Thursday 22 August 1957.
Valetta VX491. Sortie. To drop leaflets in Cameron Highlands area of Malaya.
It was a normal day for us, had breakfast in the mess then returned to Kemar billet and put our flying overalls on, hooked my holster on to my web belt and then went down to the QM Stores, signed for my .38 revolver and six rounds of ammunition, also picked up a Jungle Survival Pack. we then went to the RAF pan where the valetta VX491 was getting it's preflight checks, we loaded the panniers of leaflets on to the plane as per the manifest, the RAF crew came on board and prepared for take-off, before long we were on our way down the runway, up and away, then we headed for the drop zone, we piled the bundles of leaflets near to the door and on the pilots instruction started to cut the string on the bundles and carefully ease them out into the slipstream, I was on the headset intercom to the pilot, Flight Sergeant Pound, after a while he remarked saying "Wrong valley, banking to port despatcher" as we came round we seemed to be having a problem levelling off. Then the emergency bell started ringing and the pilot informed me that we had to get in our seats and strap in. I sat down in the outside seat nearest to the open door having made sure that the rest of the crew were seated, I went to fasten my seat belt but the buckle part was missing, I put my arms over my head and pulled myself into my seat.
My last sight through the open door was of the jungle rushing towards us, then there was a jarring impact, the sound of metal being torn apart, then on opening my eyes to see a wall of flame, I assume that on impact I was thrown over the seat towards the front of the aircraft which caused damage to my ribs and eye.
I must have scrambled out of the aircraft on the starboard side, then I shouted and I heard a reply from the other side of the blazing aircraft, I made my way round and was relieved to see that the rest of the despatch crew had got out albeit with injuries,.
There were no signs of the RAF crew, we then had to move away from the aircraft due to the heat, we checked out our injuries. Dvr Roe was burned very badly, Dvr Moore was had burns to his hands and face, Dvr Downes was burned badly on on both arms, I myself had a damaged eye, ribs and burns. Later on I went back to the aircraft and it was still burning, as we had lost our Survival Packs in the fire our first priority was to get some water, we could hear a river below us and went in that direction, at the same time trying to leave a trail back to the aircraft, which unfortunatly did not work, we made a shelter as best we could and settled down for the night, which was not a good one.
In the morning we had no success in finding the aircraft, in my mind was the thought that there could be help downriver as there had not been any search aircraft overhead at all to give us hope of a rescue, I can't recall how it came about but it finished up with a decission that Alfie and I would go downstream, and Lenny would tend to Ernie in our absence. We travelled along the river bank as best we could, Alfie could not use his arms very much so it was uphill push him, and downhill holding his collar, at dark we slept, but Alfie had a bad night so in the morning I cleaned his burns the best I could, the blisters were filled with maggots so I washed them off and by ripping a pair of shorts managed to cover both his hands in an effort to keep the flies out.
I dont know how long we had been in the jungle when an aircraft circled above us and a Tannoy message informed us that Lenny and Ernie had been found and we were to remain where we were, hours later we heard voices and the bushes across the river parted and a coloured face with some sort of jungle hat peered at us, this turned out to be an armed Malayan Policeman, then an SAS Officer and a Trooper came down our side of the river and we were saved.
We camped there that night after having our wounds treated and fed by our rescuers, the next morning we walked back to the crash site, it was a lot easier this time, later that day we were flown out by helicopter to Changi Hospital in Singapore.
L/cpl Ray Travis.
55 Coy RASC AD.
Malaya.
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