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DAY
1 - 3 MARCH FRIDAY:
QANTAS Flight QF51 Boeing 767-338ER VH-OGC "City of Bendigo"
Brisbane to Singapore. Owing to industrial action at Brisbane
Airport, departure was delayed by one hour. Numerous heavy
toolboxes failed to amuse Qantas executive staff who were
loading the aircraft! Ken and Mike were invited to the flight
deck for the take-off. Cliff, Ian and Phil visited the flight
deck during the flight with Ian and Phil sitting in on landing.
All were very impressed with the Qantas Boeing 767ER and
the hospitality extended by Captain Noel Graham and his
crew. After collecting toolboxes and bags we passed through
customs and immigration with no problems. Three cabs were
required to take the team and toolboxes/bags to the Ramada
Taipan Hotel. Mike, Phil and Cliff finished up at the front
door with Ken and Ian at the back door. After half an hour
of searching, all were reunited at the foot of the escalator.
Big prang on top of escalator involving tour manager, Cliff,
Ken, Ian, baggage trolley and many toolboxes. No major damage
apart from cut fingers to Ken, demise of Cliff's watch and
dented toolboxes. A restful night was spent by all in excellent
accommodations.
DAY
2 - 4 MARCH SATURDAY:
We all had a big breakfast and were very surprised to find
that it was still dark at 0600 in Singapore. After breakfast
we went on a short shopping trip to buy two cans of C.R.C.
Departed Ramada Taipan at 0900 in two cabs to the ferry
terminal for the trip to Sentosa [World Trade Centre]. Cliff,
Mike and Ken to the side door, Ian and Phil to the front
door. We had mastered the art of getting separated and Ian
was getting bored with guarding a pile of toolboxes while
everybody rounded each other up. Phil scrounged a trolley
to shuttle the toolboxes/bags to the sampan jetty as the
ferry crew refused permission for the team to take toolboxes
on board the ferry! Cliff had to barter with a sampan operator
to transport us and our gear the half mile to Sentosa. The
price was $35.00 with us doing the loading/unloading and
some of the deckhand work. On Sentosa [old ferry jetty]
we had arranged for a bus to transport us on to the youth
hostel - cost $15.00. We were quickly finding out that Singapore
is a strictly cash economy. There are two youth hostel blocks
on Sentosa and it took several hours to find which one we
were booked into. Our first encounter with the left hand
not knowing what the right hand is doing. It was all sorted
out by 1400 and we moved into spartan accommodation only
to find that there is no dunny paper supplied and no cups
to drink tea/coffee from. At 1730 the decision was made
to get some tucker but there are two problems:- 1. thunderstorm
2. all known food outlets are closed. The best we could
hope for was a water diet for dinner. A night fighting with
mosquito nets and mosquitoes ensued. The immediate reaction
from all is that we have taken on a near impossible job
due to the narrowness of the roads, interfering trees and
deep gutters.
DAY
3 - 5 MARCH SUNDAY:
Breakfast of water but we did have ice to improve the taste.
We walked to the aircraft for a detailed inspection and
all agreed: "Big, aren't they?". Ken and Ian took some photos
while Cliff, Phil and Mike commenced work on the Hunter.
Much was achieved in relation to exposing the wing and fuselage
joints. Cliff, Ken and Mike walked to the World Trade Centre
to do some shopping and returned with provisions of spam,
bread and fruit and resumed work on the aircraft. Ken fell
over an angle iron frame being used to support the Hunter
tailplane. No damage to the aircraft but Ken suffers a sprained
ankle. Second fall in two days. He's doing well! A hearty
dinner of spam sandwiches followed by a bowl of tea or coffee
was enjoyed by all. Soup bowls make good teacups.
DAY
4 - 6 MARCH MONDAY:
We all went down to the ferry terminal to meet Nick and
then to Sentosa Development Corp. office for meeting to
introduce ourselves and the general guidelines and restrictions
that we would be required to work with. SDC seemed supportive
to a point and were impressed that we were volunteers and
were using our annual holidays for this rescue mission.
