D
dodgyoldsprog
Guest
an old story of mine
an old story of mine
In reply to your request for a story here goes
I am sorry that it cannot really stand up to stories from your young members out in Iraq & Afghanistan,
I was an aircraft electrical fitter on 209 Squadron based at RAF Seletar in Singapore 1959-1962 . We crewed "Twinpins" (twin pioneers) on detachments up country - Borneo, etc. and the "single" pins even farther abroad. At some date during my tour( I simply can't remember when) we had a mad rush to prepare two twinpins for a detachment "up country" . We (5 fitters) travelled in one twinpin with the spares. We landed at I think Taiping (The HQ of the first Battalion Royal New Zealand Regiment) . The pongoes were predominately Maori , we settled in and went to the "entertainment complex" (big bar with stage) and proceeded to get incredibly pi...plastered .The soldiers appeared to be in a jolly mood, there was much slapping of backs and drinking of warm "Swan Lager" (Bleuuugh !)
. We (the RAF) were simply referred to as "The Airforce Blokes" not "Pomms" or "Brits" just "Airforce" which we found very friendly.. After a pint or three the entertainment started, we were asked to sing , . My colleagues were all northerners and insisted on singing "On Ilkely Moor Baht Tat", but I being from London sung a rather delightful yet suprisingly little known solo number entitled "They're Digging up Farvers Grave to Build a Sewer",, to extremely moderate applause...
One of the kiwis was getting married , he made a speech which went on and on and on ..
This caused a soldier who had his arm in plaster to dive into a pond covered in duckweed that was situated outside
. The next morning nursing ever so slight hangovers we breakfasted on mutton (again) and loaded up I think about 15 - 20 troops into our twinpins. The troops wore jungle green kit with blue hatbands, they carried F.N. rifles & Sterling sub m/c guns & grenades ,.
I don't remember seeing mortars or heavy m/c guns etc. They had big packs (backpacks) and smaller belt packs..... We landed at Kroh which is on the Malay/Thai border, it had a town/kampong on the left and scrub/ulu on the right.. We thought it was a bit unusual because an armoured car was wheezing and groaning up and down the streets on patrol, but we were of course unarmed and didn't expect any trouble. I mean after all ,wasn't the Malayan campaign all but over ?
The soldiers sat around for a bit looking bored,
The kiwis had a kit inspection and sauntered off across the field towards the ulu. We serviced and refueled our aircraft and awaited the NAAFI van..,,,no NAAFI van instead the "Salvation Army" turned up in one of those purple coloured vans. The "Sally Ann" lady standing high in the back of the van then started dispensing char and wads to us airmen..........
Suddenly one hell of a commotion broke out, "bang popopotypop boom etc.!" ,it seemed to go on forever, rifles, sub m/c guns & grenades were being used ! All in our earshot and quite close to the airfield ! We cringed heroically almost spilling our tea and bellowed to the "Sally Ann" lady "They are shooting, They are shooting !" She just remained resolutely upright in the back of the van , clutching her teapot and said "Yes yes and you wanted a ham roll ? " She was completely unpeturbed !
She departed and we prepared ourselves to go.. The engines were started and we strapped into the Kites.
I remember one of our team running out of the twinpin to ask one of the returning kiwi sergeants "what happened ? " He answered " we got five ". We flew off as puzzled as I remain to this day, you see I don't know if "got five" means five c/t's five lemons or five toes !
P.S.
I have since received conformation from a former C/O of my squadron Sqdn Leader Cess Crook who now lives in New Zealand
he said " I have heard of the Kroh incident, it was before my time , I understand that the Police field force were chasing Chin Peng, but he escaped.
P.P.S.
