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#Post#: 24834--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: laurieb
Date: January 16, 2015, 7:00 pm
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Instant fame!!! ;D ;D ;D
#Post#: 42001--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: Wolf
Date: June 10, 2017, 11:51 am
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I don't know if any of you have seen the photo on Facebook of
the unit person's but the two lads at each end are holding
ducks. 129 SU had three ducks when I got there and they stayed
around for quite a few months until one of the Chief Techs went
and bought 6 more. The new 6 chased the original three off out
the gate where they made a new home in the Fire Section.
One evening when my watch was on duty we all got to talking
about our ducks that had gone AWOL, so myself, Cpl Fred
Robertson Harrison and Cpl Geoff Ledbetter ( who had only been
on the site about a week) decided we were going to get them back
and eat them.
The three of us waited until it was almost dark and then
proceeded to the fire section, they were out on a test so we
soon found the ducks and started to chase them, one peeled off
and ran into 129SU compound so we went after it. Geoff was
making a good pace and was not more than three feet behind it
when it flapped up a small hillock with Geoff in hot pursuit.
Before we could shout a warning Geoff topped the rise and
disappeared with a loud splash, the hillock was one of the
numerous bomb craters left over from the last war, which was
quite deep and full of water from the previous nights storm. As
Fred and I topped the rise there was Geoffs head sticking out of
the water with the duck swimming round it quacking away. Geoff
actually got hold of the duck and passed it to me.
I was holding its body and Fred got hold of its neck and started
twisting it to try and kill it. I don't know how many twists he
gave it but it was still quacking, so Fred let go and the ducks
neck set of like a propeller. I pulled out my kukri and told
Fred to hold its head and body and with one blow the deed was
done, unfortunately both Fred and I were covered in blood and
Geoff got his fair share also having now been stood nearby
dripping.
We made our way back to the hut attached to the 510 Ops wagon,
Fred and I ran up the stairs into the 510 shouting look out they
are coming, the Sgt who shall remain nameless took one look at
the state of us and opened the side door and flew out. Flew
being the operative word as the steps had been removed the day
before, so he sailed down into another large puddle where they
had been.
The duck was taken down to Mr. Foo's bar the next day and his
wife prepared it and a very nice meal it made the following
evening.
#Post#: 42003--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: rickyhicks
Date: June 10, 2017, 12:37 pm
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Brilliant story and making me feel hungry.
#Post#: 42005--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: Wolf
Date: June 10, 2017, 1:18 pm
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We had 5 Flt Lt's on Ops at 129SU, when I got there one of them
was the CO, Ginger Lacey, WW2 fighter pilot. The Officer on my
watch was Flt Lt Jack Smith a really nice bloke, I was sat in
the 510 one evening when Jack came in, "Have you got any
relatives in Stafford, Woodger", said he, " I just wondered as
it is an unusual surname, and I have only come across it once
before?" I said, "Yes I do, my Grandfather and Grandmother live
there, their names are Claude and Hilda." "Well blow me down"
said he, " I was billeted with them during the war, with another
Flt Lt called Henshaw" . "That's my Uncle Harry, not really an
Uncle but he and his wife and daughter are still in regular
contact with my Grandparents" said I.
This conversation was never spoken of again, but in 1977 I went
to London to apply for a job out in Saudi, on arrival at the
offices of IAL I was met by an officious little bloke who told
me to wait over there whilst I go and get your exam papers. As I
stood waiting I heard a door open behind me and a voice said, "
Hello Lofty what are you doing here?" . I turned round and
there was Jack Smith looking very smart in a civvy suit. I was
just in the middle of telling him, when the little guy came
bustling back with an arm full of papers. Jack looked at the
chap and said, " Are those for Woodger, if so take them away and
fill them in, make sure he gets 100%, as we are going out to
lunch"
Not what you know but who you know, only time it has worked for
me.
#Post#: 42012--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: alanshield
Date: June 11, 2017, 2:20 am
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Good tales Nigel and I bet it all seems like yesterday.
#Post#: 42014--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: Wolf
Date: June 11, 2017, 3:00 am
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One of the other Flt Lt's at the unit was Derek Payne, not liked
at all by the troops or the officers. 129SU had two vehicles, a
Land Rover and a Bedford three tonner. During the day the three
tonner was used to transport the troops changing watches and
also to take the large water bowser to fetch water to the site
as there was no running water. The Land Rover was used to fetch
the duty Officer to the site and to do trips to the main camp
for Mail, Signals etc, at least that was what it was supposed to
be for, but Derek Payne used to arrive and just drive off in it
to explore the island or go down town shopping. To get to 129SU
he had to walk from camp and then along a long coral track that
ran alongside the runway and past the helicopter compound, the
Officers went to the chopper pad and asked that 129SU be
informed if Derek Payne was seen making his way to the unit.
During the day we always had two Officers at the unit so one of
them when receiving the call would run out and jump into the
Landrover and make off for an hour or so, Derek would get bored
waiting after an hour and would set off walking back to camp, he
sometimes used to take it in an evening so on getting the call
from the chopper lads one of us B class drivers were detailed to
disappear with it for an hour, was better than gate guard duty.