We all thought it was a good meeting. We were required to
obtain a Sentosa worker's pass for each member of the team.
This required a trip back to the World Trade Centre to obtain
passport photos. The paper chase continues with Ken and
Mike ploughing through red tape to only get passes for themselves,
Ian and Phil. Cliff and Nick had to go through the same
exercise on the following day. Cliff and Nick went to Singapore
to commence chasing up contacts. Ian, Phil, Mike and Ken
continued work on the Hunter. For amusement before going
to sleep that night, we played "I Spy"! This must be blamed
on Nick who was probably suffering a delayed form of culture
shock!
DAY
5 - 7 MARCH TUESDAY:
Ken and Mike worked on the Meteor while Cliff, Phil and
Ian continued work on the Hunter rear fuselage and tailplane.
Nick again went to Singapore to chase up contacts. Cliff
went to W.R. Shipping to meet Joey Wong, a contact given
to us by Carpentaria International in Australia. The result
of this meeting was that we obtained the use of a "free"
barge to transport the aircraft and components from Sentosa
to Singapore. Cliff also called in to the Ramada Taipan
to arrange accommodation for the second week as the youth
hostels are all booked out due to school holidays.
DAY
6 - 8 MARCH WEDNESDAY:
A reporter and photographer from the "New Paper" attended
while we removed the Hunter fin and tailplane. These components
were just manageable with six persons as they are much heavier
than they look. After lunch, Nick, Phil, Ian and Mike worked
on the Meteor to commence removal of the upper fin/rudder
and tailplane. Ken, Mike and Ian used a tape to measure
the only likely towing route for the aircraft from their
display position to the Serapong Ramp from where they could
be barged to Singapore. The conclusion was that the Meteor
would be a tight squeeze and the Vixen would not be towable!!
The Hunter would be completely dismantled and trucked as
components. Cliff and Ken went to the Prime Minister's office
in Singapore in an attempt to make an appointment for a
personal meeting only to be informed that all appointment
requests must be made in writing. They then went on to People's
Park to purchase a new battery drill as Mike's was not proving
capable of the task of drilling out hundreds of rusty screws.
The hardware "store" turns out to be a veritable gold mine
and several trips were to be made there in the future. That
night, Nick, Ian and Phil got lost returning to the hostel
and ended up at the far end of Sentosa. They blamed Phil
for the navigational error.
DAY
7 - 9 MARCH THURSDAY:
At 0900 we had a meeting with the Ranger [Police Inspector]
to outline our rough plans. He seemed very receptive to
our general ideas and proposed a meeting with the SDC Maintenance
Chief which was set for 1430. Mike and Nick travelled to
the RSAF base at Seletar to seek the loan of Hunter wing
pin/bush removal tools. Ian, Phil, Ken and Cliff worked
on removing Meteor wing pins which proved not to be a great
problem. At 1430, Ken and Cliff met the Police Chief and
the Maintenance Chief to seek the loan of a tractor for
towing aircraft, a welder and an oxy torch. The Maintenance
Chief was not very agreeable to any of these requests so
Ken and Cliff returned to the aircraft a bit depressed.
Mike Holtby, a Singapore Airlines Captain who first informed
us of the "Sentosa Orphans", arrived at 1600 for a general
discussion and update on the situation. Made early contacts
with Singapore Airlines in relation to a suitable towing
vehicle. By evening, both the Hunter and Meteor were fully
prepared for dismantling. We could go no further without
the use of a crane. That evening we visited the surrender
chambers which are reconstructions of the British surrender
to the Japanese and the subsequent Japanese surrender to
the allies. All slept well as we would have to move out
of the hostel over the weekend.
