Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 18, 2024 21:09:37 GMT 12
Supply-Dropping Main Task Of N.Z. Airmen In Malaya
(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)
KUALA LUMPUR, December 12.
When they have been in the hot, steamy terrorist jungle country north of Kuala Lumpur for a week or two, no Army jungle unit looks more anxiously to the skies for the supply-dropping planes than New Zealand’s Special Air Service Squadron. A successful mid-jungle supply-drop means fresh rations, soap, cooking fuel and ammunition for the New Zealanders.
Occasionally the "drops" must be postponed when low cloud has obscured the dangerous, razor-back jungle ridges. Sometimes supplies parachuted from planes land wide of the mark and troops or police in the jungle must trek for several hours to reach the parachutes and containers.
The aircrews of the Air Force transports which do supply work are expert at the techniques of supply—drop flying. The food, ammunition and other supplies they parachute into the jungle seldom miss their target. The Communist terrorists are never very far from the jungle outposts, clearings and forts to which supplies are dropped. So "accuracy” is the pilot’s watchword.
Supply-dropping assignments are shared by the men of New Zealand’s No. 41 (Transport) Squadron based near Singapore, and aircrews of the RA F. Far East Transport wing. The R.A.F. uses twin-engined Valetta transports. The New Zealanders fly Bristol Freighters.
Most of the supply-dropping aircraft load their carefully-packed supplies on the R.A.F. Station at Kuala Lumpur. Some do their “drops” from Butterworth airport near Penang in the north of Malaya.
Typical of the supply-dropping flights was one made yesterday from Kuala Lumpur in an R.N.Z.A.F. Bristol. Piloted by Flight Lieutenant Graham Bayliss, of Auckland. He is a senior Pilot with No. 41 Squadron, and he is expected to fly containers of beer and special Christmas parcels from home into the 40 or so New Zealand soldiers who will spend this Christmas in the jungle about 140 miles north of Kuala Lumpur. Navigating the plane was Flying Officer Arthur Henderson (Riversdale), and Sergeant George Bostwick (Petone) was operating the plane's radio.
Yesterday morning the huge nose doors of the Bristol Freighter were opened, and 8600 lb of supplies stowed in the plane. Each item — from a 400 lb case containing packets of soap to three large drums of cooking fuel lashed together—was stowed in the order it would be dropped from the plane.
Meanwhile two jungle forts and a tiny jungle outpost had radioed to Kuala Lumpur the code letters they would lay on their supply-dropping zones to attract the aircraft. The jungle forts were manned by Malay police and the jungle outpost was an advance scouting-post for one lonely member of the Malay Regiment. All three zones were in Malaya’s Cameron Highlands district. Last week and in November this area was the most active of any in the terrorist war.
The Bristol Freighter lumbered down the runway, circled over the capital and headed towards Tapah—a small settlement about 50 miles north of Kuala Lumpur. Over Tapah, the navigator told the pilot to alter the course and head for Fort Shean — a small Malay police settlement in the jungle highlands. The area was cloud-covered so the pilot turned the aircraft and headed for Fort Selim.
For the Army Service Corps “freight-heavers”— the men who push the supplies out of the aircraft — the diversion to Selim caused a minor crisis. The stowage order of the supplies had to be reversed so that all the goods for Fort Selim were nearest the aircraft door. After six successful drops over Fort Selim, the aircraft dropped supplies over the Malay Battalion outpost, then returned to Fort Shean, where the cloud had cleared.
Dominating the jungle-covered ridges around Fort Shean are two menacing peaks — one 5680 ft and the other 5590 ft. Once over the ridges, the pilot pushed the control column forward and down went the nose of the plane as the aircraft dropped into the narrow, tortuous valley in which Fort Shean lay.
Banking the plane over at 60 degrees, the pilot cork-screwed down from about 6000 ft to about 300 feet. Then he “weaved” the aircraft down the valley towards Fort Shean. Everything was ready for the drop, but the aircraft was not quite in position, and it swept up and out of the blind valley. The pilot turned the aircraft and made another run down the valley. This time it was right over the dropping zone.
The electric bell from the pilot's cabin rang three times. That meant "get ready." Then one more ring on the bell and the men tipped the tray at the door. A huge case of food slithered out, the bright-yellow parachute attached to it opened and the case floated down to the waving Malay jungle police patrols. Another of the dozens of supply-drops the New Zealand squadron makes every month had been a success.