#Post#: 42015--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: Wolf
Date: June 11, 2017, 3:17 am
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Having a B class licence for the Landrover and also the Bedford
was worth it for the perks, one being the hour away with the
Landrover when Derek Payne was after it. The other was the shift
finished fifteen minutes early so that the Bedford could be at
the domestic site for the driver on the new shift to fetch the
watch to work.
If my watch was on early the Bedford would arrive outside my hut
and I would go out and do the daily checks on it and then take
the ongoing watch up to 129SU, once there I would wait for the
shift change over and then transport the off going airmen and
NCO's back to the domestic site. That done it was back to 129SU
and connect the Bowser and then off down town for fuel and
water.
Both fuel and water were got at the only garage in town, and all
RAF and Army vehicles used to get their fuel and water there.
I would just pull into the huge trail of vehicles waiting to get
in the garage, leave the keys in the ignition and then go across
the road into the open fronted café/bar and sit and watch as
the garage assistants gradually moved the line along and into
the garage. Once I saw my vehicle was going to be next I would
walk across and take note of the fuel delivered and that the
bowser was full and then return to 129SU, this could sometimes
take almost 2 hours off the morning shift and then there was
another 15 minutes to take the truck back to domestic site for
the afternoon shift driver.
#Post#: 42036--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: Wolf
Date: June 11, 2017, 2:33 pm
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The beach very near to our billet was Membedai beach, white sand
and palm trees overhanging the sand, coconuts grew in abundance.
About 40 yards out in the sea there was a raft made from 6
50gallon oil drums and a wooden deck covered with a straw mat,
that was all you could do at Membedai, swim or sunbathe, what a
hard life. Just round the corner about a mile and a half there
was Shell Beach, so called because of a small Jetty sticking out
into the sea owned by Shell petroleum company. At this beach we
had a boat house, which was on stilts, underneath were stored
some of the boats mostly Mirror class dingys, but we also had a
speedboat with a large 50hp outboard attached. We did not need a
raft at this beach as there were 4 concrete mooring islands for
the tankers to tie up to, these things were round islands
measuring about 10 feet across with a large cast iron bollard in
the centre. The top of these islands were about 12 feet above
the water and could be reached by iron ladders running up the
side. We also had a ski Jump just a short distance towards the
town anchored about 50 yards out to sea.
One morning I got up early and went to Shell beach to do a bit
of sun bathing, as I rode up to the boat house I could see
someone bending over with their head inside the speed boat. As I
got off my bike and lent it against one of the stilts the head
of the person popped up and I saw it was "Sport" Payne, damn!
"Ah Woodger", he said, " Good no-one else here so you can tow me
as I want to water ski." So we pushed the boat on it's trailer
down into the water, and whilst I man handled the trailer back
up the beach, Derek Payne went and got the fuel tank and put it
in the boat and connected it to the engine, then he went and got
his ski's and the tow rope.
Once we were all set up he shouted to me, "Take me down to
Victoria (The town) and then back over the ski jump a few
times." So off I went towards town, as we drew level with the
market Derek pointed back towards the water jump so I turned the
boat in a long smooth arc back to the jump and on reaching it up
he soared and made a respectable jump. "Round again", he
shouted, so around we went. "Full throttle this time", he yelled
so I opened the throttle wide and when he was about 20 feet from
reaching the jump I killed the engine, his speed took him almost
to the top and he started to almost walk but then I opened the
throttle wide again, he hit the water on his head and managed to
ski that way for a good few feet before sinking.
When he surfaced he was red with rage, "What the hell did you do
that for?" he screamed. " Nothing to do with me, sir", I
replied, "The petrol pipe wasn't secured to the motor correctly
must have sucked some air in and killed the engine." Anyway he
decided he had had enough for the day and I picked him up and
returned to the boathouse. The prat never even helped me get the
boat back out of the water.
#Post#: 42086--------------------------------------------------
Re: 129 SU. Labuan, Borneo
DIR By: Wolf
Date: June 15, 2017, 3:44 am
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Another story from Shell beach. Unfortunately I can't remember
the third person involved, but there were three of us had spent
the morning down there. Cpl Ron Higham, Myself and the third
person, and we all decide to walk down into town for some light
refreshment. The road from the beach towards town passed a girls
school on the left hand side, in front of the school was a
basket ball court and there was a game being played as we
approached. As we drew level with the court the ball came
sailing over the fence and bounced to our left before heading
towards us. Ron got himself ready and as the ball dropped
towards him he gave it an enormous boot with his right foot.
The ball rocketed back over the fence and over the heads of the
girls waiting there and started dropping towards the other end,
then to everyone's amazement it dropped straight in the middle
of the net at the far end of the court. All the little girls and
the teacher started clapping. Ron did a small bow towards them
then said, "Come on for Christ's sake before they want me to try
again."
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