DAY
8 - 10 MARCH FRIDAY:
Phil, Cliff, Ian and Mike commenced work on dismantling
the Sea Vixen as no further work could be done on the Hunter
and Meteor until a crane could be arranged. About 1000,
Phil and Ian walked to the LPD ramp for discussions with
contractors about a truck mounted crane. Unfortunately,
contractors on Sentosa were not in a position to lend/lease
a vehicle to us. Nick and Ken went to see Mr Lim [Aik Hong
Hardware] as the SDC considered him still responsible for
the removal of the aircraft from Sentosa. We were able to
secure the loan of the Aik Hong Hardware seven ton Bedford
truck with a four ton crane, an extension of Aik Hong's
insurance to cover QAM while on Sentosa and we bought a
four-wheel trolley that would be useful for transporting
components to the loading ramp. This trolley will also have
a multitude of uses at Caloundra. The agreed price was S$400.00
after repairs by Aik Hong Hardware. At completion of the
days work we all moved back to the Ramada Taipan for the
weekend as the youth hostel was fully booked. The hot showers
at the hotel were enjoyed by all. At 2200 we met John Ho.
This gentleman was to become our cornerstone contact in
Singapore.
DAY
9 - 11 MARCH SATURDAY:
Due to the inability to do any further dismantling on Sentosa
without the use of a crane, we decided to have a break over
the weekend. Therefore, we played tourist, seeing some of
the sights of Singapore. Cliff bought a new tyre pump as
the foot pump bought in Australia had expired after pumping
up four tyres [three on Meteor plus the Hunter nosewheel].
DAY
10 - 12 MARCH SUNDAY:
Played tourist!
DAY
11 - 13 MARCH MONDAY:
In the morning, Ian and Phil moved back to Sentosa only
to find that there had been a mixup with bookings and we
would be in the other youth hostel [Block 18]. Mike and
Nick went to SAMCO [Singapore Aerospace Manufacturing Co]
to check on the loan of Hunter wing pin removal tools. Ken
and Cliff had a busy day with meetings. Firstly to Mr S
C Lim of the Straits Conference Secretariat, then to Neptune
Orient Line to put our case for shipping and then to W R
Shipping [Joey Wong] to make definite arrangements about
the barge and to arrange collection of Mr Lim's truck. They
then went to People's Park to buy a three inch pipe cutter
and a small trenching tool. The pipe cutter would be required
to cut the uprights in the barriers around the aircraft
and the trenching tool was needed to make clearance for
the counterweight on the boom gate at the barge loading
ramp. Ian and Phil worked on the Sea Vixen all day, mainly
on the tailplane. Joe Pillai from Rehnania [Grace Bros]
visited the aircraft. This started another possible contact.
Mike begins to feel a bit sick as he had contracted shingles.
DAY
12 - 14 MARCH TUESDAY:
Mike was very sick and spent all day in bed with a temperature
of 103. Ian, Phil, Cliff, Nick and Ken all worked on the
Sea Vixen fuselage joints and tailplane. The Sea Vixen was
proving extremely difficult to dismantle as a large number
of bolts and screws were corroded quite badly. Cliff and
Ken dismantled one of the DC-3 propellors and were quite
surprised at the lack of corrosion/deterioration. After
lunch, Cliff and Ken returned to Neptune Orient Line to
meet with Eric Eng. On return to Sentosa, they dismantled
the second DC-3 prop and also heard of the action by the
Prime Minister's office in relation to NOL. The message
about this caused a big stir amongst the Sentosa administration
staff as it had to be hand delivered to us. We were also
informed that we would have to move camp on Wednesday, back
to our original youth hostel block! John Ho arrived to let
us into his storeroom to collect instruments and panel for
the Hunter.
DAY
13 - 15 MARCH WEDNESDAY:
Continued work on the Sea Vixen. The screws in the tailboom
joints were proving extremely difficult to remove. They
are countersunk with a special slot requiring modification
of Ken's screwdriver. The biggest problem is the fact that
the screws have rusted nuts and the screw ends have been
peened over to prevent them vibrating loose in service.
