Report on Rescue Mission of Valetta VX491.
Which crashed near Tanjung Malim, Malaysia.
22 August 1957.
In 1957 I was a Lance Corporal with the 22 Special Air Service Regiment stationed at Wardieburn Camp, which was about ten miles north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaya.
Towards the end of August 1957, the SAS were advised that a plane had crashed into the jungle; information from the RAF control room in Kuala Lumpur was that the aircraft was down but they, as yet, had no information to its exact location. So, I, together with other personnel were placed on emergency standby duty. The SAS team consisted of a team leader, a medical orderly, myself as the radio operator and four infantrymen.
We were instructed to kit up for a parachute descent into trees. This entailed us having to go to RAF Kuala Lumpur airfield and collect our parachutes and abseiling equipment. This we did then we boarded a helicopter which transported us to a Malayan Police outpost near Slim River, Perak. Here we waited while Austers from 656 Squadron searched the area, five days after the crash the aircraft's position was spotted.
On receiving the aircraft's location, we took off in the helicopter and proceeded to the crash site. Hovering over the site we saw that the aircraft had cut down a lot of trees. Then at 800 feet we jumped out, wearing only one parachute (the reserve parachute being replaced with our abseiling equipment and Bergen); the descent into the trees went ok. However, I didn't get to use my abseiling gear as I went crashing straight through to the jungle floor. Picking myself up, I quickly discarded the parachute helmet that I had borrowed from a mate and had promised faithfully to return.
We were all safely down and, with the helicopter now hovering over the crash site, we were able to regroup and get to the crashed aircraft. We signalled to the helicopter which then returned to the Police Outpost.
We arrived the crash site and ascertained that the three RAF crew had perished and, on hearing shouting, found two survivors. They were part of the RASC Despatch crew; one was badly burned and injured, the other was cut and covered in scratches. These lads were a short distance from the aircraft, down near a small river, and informed us that the other two lads had gone off following the river downstream to try and get help.
The Medic attended to the injured lads and I set up my radio to establish communications with base, and to inform them that two of the survivors had left the aircraft and were travelling along the river. At the time I was operating an attache radio set, WS122, which was based on a German radio and was still subjected to security controls. At a later date, when a reconstruction of the rescue for a BBC 'Behind the headlines' documentary was filmed, I was filmed operating this radio set but for security reasons, the radio could not be shown on film.
Two of our team went downstream in search of the lads, the others set about preparing a landing area for a helicopter. On completion of the landing area a Sycamore helicopter landed and removed the two lads to the Military Hospital at Kinrara, near Kuala Lumpur.
During this time Army patrols in the area were advised of the aircraft's location. On nearing the site, they were informed that two of the survivors were heading downstream. One of the Malayan patrols intercepted the lads and, after being tended for their injuries, fed and a night's rest, they and the two team members returned to the crash site. From there the lads were transported by helicopter to the Military Hospital.
As our mission was now complete, we then trekked out of the jungle; on reaching a road, we contacted our unit who provided transport and returned us to our camp at Wardieburn.
Lance Corporal Albert Jones,
22 Special Air Service Regiment
I would like to thank Tricia Waller for bringing the VX491 story to the attention of her father Bert Jones. Norman W Doctor.
Photos of the equipment used in order to lower parachutists from treetops
1. Showing position of equipment on leaving helicopter.
2. Position of Bergen on entering trees.
3. Using lowering equipment.
4. Map of crash area.
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