August 2018 FLYPAST 8766
Men Behind
the Sunderland
As well as ‘showing the flag’ in
Borneo, we also helped with policing
the widespread inhabited areas. On
one occasion we were asked to fly
to Sandakan Bay, to take onboard
the area police superintendent to
supervise an operation to scare away
pirates from the Philippines.
These pirates had been raiding
the coastal villages and stealing the
drugs manufactured from the local
plantations. They also kidnapped
local women from the village to
traffic back to the Philippines.
We found the pirates some
distance off the coast, in high-
powered, canoe-like boats with
very large outboard motors. The
superintendent authorised us to fire
at them with our port and starboard
waist guns. We all had a go and I
managed a few bursts. They very
quickly fled north.
On return to Sandakan Bay,
we were invited to dinner with
the police superintendent.
Unfortunately, on making our
departure, an outboard engine
on the Sunderland failed.
We did not want to be stuck in
the bay for the long process ofgetting an engine changed in this
remote location. Our skipper, Len
Stapleton, got permission to make
a three-engined take-off. To our
knowledge this had never previously
been attempted. Fortunately the bay
was very large, and we decided to
use the space to take off in a large
circle with full power on our three
good Twin Wasps. It worked!
I returned to the UK in late 1954
with my family on a Handley Page
Hastings. It was equipped for troop
transport, with rudimentary canvas
bucket seats. Flying via the Middle
East, with overnight stops, the
journey took five days.beneath the wings. We flew a route
around the island dropping flares.
I was given the job as commentator
for the local radio station, from
our Sunderland D-for-Dog.
Unfortunately, during this display
our No.4 Pratt & Whitney Twin
Wasp radial developed a fire in
the carburettor – quite a normal
occurrence – and had to be feathered.
I reported this over the radio, saying:
“No problem, we can safely continue
on three engines” – which we did.Chasing pirates
We also operated in Borneo, the
northern part being associated with
Malaya and therefore under UK
jurisdiction. We flew to an alighting
area at Labuan on the northern
coast, or directly to Kuching, the
capital, where we touched down on
the River Sarawak.
We always carried out a low pass
to check for any floating logs or
obstructions wherever we were
putting down. On the Sarawak, it
was impossible to anchor in the fast-
flowing waters so an RAF marine
craft, operating from Labuan, had
already prepared mooring buoys.66666666666666
getting an engine changed in this
remote location. Our skipper, Len
Stapleton, got permission to make
a three-engined take-off. To our
knowledge this had never previously
been attempted. Fortunately the bay
was very large, and we decided toJunkers Ju 88s failed to shoot down a Sunderland on April 3, 1940
Left
A prominent landmark
off the coast of Korea
en route to the anti-
submarine patrolling area
near Tsushima, July 1952.Below left
The author gets to grips
with his infl atable sunbed
on top of the centre
section. To his right is the
main aerial mast.