We moved camp just before lunch back to our original hostel
block [Block 60]. Mike is getting better and is able to
take photographs. We presented our movement schedule to
SDC although insurance documents still have not been received
from Mr Lim and this is a big question for the SDC. Joey
Wong confirms barge for Saturday and he will make arrangements
re naval shipping clearance and collection of truck. Late
in the afternoon we were able to confirm insurance coverage.
We also feel that we have completed preparation of the Sea
Vixen tailplane - we hope!
DAY
14 - 16 MARCH THURSDAY:
Everybody spent all day removing the boom joint screws on
the Sea Vixen. For some of these screws it required five
men to maintain pressure on the screwdriver via an elaborate
system of levers while the sixth man used a socket on the
nut. Once the nuts were removed, the screws had to be driven
out as they are an interference fit in the holes. The battery
drills were put to good use as some of the difficult screws
had to be drilled out. We all agreed that the fuselage boom
joint construction method on the Sea Vixen is a retrograde
step in relation to the Sea Venom. We were also able to
do several trips to Serapong Ramp with the Hunter wings,
rear fuselage and the Meteor wings. These did not require
escorts.
DAY
15 - 17 MARCH FRIDAY:
Nick went to SAMCO to collect Hunter wing pin extraction
tools and spanners. We tried to pump up Sea Vixen main gear
tyres with new pump but blew out the connecting hose. Fortunately
we were able to use the hose from the foot pump and thus
build a workable pump. Mike, Ian and Phil worked on the
Hunter and Meteor in final preparation for dismantling.
Cliff and Ken went to town to see Joe Pillai and Karl Hohenberger
of Rehnania for a standard meeting, then to WR Shipping
[Joey Wong] to finalise barge for tomorrow. There followed
a visit to Peoples Park to buy a one and five sixteenths
inch AF ring spanner for the nuts on the wing pivot points
on the Sea Vixen. This little hardware store is really amazing.
He stocks just about everything. Nick departs for the Ramada
Taipan for one last day in Singapore before returning to
Australia. SDC have yet to confirm validity of an international
driving permit for Ken to drive the truck.
DAY
16 - 18 MARCH SATURDAY:
Ian and Phil had a dawn start to get to Jurong Marine Base
to board the barge "Tai Ching" by 1000. Phil had to make
19 phone calls to arrange Port of Singapore Authority and
Navy clearance to use Serapong Ramp. Ken was waiting at
the ramp to drive the truck. PSA would not give clearance
for barge to take the most direct route, so "Tai Chin" had
to sail right around Sentosa Island thus making it three
hours late on arrival at Serapong Ramp. Meanwhile, Ken and
Mike had launched a foot search to locate alternative landing
ramps. All finally met at Serapong at 1500. Ken drove the
ancient Bedford to the aircraft with Ian and Phil as frightened
passengers. The barge owner, Mr Teng, has made a tentative
offer of storage at the Jurong Marine Base for the Meteor
and Sea Vixen. Cliff went to see Mr Teo at Neptune Orient
Line in response to a letter from the Prime Minister. It
is possible that NOL may assist with twenty and forty foot
containers. A good day! We have the truck and crane on the
island, we may have storage and we may have reduced rate
shipping for the containers.
DAY
17 - 19 MARCH SUNDAY:
Serious dismantling can now commence. We removed the Meteor
wings and had great difficulty removing the stubborn tailplane
bolts on the Meteor. We also removed the Hunter rear fuselage
section. Not a bad day's work! The Meteor is now ready for
towing. Karl Hohenberger from Rehnania visited with his
family and seemed very impressed and on side. We are all
beginning to feel the effects of the constant workload and
heat/humidity but we must keep going as we know that over
the next fortnight we will have to achieve our target.
DAY
18 - 20 MARCH MONDAY:
The plan for the day was to fold the undercarriage on the
Hunter and lower it to the ground with air bags and crane.
As it transpired, we had problems folding the nose gear.
