mother, Mrs J. E. B. Carnie, who travelled from New Zealand to watch the ceremony.

Midshipman Carnie. formerly a student at St Andrew’s College, Christchurch, came to Britain 14 months ago to join the Royal Navy in which he enlisted for 12 years.

He and the other two members of the new course—introduced earlier this year—did seven months’ basic flying training before going to Culdrose. They have just completed three months’ specialist training. They will now do a further 19 weeks’ operational training in anti-sub-marine warfare.

At the end of that period each will be promoted sub-lieutenant and assigned to an operational squadron.

PRESS, 31 AUGUST 1959

[Dave Homewood]

Are there any Kiwis still around who flew helicopters in the Malaya conflict? Whether FAA or with the British Army or RAF?

[Dave Homewood]

‘FORGOTTEN ARMY’ IN MALAYA

Commonwealth Force Praised

(Rec. 9 p.m.) LONDON, September 16.

Neither independence nor the recent amnesty offer to Communist terrorists would make much difference to the job of Britain’s forgotten Army in Malaya, says a special correspondent of the “Daily Mail” who has been visiting the British and Commonwealth troops there.

“They are still sweating it out in jungles and rubber plantations thousands of miles from home,” he says. Three years of brilliant successes has left them only the rather unglamorous job of mopping up to do, but they are showing toughness and urgency of purpose which Malaya’s new Government has honoured by proclaiming them indispensable for the time being. Their cat and mouse war must go on until the very last Communist bandit has surrended, been shot or captured.

The correspondent visited the 22nd Special Air Services Regiment, which concentrates on airdrop patrols in the deep jungle and which shares its job with the New Zealand squadron. This, adds the correspondent, was but one example of the excellent Commonwealth co-operation, which is a feature of the Malayan theatre.

He went by Royal Air Force helicopter on the first stage of a journey to see a typical British unit in action. The pilot was a New Zealander, Flight Lieutenant Bill Spencer, who was chosen to pilot the Duchess of Gloucester and Prince William. His squadron had just clocked up its 2000th evacuation from the deep jungle and additionally had played a major part in civil assistance. The correspondent says that without the British and Commonwealth troops in Malaya the picture would have been very different.

PRESS, 17 SEPTEMBER 1957

[Dave Homewood]

PILOT FOR EARL MOUNTBATTEN

Blenheim Man Flies To Monte Bellos

HELICOPTER FLIGHT TO ATOM TEST SITE

(N.Z Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) PERTH, April 16.

A young New Zealander who has been the “chauffeur’’ in a Royal Air Force helicopter service for a sultan and two commanders-in-chief in Malaya was the man chosen to fly Earl Mountbatten on his helicopter flight to the Monte Bello Islands yesterday. He is Flight Lieutenant Charles Verry, of Blenheim, officer commanding,the Whirlwind helicopter flight of the Royal Air Force atomic task force.

In his hands lay the responsibility of taking Britain’s First Sea Lord over nearly 100 miles of shark-infested water between Onslow, on the coast of Western Australia, and the Monte Bellos.

A World War II bomber pilot, who flew in Lancaster missions over Germany, he has spent most of his three years in helicopters over the jungles of Malaya.

His 10-man flight has two Whirlwind helicopters which operate a delivery and air sea rescue service between Onslow and the Monte Bellos.

When he took off with Lord Mountbatten, his second helicopter took off after him to serve as a safety “watchdog” during the flight. After seeing all that is going on on the islands and having a discussion with Commodore Hugh Martell, the British operational commander and captain of the atomic flagship H.M.S. Narvik, Earl Mountbatten returned to Onslow and later took off from there on the return flight to Britain.

PRESS, 17 APRIL 1956

[Dave Homewood]

MR HOLLAND IN MALAYA

FLIGHT OVER JUNGLE IN HELICOPTER

IPOH (Perak), February 27.

The New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Holland) today flew low over the terrorist-infested jungle in a Royal Air Force helicopter to a jungle fort. The pilot of the aircraft was a fellow New Zealander, Flight Lieutenant Frances, of Hamilton.

Mr Holland lunched on the jungle fort rations —biscuits, tinned meat, and tea. An aboriginal tribe living around the fort turned out in full strength to bid farewell to Mr Holland. They presented him with some sugar cane before he left for Ipoh. Mr Holland left the helicopter in Ipoh in his braces, with his coat over his arm, saying, “I have had a wonderful day.”