Also from an ex 1RNZI soldier Frank Burdett who told me that the "commotion" that I heard was in fact a solitary C.T. who was sent on ahead being "intercepted" (and killed), he claimed that the operation disintregrated into a shambles
as the C.T's ambushed the Field force and several Police/Soldiers were killed... But of course we knew nothing of this.
an old story of mine
In reply to your request for a story here goes
I am sorry that it cannot really stand up to stories from your young members out in Iraq & Afghanistan,
I was an aircraft electrical fitter on 209 Squadron based at RAF Seletar in Singapore 1959-1962 . We crewed "Twinpins" (twin pioneers) on detachments up country - Borneo, etc. and the "single" pins even farther abroad. At some date during my tour( I simply can't remember when) we had a mad rush to prepare two twinpins for a detachment "up country" . We (5 fitters) travelled in one twinpin with the spares. We landed at I think Taiping (The HQ of the first Battalion Royal New Zealand Regiment) . The pongoes were predominately Maori , we settled in and went to the "entertainment complex" (big bar with stage) and proceeded to get incredibly pi...plastered .The soldiers appeared to be in a jolly mood, there was much slapping of backs and drinking of warm "Swan Lager" (Bleuuugh !)
. We (the RAF) were simply referred to as "The Airforce Blokes" not "Pomms" or "Brits" just "Airforce" which we found very friendly.. After a pint or three the entertainment started, we were asked to sing , . My colleagues were all northerners and insisted on singing "On Ilkely Moor Baht Tat", but I being from London sung a rather delightful yet suprisingly little known solo number entitled "They're Digging up Farvers Grave to Build a Sewer",, to extremely moderate applause...
One of the kiwis was getting married , he made a speech which went on and on and on ..
This caused a soldier who had his arm in plaster to dive into a pond covered in duckweed that was situated outside
. The next morning nursing ever so slight hangovers we breakfasted on mutton (again) and loaded up I think about 15 - 20 troops into our twinpins. The troops wore jungle green kit with blue hatbands, they carried F.N. rifles & Sterling sub m/c guns & grenades ,.
I don't remember seeing mortars or heavy m/c guns etc. They had big packs (backpacks) and smaller belt packs..... We landed at Kroh which is on the Malay/Thai border, it had a town/kampong on the left and scrub/ulu on the right.. We thought it was a bit unusual because an armoured car was wheezing and groaning up and down the streets on patrol, but we were of course unarmed and didn't expect any trouble. I mean after all ,wasn't the Malayan campaign all but over ?
The soldiers sat around for a bit looking bored,
The kiwis had a kit inspection and sauntered off across the field towards the ulu. We serviced and refueled our aircraft and awaited the NAAFI van..,,,no NAAFI van instead the "Salvation Army" turned up in one of those purple coloured vans. The "Sally Ann" lady standing high in the back of the van then started dispensing char and wads to us airmen..........
Suddenly one hell of a commotion broke out, "bang popopotypop boom etc.!" ,it seemed to go on forever, rifles, sub m/c guns & grenades were being used ! All in our earshot and quite close to the airfield ! We cringed heroically almost spilling our tea and bellowed to the "Sally Ann" lady "They are shooting, They are shooting !" She just remained resolutely upright in the back of the van , clutching her teapot and said "Yes yes and you wanted a ham roll ? " She was completely unpeturbed !
She departed and we prepared ourselves to go.. The engines were started and we strapped into the Kites.
I remember one of our team running out of the twinpin to ask one of the returning kiwi sergeants "what happened ? " He answered " we got five ". We flew off as puzzled as I remain to this day, you see I don't know if "got five" means five c/t's five lemons or five toes !
P.S.
I have since received conformation from a former C/O of my squadron Sqdn Leader Cess Crook who now lives in New Zealand
he said " I have heard of the Kroh incident, it was before my time , I understand that the Police field force were chasing Chin Peng, but he escaped.
P.P.S.
Also from an ex 1RNZI soldier Frank Burdett who told me that the "commotion" that I heard was in fact a solitary C.T. who was sent on ahead being "intercepted" (and killed), he claimed that the operation disintregrated into a shambles
as the C.T's ambushed the Field force and several Police/Soldiers were killed... But of course we knew nothing of this.
DT_Xtremez_35:i cut my teeth at good old swinderby in 89 SGT rea***n what a w***er
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