There is a lock right at the top of the leg. Once we freed
this rusty lock, we were able to fold the nose gear and
lock it up. This took us all morning. While Ken was trying
to contact John Ho for some information on the Hunter, a
thunderstorm hit Sentosa putting all public telephones out
of action and drowning everything. After the storm we attempted
to fold the port main gear. After two and a half hours,
it was decided to remove the ram as this was the only apparent
way of folding the gear. We were to learn later that the
ram has an internal lock which requires hydraulic pressure
to unlock it. Without hydraulic pressure we were wasting
our time, removal of the ram was the only solution. We successfully
folded the port main gear and lowered that side of the Hunter
just as the daylight disappeared.
DAY
19 - 21 MARCH TUESDAY:
Everybody was up before dawn to enable an 0600 start. Problems
with the electrics on the truck delayed us for about one
and a half hours. When we did get the truck started, it
took us only half an hour to remove the starboard ram and
lower the Hunter to the ground. While repositioning the
truck, all drive was lost! Disappointment is loudly expressed
by everyone and a broken axle is suspected. Ken and Phil
had an appointment with Mr Teng in relation to a storage
area so they had to leave Ian, Mike and Cliff to dismantle
the differential and confirm a broken axle. Cliff travelled
in to town to purchase a new axle as no help was forthcoming
from Aik Hong Hardware as Mr Lim was away in Hong Kong.
Mike and Ian continued to dismantle the diff as the broken
stub had to be removed from the centre. Phil and Ken had
a good meeting and confirmed storage for the Meteor and
Sea Vixen at Jurong Marine Base at a reduced/free rate and
returned to help with the truck. Cliff arrived with a new
axle at 1900. Ken, Phil and Ian worked by torchlight to
fit the axle and reassemble the diff. Repairs could not
be completed before everyone succumbed to the effects of
a seventeen hour day and the Queensland Truck Museum workers
retired at 2230!
DAY
20 - 22 MARCH WEDNESDAY:
Everybody was up before dawn for another 0600 start. Ken
and Ian finalised assembly of the diff by educated guesswork
in relation to crownwheel/pinion setting. Cliff agreed with
the guess. Reassembly was completed at approximately 1000
and the truck was taken for a short test drive. The diff
sounds ok but the gearbox does not sound too healthy. While
the truck was mobile, we decided to put it to good use so
we commenced removal of the Hunter port mainplane. The pins
were removed in sequence, top main, bottom main, top rear
and bottom rear. The wing was separated by about half an
inch but it proved very difficult to sling. A hidden fuel
fuel pipe was preventing the removal of the wing. This was
attended to and the wing removal was completed by torchlight
at 2030. Another long day - 15 hours! Cliff was feeling
sick and had to retire early. Everybody getting very tired.
DAY
21 - 23 MARCH THURSDAY:
Another dawn start to remove the Hunter starboard wing.
Armed with the knowledge of the fuel pipe, what had been
a two and a half hour task the previous day took only twenty-eight
minutes. The Hunter was now ready for transport to Serapong
ramp. Two down - one to go! Mike, Ian, Phil and Ken used
the crane to lift and prop the Sea Vixen starboard main
gear to remove the wheel so that John Ho could attempt to
have the tyre repaired. John and Cliff took the tyre to
the tyre repairers only to be told that it couldn't be foam
filled. At about 1000, a reporter and photographer from
the "New Paper" arrived. An extensive interview ensued during
which they were informed of our difficulties both physical
and financial. Cliff and John visited Joey Wong [WR Shipping]
to be told that our "free" barge would cost S$6,000.00 per
trip. During the day, Phil dropped a length of 6x6 inch
timber on his toe and it was becoming very painful. An ice
pack was the best treatment we could provide. At 1630 we
started experimenting with methods of towing the Meteor
with the truck. By 1930 we had developed a method of using
the crane jib as a semi-rigid towbar and were ready to start
at 2030 with our previously arranged police escort. The
tow began at 2030 and proceeded about 50 yards before our
first tree hazard stopped us half way down the hill. We
tried reversing, but without a rigid towbar on the nose
gear, we did not have the steering accuracy required. The
only solution was to fill the gutter on the starboard side
and to scarf half an inch from the tree on the other side.