Earlier he inspected British and Gurkha units in an anti-terrorist operation and saw a village home guard unit re-enact an ambush which occurred a month ago. The New Zealand S.E.A.T.O. delegation, led by the Minister of External Affairs (Mr T. L. Macdonald), was delayed in Bangkok today while a new engine was fitted to the Valetta aircraft in which they are to fly. The delegation planned to meet Mr Holland in Ipoh today, but they will now meet in either Kuala Lumpur or Singapore for talks.

PRESS, 1 MARCH 1955

[Dave Homewood]

N.Z. HELICOPTER PILOT

SERVICE IN ROYAL NAVY

THREE MEN RESCUED FROM DROWNING

(N.Z. Army Information Service) KURE, September 7.

New Zealand’s first helicopter pilot to serve with the Royal Navy has arrived at Kure aboard the British aircraft carrier Ocean. He is Lieutenant Roy Hooker, of Wellington. Lieutenant Hooker has rescued three men from drowning, one at Malta and two in Korean waters. He is so modest it was difficult to get him to admit these rescues.

He was a pilot in the last war, flying Hurricanes and decided to join the Royal Navy in Auckland after finding civilian life boring. At that time the Royal Navy was calling for pilots to train for the helicopter rescue section. He passed the entrance tests and left for England.

Lieutenant Hooker said he was the first New Zealander to become a helicopter pilot. There were now two others serving in other theatres.

The Ocean has been in Korean waters for the last two years. Lieutenant Hooker has been with it since April, 1952. The Ocean is one of the light carrier group, of 13,190 tons.

Work of Rescue
Lieutenant Hooker said that in the actual rescues his job was merely to pilot the helicopter. His assistant was the man who actually got the “ditched” pilot out of the water. The assistant is lowered to wavetop level to help the airman put on the harness for hoisting him out of the sea.

Helicopters used by the British Navy are mostly made by the British firm of Westland. The type used on the Ocean is the Westland S51. The larger helicopter is the S55.

Asked why there were not more helicopter pilots, Lieutenant Hooker said: “It’s not everyone’s game. They are very different from normal aircraft and one needs a lot of conversion training.” When he had finished with the Royal Navy he would probably go back to New Zealand. “I think I might give civilian life another go,” he said.

PRESS, 9 SEPTEMBER 1953,

[Dave Homewood]

N.Z. Helicopter Pilot Makes Rescue

LONDON, July 15. A Royal Navy helicopter piloted by a New Zealander, Lieutenant Rex Sherlock, rescued the pilot of a Vampire jet fighter which crashed off Wales today. The Vampire came down two miles and a half offshore near Porthcawl. The pilot, Flying Officer King, baled out and inflated his dinghy. In an air and sea search Lieutenant Sherlock sighted the dinghy. Flying Officer King, who had “been two hours in his dinghy, was hauled aboard the helicopter. Lieutenant Sherlock, who comes from Dunedin, is serving in the Royal Navy.


PRESS, 17 JULY 1954

[Dave Homewood]

DUKE TO FLY HELICOPTER

LONDON. June 13.
A New Zealander will teach the Duke of Edinburgh to fly helicopters, the "Evening News” says today. He is Lieutenant-Commander Maxwell Hubert Simpson, R.N., instructor with the 705 Helicopter Squadron at Gosport, Hampshire. Instruction will begin this week at the White Waltham airfield, where the Duke won his wings. The Duke is expected to be able to fly a helicopter solo after five hours’ dual control flights, says the newspaper. After about 10 hours’ solo he is likely to be sufficiently experienced to fly the bigger helicopters such as the naval Whirlwind, in which he has travelled in recent months for many of his engagements.

PRESS, 15 JUNE 1955

[Dave Homewood]

N.Z. OFFICERS IN EGYPT

AIR OPERATIONS AT PORT SAID

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.) NICOSIA, Nov. 11.

The officer who took over the captured El Gamil airfield west of Port Said after the British and French landings in Egypt last week was a New Zealander with two D.S.O.’s two D.F.C.’s and and a World War II bag of 20 enemy aircraft to his credit. He was Group-Captain W. V. Crawford-Compton. The task of taking over a newly-captured airfield was not a new one for him. He commanded one of the first Spitfire wings to go into operation from a Normandy base a few days after the D-Day invasion in June, 1944.

