RAF CHANGI ASSOCIATION including HQ FEAF August 2019 Issue No. 70 RAF Changi Association (Including HQ FEAF) Founded May 1996 The aim of the RAF Changi Association is to bring together all those who were stationed at RAF Changi (including HQ FEAF) Singapore, in order to renew old friendships and make new ones. www.rafchangi.com Chairman/Archivist: John Dicks 4 Langley Crescent, Kings Langley, Herts. WD4 8EW. Tel: 01923 400221 [email protected] Founding Member/Newsletter Distributor: Mike James 12 Shiners Elms, Yatton, Bristol BS49 4BY. Tel: 01934 833170 [email protected] Secretary/Regalia Officer: Pat Holt 14 Burrowfields, Basingstoke, Hants RG22 4XJ. Tel: 01256 477253 [email protected] Treasurer: Richard Collins 115 Station Road, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex CM0 8HQ. Tel: 01621 785096 [email protected] Newsletter Editor: Les Davies 4 The Bryceway, Liverpool L12 3HJ. Tel: 0151 228 9874 [email protected] Membership Secretary: Malcolm Flack 14 Highfield Close, Amersham, Bucks. HP6 6HG. Tel: 01494 728562 [email protected] Publicity/Press Officer: Brian Lloyd Apartment 26, Hardy Lodge, Coppice Street,, Shaftesbury, Dorset SP7 8GY Tel: 01747 850898 • [email protected] Webmaster: Tony Holt 14 Burrowfields, Basingstoke, Hants RG22 4XJ. Tel: 01256 477253 [email protected] Reunion Liaison Officer: Peter Mersh 24 Asher Reeds, Langton Green, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN3 0AN Tel: 01892 862643 [email protected] Overseas Liaison Officers Iberia: Brian Morgan Tel: 0034 952 196446 • [email protected] Australia: David A. Wood Tel: 0402 195390 • [email protected] New Zealand: Brian Churcher Tel: 0064 7 549 4230 • [email protected] Singapore: Lim Tow Soon Tel: 0065 9647 2953 • [email protected] © RAF Changi Association. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without the prior written or verbal consent of the chairman or secretary. Changi-ite Newsletter 2 August 2019 EDITORIAL Chairman/Archivist’s Report THE Singapore Bicen- tennial in 2019 marks Unfortunately, we are unable to include a report from John Dicks, our the 200th anniversary Chairman, in this issue. of Sir Stamford Raffles’ arrival in Singapore – a Sadly, John recently suffered two mini strokes and was admitted to key milestone in the country’s rich hospital. Although he is now back in his home, I felt it would be an history; and each of us are in some imposition to ask him to submit his usual report. way a small part of that history as, We offer John our good wishes and send vibes for a speedy recovery to indeed, their beautiful country has full health! We look forward to seeing him “back in the saddle” very soon. been a small but memorable part Take care, John! of our own lives. I feel confident their success will continue for many more years to come. Treasurer’s Report Financial Year 2018 The Annual Reunion in Notting- ham proved extremely successful The Association’s audited accounts for 2018 were presented at the Annual and it was good to see that David General Meeting on Sunday, 12th May 2019. Wood, our Australia Liaison The Association continues to be in a sound financial state. Expenditure Officer, had made the long trip to for the year exceeded income by £1109. This was almost entirely due to the be present. Well done, David! increased postage caused by the GDPR exercise so ably managed by our Thanks must go to Peter Mersh, Membership Secretary, Malcolm Flack. the Association’s liaison officer Income from membership fell this year from £9400 in 2017 to £8928, a continuing trend. It and also the hotel staff. It was my is a sad fact that income from subscriptions will continue to reduce over the years. A very rough first visit to this venue and it proved a good experience. Once I calculation shows that our membership could reduce to around 400 in five years or so when we have discovered the correct button may have to consider the future of the Association. Other expenditure across the board remained to press in the lift to get me to the broadly in line with that of 2018. right floor, it will be even better. Regalia, now incorporated in the main account, shows an excess of income over expenditure The Saturday trip into Lincoln of £713. Well done to Secretary and Regalia Officer Pat Holt. was memorable and our visit to Funds held in the bank at the end of 2018 were £49 in the Current Account and £27,067 in Bomber Command outstanding, the Capital Deposit Account . enhanced by the knowledge and A full summary of the accounts is available to members on request to the Treasurer. presentation of an extremely good Richard Collins (Hon. Treasurer) tour guide. Your contributions for inclusion in the Newsletter have been sparse to put it mildly, accompanied by a