One and a half hours after the start we were past the tree
and on our way. It was a tight squeeze on some sections
but we got through with inches to spare. There followed
an uneventful trip of one and a half miles to the ramp only
to discover two golf buses and a truck parked on the road
at the Serapong ramp. We had to unhook the Meteor and use
the crane to lift the offending truck out of the way. The
two buses were pushed out of the way. We then had to re-hitch
the Meteor and tow it the remaining one hundred yards. The
trip took ninety minutes for the first hundred yards, thirty
minutes for the next one and a half miles and ninety minutes
for the last hundred yards! The Meteor was manually pushed
into the parking area at the ramp. A long but successful
day drew to a close at 0300. Twenty-one hours of straight
work with only brief spells for meals. How long can we keep
this up?
DAY
22 - 24 MARCH - GOOD FRIDAY:
Work commenced at 0700 to remove the Sea Vixen booms which
were off by 1100. The rest of the day was spent attempting
to remove the tailplane with no success. During the afternoon,
John Ho returned with the wheel and tyre having been unable
to get it repaired. At 1800 we moved out of Block 60 again
to return to the Ramada Taipan for the night and a hot shower.
We decided to make John an honorary member and appoint him
as our business representative in Singapore. A good nights
sleep helped everybody.
DAY
23 - 25 MARCH SATURDAY:
The team departed the Ramada Taipan at 0700 to commence
work on Sentosa at 0900. The plan for the day was to remove
the Sea Vixen outer wing panels and fold the nose undercarriage
in preparation for transporting the aircraft on the back
of the truck as the main gear track is wider than the road
in some sections. The nose undercarriage proved to be of
similar construction to the Hunter main gear and therefore
it proved impossible to retract. The Sea Vixen wing joint
pins proved to be immovable and as time was desperately
short, drastic measures were called for. Ken and Phil again
approached the maintenance chief and were able to borrow
oxy-acetylene cutting gear. Ken tried heat on the webs without
any success so the decision was made to cut the webs lengthwise
to enable the pins to be removed. They were cut in a manner
to facilitate repair and the outer wing panels were removed
with the crane. Prior to our departure from Australia, it
had been agreed that in the event that any of the aircraft
proved impossible to shift, we would cut it up into transportable
sections that could be repaired. It was agreed that as a
last resort, this was preferable to selling the aircraft
or simply abandoning it. In the event, the surgery was relatively
minor compared with what might have been necessary. Earlier
in the day, two Tasmanian tourists, Phil Pyke and Dave Nelan
had volunteered to assist as a result of the story in the
"New Paper". Their offer was gladly accepted and they were
put to work packing the spare panels in the engine bay of
the Hunter forward fuselage. At 1200, Cliff contacted NOL
to be informed that they would be able to ship one forty
foot container and one twenty foot container for US$4,500.00
plus local handling charges. We agreed to this price as
it would at least get the Hunter and all the spare components
back to Australia. At 1500, Cliff, Phil and John went to
see Mr Teng for a further meeting in relation to charges.
They also visited WR Shipping. It was planned to shift the
Hunter forward fuselage that night, so the loading was attempted
at about 1600. This proved to be impossible with the existing
setup so, with daylight running out, we loaded one of the
Sea Vixen wings instead. We moved back into Block 18 at
1800 in time for a good meal and a short rest. At 2030,
with our police escort, we took this wing to the ramp, returning
for the second at 2145. A third trip accounted for the Meteor
and Hunter tailplanes and the Meteor nosecone. By this time,
dim headlights on the truck pointed to a failing battery.
The days tasks were finished just in time for the team to
make the last ferry back to Singapore at 2230.
DAY
24 - 26 MARCH SUNDAY:
We attempted to repair the charging circuit on the truck
with no success, so the truck had to be clutch started.