Another New Zealander, Flight-Leutenant J. H. Hamilton, a son of Mr E. M Hamilton, Epsom, Auckland, was one of the helicopter pilots who landed the Royal Marine Commandos in the Port Said area, after taking off from the aircraft-carrier Ocean, some miles off the Egyptian coast. He was a member of a helicopter unit in Britain, and was taking part in exercises with naval ships in the Mediterranean when the Egyptian situation developed, and the unit was sent aboard the Ocean to the Part Said area.

Flight Lieutenant Hamilton made eight trips each time, taking three or four fully equipped Commandos. He landed them on De Lesseps square facing the waterfront.

This joint Army-R.A.F. helicopter unit to which he is attached is based on Port Said airfield and expects to return to England shortly. The unit is quartered in an Egyptian beach chalet, a quarter of a mile from the airfield proper. The pilots would have liked respite from the sun and Egypt’s myriad flies and had a swim, but the beach is not yet cleared of obstructions. Trip wires can be seen and there are odd objects which might or might not be mines showing in the sand.

PRESS, 13 NOVEMBER 1956

[Dave Homewood]

PLANE TAKES OFF VERTICALLY

Test Of Rotodyne Airliner

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, November 6.

The world’s first vertical takeoff airliner, the Fairey Rotodyne, flew for the first time today, piloted by a New Zealander, Squadron Leader Ronald Gellatly. After its flight over White Waltham airfield, near London, the Fairey Aviation Company said its behaviour was entirely satisfactory.

The Rotodyne, which carries up to 48 passengers, ascends vertically like a helicopter, then flies horizontally as a normal fixed-wing airliner, at nearly 200 miles an hour.

Considered purely as a helicopter it is the largest transport helicopter in the world today, with very considerable military as well as civil applications, a company spokesman said. Squadron Leader Gellatly is the company’s senior rotary wing test pilot and will be in charge of all flight testing of the Rotodyne. He was born at Dunedin 36 years ago and is one of the most experienced helicopter test pilots in Britain. In 1953 he piloted the Duke of Edinburgh for the first Royal flight in a helicopter.

PRESS, 8 NOVEMBER 1957

[delticman]

Oct 2, 2021 15:40:35 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

N.Z. Helicopter Pilot Makes Rescue

LONDON, July 15. A Royal Navy helicopter piloted by a New Zealander, Lieutenant Rex Sherlock, rescued the pilot of a Vampire jet fighter which crashed off Wales today. The Vampire came down two miles and a half offshore near Porthcawl. The pilot, Flying Officer King, baled out and inflated his dinghy. In an air and sea search Lieutenant Sherlock sighted the dinghy. Flying Officer King, who had “been two hours in his dinghy, was hauled aboard the helicopter. Lieutenant Sherlock, who comes from Dunedin, is serving in the Royal Navy.


PRESS, 17 JULY 1954

Rex Sherlock came to Wanganui in 1957 flying at first for Helicopters NZ, then Alexander Helicopters and back to HNZ retiring in 1976.

[davidd]

Some really great stories of those (by now almost forgotten) men, who flew the early helicopters of the day over steaming jungles in a war (sorry, emergency) that is hardly known to the average New Zealander in the 2020s. Well done Dave for laying their deeds before us without our having to do anything but scroll through them!

David D

[Dave Homewood]

Yes I am sure there would be some really fascinating stories they could all tell. I'd love to track some of those guys down, especially the Malayan jungle helicopter Kiwis. I cannot help but think that the Malayan Emergency was a very similar type of war to fight as the later Vietnam war for both the troops and the pilots and aircrew. Yet it's so little known to most people now.

[Dave Homewood]

Lieutenant Commander Maxwell Hubert Simpson RN was previously Flying Officer Maxwell Hubert Simpson, RNZAF, NZ4310147. He relinquished his Commission with the RNZAF on the 13th of February 1945 according to the New Zealand Gazette. www.nzlii.org/nz/other/nz_gazette/1945/29/7.pdf

He seems to have switched directly to the Royal Navy as he appears here on this Navy List from 1945 of Kiwis who have joined the Royal Navy:
digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/93490122?mode=transcription

He appears to have been attached to the Royal Australian Navy because he is in this photo from the Australian War Memorial as a member of No. 817 Squadron among the aircrew of the 20th Carrier Air Group in Korea in 1951. That squadron was flying the Fairey Firefly Mk. 5 from HMAS Sydney.
www.awm.gov.au/collection/C372402

The London Gazette dated 6 March 1956 Lists him thus: www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/40726/page/1375/data.pdf
CENTRAL CHANCERY OF THE ORDERS OF KNIGHTHOOD.
St. James's Palace, S.W.I. 6th March, 1956.
The QUEEN has been graciously pleased to make the following appointments to the Royal Victorian Order:—
To be a Member of the Fourth Class:— (to be dated 29th February, 1956)
Lieutenant-Commander Maxwell Hubert SIMPSON, Royal Navy.