Secretary’s Report dearth of letters. I know postal rates have risen sharply since Many thanks to all the members and friends who kept Tony and myself busy privatisation, guys, but remember that members’ contributions are with the raffle tickets at the Reunion. People seemed pleased with all the the lifeblood of our magazine! items I had bought for this. Let’s try and make it a ‘bumper’ Margaret Dicks, the winner of the table prize was very happy with the Christmas Newsletter. Finally, my hand made coasters that she won. thanks to all those who did Because of hospital visits for both Tony and myself, it is possible that subscribe to this issue. the Regalia Shop will be closed at some time, but notice will be put on the rafchangi.com website Les Davies (Editor) as and when that happens. Pat Holt (Secretary) CONTENTS Membership Secretary’s Report Committee Reports......................3 Annual Reunion 2019 ..................4/5 The year started off very quietly as far as enquiries and new members go. Postcards from the Past..................6 However, March through to June eventually has brought four new members and, including in mid-June, a surprise telephone call from a nanogenarian Searchline .................................7 wanting to be a member – only just having heard about the Changi The Shackleton Boys .....................8 Association and who was scheduled in the ensuing days to be flying off to Memories from the 1940s ...............9 visit Changi with his family. Let’s hope the trip was successful and maybe Your Letters...........................10/11 we shall hear all about it in due course. Britain’s Secret Vietnam Missions ...12 Sadly we are still learning of the demise of many of our members as you will see in the Bukit Timah Races ......................13 Obituary Listing. This then leaves the membership total now at the end of June at 805, which is A Flight Engineer’s Tale ............14/15 very close to my previous report prediction. The Cunning Dragons ..............16/17 May I remind members that the accuracy of the Association Database is dependent on the receipt of any changes in membership details, such as changes of Address, Telephone Numbers Singapore Bicentennial ................18 and E-mail addresses. So remember, if these are wrong, not only will you miss out on potential New Members/Obituaries/Cenotaph .19 friendship contacts, but your Newsletter may go astray! Regalia Shop ............................20 Malcolm Flack (Membership Secretary) August 2019 3 Changi-ite Newsletter Royal Air Force Changi Association 23rd ANNUAL REUNION held at the Novotel, Nottingham, from 10th to 13th May 2019 N early May we returned to Unlike last year there was no art Centre and Lincoln city centre. e INottingham for our second visit to exhibition on at the hotel, so things Sunday trip was a River Trent cruise the Novotel for our Annual Reunion were much easier to arrange. (with cream tea). It had originally and AGM. Attendance dropped from e Gala Dinner on the Saturday been planned for last year but was 114 last year to 94 this time, but this night followed the usual format and cancelled for reasons beyond our is most likely an inevitable trend since was regarded as a great success by control. our membership numbers are most of those present. At the AGM on Sunday morning gradually depleting. a show of hands clearly indicated a It’s not every year that we have a desire to come back here again next member from ‘down under’ joining Report and pictures year. At this point it was pointed out us, but our Australian liaison officer, by Tony Holt by a member that there was a proposal David Wood, made the long journey to shift the Mayday bank holiday and we were all extremely pleased to from Monday 4th to Friday 8th to extend a particularly warm welcome e traditional raffle followed the commemorate the 75th Anniversary to him. dinner with, as always, a varied of VE Day. In view of the uncertainty David’s trip seemed all the more selection of prizes purchased by Pat we decided to avoid both weekends worthwhile since he was able to meet during the year. Ticket sales totalled by arranging our 2020 Reunion for up with one of his airframe mechanic £420. the 15th to 18th May. e friends who had stayed in Block 144 Saturday’s excursion was to the government eventually confirmed the (ground) at the same time as he did. International Bomber Command change of date about a month later. Vanessa from Isle of Wight Tours welcomes guests at the hotel’s reception desk while Pat is busy selling raffle tickets. Changi-ite Newsletter 4 August 2019 RAFCA 23rd Annual Reunion August 2019 5 Changi-ite Newsletter Postcards from the past Compiled by Mike James View of Penang Road, Penang (1960s).