We then borrowed the oxy gear once again to cut the corroded
joints in the Sea Vixen tailplane. Our two Tasmanian friends
returned to help and they were put to work assisting with
dismantling the tailplane. During the lunch break, the truck
battery was charged up at the maintenance depot. By 1700,
the Sea Vixen tailplane had been removed giving us access
to the centre section. Due to the fact that the nose gear
could not be folded, the decision was made to load it facing
aft by alternately lifting and blocking each main gear and
inching the truck underneath. Finally the crane was used
to lift the nose to pull the load on to the truck. The nosewheel
remained on the ground during the entire operation. The
crane was swivelled forward of the cab to lend steering
traction, the load secured, and a short test drive was taken
around the square. This was completed by 2000 and at 2030,
with police escort, the load departed for Serapong ramp.
The aircraft and truck moved quite successfully, Ken being
able to engage second gear on some sections. The last half
mile had to be negotiated in reverse as turning room at
the ramp was limited. The only difficulty experienced was
that the hole dug for the boom gate counterweight had to
be deepened to facilitate raising the boom higher. We finished
at 2300 and had a celebration before dropping John and the
boys at the ferry terminal. We were all very tired but had
succeeded in shifting the largest load to the ramp. We now
feel that the aircraft are truly on the start of their journey
to Australia. The only loads remaining were the Hunter forward
fuselage and the Sea Vixen booms and tailplane.
DAY
25 - 27 MARCH MONDAY:
The first load of the day, a Sea Vixen tail boom, arrived
at the ramp to be greeted by a traffic jam. Ken and Phil
had to wait forty-five minutes to unload. Mike and Ian departed
to return the Hunter tools while Cliff and John visited
another barge company for quotes. They subsequently visited
Joey Wong where a misunderstanding was corrected. Under
the arrangement, we would get two barge trips for S$6,000.00.
The barge was booked for 1200 Tuesday to load the aircraft
and components. Two further trips were made with the truck
to clean up the area. The Hunter forward fuselage was successfully
loaded diagonally across the tray of the truck using the
inner hook of the crane for this especially heavy load.
Cliff had his camera stolen during the day and this was
reported to the police at which time a police escort was
arranged for 1730 Tuesday. At 1930 we all caught taxis to
Mike Holtby's residence for a barbecue with interested friends.
The Hunter instruments and panel were handed to Mike Holtby
for safehand transportation to Australia. We had an enjoyable
evening but had to leave at 2200 to catch the last ferry
back to Sentosa for a very early start next day.
DAY
26 - 28 MARCH TUESDAY:
At 0530 our police escort arrived to take the Hunter forward
fuselage to the ramp. No problems were experienced and this
was the last load! The police drove us back to the youth
hostel. With this task completed by 0630 we all went back
to bed for a rest. At 0900, we all started to sort and pack
tools and chartered a bus for S$15.00 to take us and our
baggage to the Serapong ramp by 1200. Singapore Broadcasting
Corporation [TV] arrived at 1230 as did the barge. Another
drama ensued as the Navy had not been notified about the
barge movements. The Port of Singapore Authority had failed
to notify the Navy but all was sorted out by 1300 allowing
the barge to dock. Ken, Mike and Ian used the truck to shuttle
loads to where they could be picked up by the enormous crane
on the barge. The loading was very slow and as a result
the barge became grounded on the falling tide. Loading was
completed by 1700, the cavernous hold of the "Tai Chen"
having swallowed up the three aircraft and the truck! Joey
Wong visited for the loading and John Ho assisted on the
barge. During loading, Phil managed to walk into the hook
of the crane and for a while was not too healthy. The barge
had to wait for high tide at midnight and Phil saw them
off at 0030.
DAY
27 - 29 MARCH WEDNESDAY:
Due to the delay with the barge, we were not required at
the Jurong Marine Base to assist with unloading until 1400
so we spent the morning inspecting Fort Siloso, one of the
forts built to protect Singapore Harbour. It was very interesting
and it was good to be able to relax for a couple of hours.
The bus trip to Jurong Marine Base took two hours and we
arrived just in time for a thunderstorm. The barge arrived
during the storm so we all had to wait for the rain to end.
