The RAF in Malaya

The RAF operations in support of the anti-Communist insurgent campaign were run under the code name 'Firedog'. The Campaign initially consisted of mainly ground attacks by Mosquitos, Beaufighters, Ansons and Sunderland supported by Dakota transports. Photo reconnaissance Spitfires and mosquitoes also photographed large areas of the peninsula until replaced by Meteor FR.10s, the PR version of the Meteor F.8 fighter bomber in November 1953. Another jet fighter bomber which joined the Meteor in Malaya was the de Havilland Vampire in its FB.5 and FB.9 versions.

Among the piston engine aircraft involved in the far east were the De Havilland Hornet, which was the fastest piston engine aircraft to serve with the RAF. Alongside the Hornet in the ground-attack role was the Bristol Brigand, and leaflet raids were conducted by the Avro Lincolns deployed there in two Squadrons, One RAF and one RAAF.

The voice aircraft were deployed in Malaya were firstly Army co-operation Austers fitted experimentally with speakers, which was followed by the Dakota which would fly at 2500ft just above stalling speed in a box pattern, so that the message could be rendered audible for periods of thirty seconds. The Dakotas were replaced in the early 1950s by Vickers Valettas which was tasked with supply drops to active ground forces in the jungle.

The Search and Rescue and CASEVAC (Casualty Evacuation) missions, as well as supply drops were carried out by Royal Navy and RAF helicopters, see below.

Malaya saw one of the first operational deployment of an RAF Helicopter unit when a flight of four Westland-Sikorsky Dragonfly HC2s, was dispatched to Singapore for casualty evacuation duties in Malaya. Apart from the obvious military benefit of being able to fly troops to hospital in a very short time after they had been wounded, taking only hours for journeys which could have taken days or weeks through thick jungle or by meandering rivers, the availability of the helicopter to take sick civilians to hospital, or fly in medical supplies or doctors and nurses, also played a major part in the campaign to win the hearts and minds of the local population, denying the terrorists the opportunity of gaining support in the remote rural areas. On their arrival in Singapore in June 1950, the RAF helicopters were based at Changi, and were soon being operated at full stretch. Possibly one of their most unusual passengers was the wife of a Communist bandit leader, found in the jungle only ten miles from the border. The hard pressed Dragonfly's were supplemented by RNAS No.848 Squadron and its Sikorsky S-55 (Later licensed versions would be the Westland Whirlwind) which arrived in Singapore on 8th June 1953.