A very interesting chap by the look of things.

[davidd]

There was also an ex-RNZAF pilot commanding an RAF Hornet squadron during the Malayan Emergency, cannot recall his name but he had flown in the European theatre during WW2. A small article appeared about him in either Flight, or the Aeroplane in the early to mid-1950s, squadron was possibly No. 45. I will insert his name when I can find it.

David D

[Dave Homewood]

Might that have been this chap that you posted to a previous thread on DH Hornets?

25/2/55; Mentioned in The Aeroplane of this date (page 236) that a New Zealander (Squadron Leader V K Jacobs, of Auckland) was the commanding officer of No. 45 Squadron, Far East Air Force, based in Singapore and equipped with Hornet twin-engined strike aircraft. Reason for the mention was that this squadron was awarded its “Standard” in a colour ceremony at Singapore on February 10th, the first such award to an FEAF unit. Award was made by Air Marshal F J Fressanges, CB, the Commander-in-Chief of FEAF. It was noted that this squadron had flown more than 5,000 sorties against the Communist terrorists.

Vivian Kenneth JACOBS NZ404465, embarked NZ for Canada per AWATEA 27/2/41, graduated 9/6/41, to UK, trained with 52 OTU, thence with 136 Sqdn in UK, North Africa and India, thence with HQ 221 Group, rtd to NZ Oct 1944,completed refresher course with 4 OTU at Ardmore then rtd to India April 1945, for service with ACSEA, rtd UK NZ & to Reserve March/April 1946. Not certain when he returned to RAF service at this stage though, should appear in the RAF Lists.
David D

[tbf2504]

Dave in my book "Seek and Destroy" Appendix A on the Army Air Corps there is coverage of several NZ Army officers who were attached to British helicopter units in the Malayan Emergency and later on
during confrontation

[Dave Homewood]

Another Max Simpson story from the Press, 1 Feb 1955

SALVAGE LINE PASSED

N.Z. Pilot’s Feat With Navy Helicopter

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, January 30.

A New Zealand pilot succeeded in the Royal Navy’s first attempt to pass a salvage line from ship to ship by helicopter, according to an Admiralty announcement yesterday. Lieutenant M. H. Simpson, of Wellington, on Friday flew a dragonfly of 705 Squadron to drop a “messenger line” between the 7142-ton freighter, Kingsbridge, grounded near the Isle of Wight and the tug, Sir Devoir.

The tug could not approach the freighter closely for fear of grounding itself. Lieutenant Simpson’s English observer tied a weight to the 1in hemp line and lowered it as the helicopter flew slowly to the tug and dropped the other end of the line on to it.

The tug’s crew tied the messenger line to their 4in hawser and the crew of the Kingsbridge began hauling. The messenger line parted on their first pull but the helicopter dropped a second one. This held, the towline was secured and the Kingsbridge successfully refloated.

[Dave Homewood]

I wonder if these two ladies were the first female Kiwis to fly in a helicopter? From the PRESS, 10 MARCH 1953

N.Z. GIRLS RIDE IN HELICOPTER

Ambition Realised For Actresses

(N.Z. Army Information Service) KOREA, March 4.

A United States pilot glancing from his airborne helicopter at the ground below saw two girls excitedly waving their scarves, obviously beckoning him to land.

His curiosity aroused, he did—much to the delight of Misses Pat McMinn (Auckland) and Pauline Ashby (Wellington), the, two women members of the New Zealand concert party now touring Korea.

Both girls were ready to plead with the pilot for a trip in the helicopter, but their charm alone was sufficient to persuade the American. It was an exhilarating experience for the girls and also the fruition of a prolonged daydream. Ever since their arrival here they had lodged to go aloft in a helicopter, and whenever one was heard overhead they would rush outside and wave vigorously to attract the attention of the pilot.