Thanks to the efforts of John Ho we have been able to acquire
ejection seats for the aircraft. Unloading commenced at
1600 using the barge crane, a ten ton mobile crane and a
forklift. Some minor damage had to be tolerated as the barge
had another job to attend to and QAM had little control
over the operation. The unloading operation took ninety
minutes. Joey Wong visited for the unloading. On completion
of unloading we began to plan for loading the containers.
Ian, Mike and Phil got a lift back to the World Trade Centre
while Ken and Cliff waited in case John Ho returned. They
had to leave at 1900 to ensure bus/ferry transport back
to Sentosa, arriving at the youth hostel at 2045. It transpired
that John Ho had arrived at Jurong at 1915 missing everyone
by fifteen minutes.
DAY
28 - 30 MARCH THURSDAY:
We set out at 0615 to ensure an early arrival at Jurong
Marine Base where we arrived at 0900 after two hours on
buses. We put in a full day packing the twenty foot container
with the Meteor outer wings, Hunter rear fuselage, Meteor
tailplane, Hunter tailplane and the DC-3 prop hubs. The
forty foot container was loaded with the Hunter forward
fuselage at an angle to clear the wing stubs. Ian built
a support frame out of timber to prevent movement of this
section. The Hunter wings were then loaded on their leading
edges and wedged in with tyres. We knocked off at 1900 and
John Ho gave us a lift back to the World Trade Centre. We
just made "Rasa Sentosa" [eating stalls] at 2030, half an
hour before closing time. A restful night was spent by all.
DAY
29 - 31 MARCH FRIDAY:
Ken, Mike and Phil took a taxi to Jurong to complete packing
the forty foot container. All that remained was the Sea
Vixen booms and tailplane. Cliff stayed behind to pack up
and bid farewell to the SDC management and staff. The packing
of the container was completed at 1230 and two taxis were
requisitioned to take Phil, Ian, Ken and Mike and their
heavy toolboxes back to the World Trade Centre. We returned
to Sentosa to pack and clean up with a guard on the toolboxes
at all times. Three taxis were required to transport everyone
and their gear to the airport to meet John Ho at 1800. Phil
will remain in Singapore for another two days to tie up
loose ends, during which time he will stay with John Ho.
We checked our baggage and made our limit with fifteen kilos
to spare. [Qantas had generously allowed us 200 kilos of
excess baggage to cover the heavy toolboxes]. After an enjoyable
meal at the airport, the team bid farewell to John, his
friend, Dennis and Phil at 2130 to board Qantas flight QF52
for the return flight to Brisbane. This flight was operated
by Qantas' newest aircraft, Boeing 767-338 VH-OGD "City
of Maitland". We arrived in rain sodden Brisbane at 0740
on April Fools Day to be met by Yvonne Robinson, Dick Hitchins,
Lyndsey Evans and Ron Cuskelly. All are very tired but satisfied
that we have done everything that was possible on the Sentosa
Rescue Mission!
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY
The
C-47 on Sentosa Island
THE THREE THAT DIDN'T GET AWAY
In
addition to thanking everyone named in this account, QAM
wishes to thank the following sponsors without whose assistance
the Sentosa Rescue Mission would not have been possible:
QANTAS AIRWAYS LIMITED
QANTAS
JETABOUT
RAMADA
TAIPAN HOTEL
KODAK
AIR
BP
CARPENTARIA
INTERNATIONAL
CALOUNDRA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
CALOUNDRA
TIMBERS
K-MART
SUPER
K-MART
TROLTIP
FLIGHTPATH
MAGAZINE
SPECIAL
THANKS TO JOHN HO
AND
THE "SENTOSA RESCUE MISSION" TEAM:
MIKE
ADAMS
PHIL
BOWLY
IAN
COLLINS
CLIFF ROBINSON
NICK
SAYER
KEN
WOODROW
WHAT
THE AVIATION PRESS SAID
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