THE PRESS, 13 DECEMBER 1955
(Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.)
KUALA LUMPUR, December 12.
When they have been in the hot, steamy terrorist jungle country north of Kuala Lumpur for a week or two, no Army jungle unit looks more anxiously to the skies for the supply-dropping planes than New Zealand’s Special Air Service Squadron. A successful mid-jungle supply-drop means fresh rations, soap, cooking fuel and ammunition for the New Zealanders.
Occasionally the "drops" must be postponed when low cloud has obscured the dangerous, razor-back jungle ridges. Sometimes supplies parachuted from planes land wide of the mark and troops or police in the jungle must trek for several hours to reach the parachutes and containers.
The aircrews of the Air Force transports which do supply work are expert at the techniques of supply—drop flying. The food, ammunition and other supplies they parachute into the jungle seldom miss their target. The Communist terrorists are never very far from the jungle outposts, clearings and forts to which supplies are dropped. So "accuracy” is the pilot’s watchword.
Supply-dropping assignments are shared by the men of New Zealand’s No. 41 (Transport) Squadron based near Singapore, and aircrews of the RA F. Far East Transport wing. The R.A.F. uses twin-engined Valetta transports. The New Zealanders fly Bristol Freighters.
Most of the supply-dropping aircraft load their carefully-packed supplies on the R.A.F. Station at Kuala Lumpur. Some do their “drops” from Butterworth airport near Penang in the north of Malaya.
Typical of the supply-dropping flights was one made yesterday from Kuala Lumpur in an R.N.Z.A.F. Bristol. Piloted by Flight Lieutenant Graham Bayliss, of Auckland. He is a senior Pilot with No. 41 Squadron, and he is expected to fly containers of beer and special Christmas parcels from home into the 40 or so New Zealand soldiers who will spend this Christmas in the jungle about 140 miles north of Kuala Lumpur. Navigating the plane was Flying Officer Arthur Henderson (Riversdale), and Sergeant George Bostwick (Petone) was operating the plane's radio.
Yesterday morning the huge nose doors of the Bristol Freighter were opened, and 8600 lb of supplies stowed in the plane. Each item — from a 400 lb case containing packets of soap to three large drums of cooking fuel lashed together—was stowed in the order it would be dropped from the plane.
Meanwhile two jungle forts and a tiny jungle outpost had radioed to Kuala Lumpur the code letters they would lay on their supply-dropping zones to attract the aircraft. The jungle forts were manned by Malay police and the jungle outpost was an advance scouting-post for one lonely member of the Malay Regiment. All three zones were in Malaya’s Cameron Highlands district. Last week and in November this area was the most active of any in the terrorist war.
The Bristol Freighter lumbered down the runway, circled over the capital and headed towards Tapah—a small settlement about 50 miles north of Kuala Lumpur. Over Tapah, the navigator told the pilot to alter the course and head for Fort Shean — a small Malay police settlement in the jungle highlands. The area was cloud-covered so the pilot turned the aircraft and headed for Fort Selim.
For the Army Service Corps “freight-heavers”— the men who push the supplies out of the aircraft — the diversion to Selim caused a minor crisis. The stowage order of the supplies had to be reversed so that all the goods for Fort Selim were nearest the aircraft door. After six successful drops over Fort Selim, the aircraft dropped supplies over the Malay Battalion outpost, then returned to Fort Shean, where the cloud had cleared.
Dominating the jungle-covered ridges around Fort Shean are two menacing peaks — one 5680 ft and the other 5590 ft. Once over the ridges, the pilot pushed the control column forward and down went the nose of the plane as the aircraft dropped into the narrow, tortuous valley in which Fort Shean lay.
Banking the plane over at 60 degrees, the pilot cork-screwed down from about 6000 ft to about 300 feet. Then he “weaved” the aircraft down the valley towards Fort Shean. Everything was ready for the drop, but the aircraft was not quite in position, and it swept up and out of the blind valley. The pilot turned the aircraft and made another run down the valley. This time it was right over the dropping zone.
The electric bell from the pilot's cabin rang three times. That meant "get ready." Then one more ring on the bell and the men tipped the tray at the door. A huge case of food slithered out, the bright-yellow parachute attached to it opened and the case floated down to the waving Malay jungle police patrols. Another of the dozens of supply-drops the New Zealand squadron makes every month had been a success.
THE PRESS, 13 DECEMBER 1955
