Malaya and Singapore 1933 to 1939

After the long voyage from London to Singapore , 100 Squadron joined 36 Squadron, equipped with Horsley’s, and 205 Squadron, equipped with Albacore’s, and quickly ‘bedded down’ at RAF Seletar. The Role for 100 Squadron was to augment 36 and 205 Squadrons by holding off any invasion threat for up to 70 days until the arrival of the Royal Navy. Reveille was at 06:30 each day, and most routine work was carried out during the morning until 13:15, which was ‘time for Tiffin’. There was then a two-hour ‘quiet period’ until 16:00 unless there was some emergency.

Singapore was to become known as a ‘dream posting’. Off duty diversions included hockey, football, water polo and the chance to sail in a sampan up the Johore Strait to visit Frank Buck’s ‘bring ‘em back alive zoo’. Another ‘perk’ of the Singapore posting was the opportunity to take an ‘indulgence passage’ to Hong Kong in the ‘trooping season’. There, one could stay for up to ten days, and the only charge was ‘ration money’ staying at the Union Jack Club.

A highlight of 1934 was the Mildenhall to Melbourne air race, which was won by Scott, Campbell and Black in their DH8. 100 Squadron groundcrew serviced and refuelled the contestants’ aircraft.

An essential aspect of the work of the Squadron was to become familiar with airstrips in Northern Malaya such as Alor Star and Kota Bahru. This task involved the Wireless Operators and Technicians establishing and maintaining radio communications with the Signals Section at Singapore . Another aspect of 100 Squadron’s work, in conjunction with 36 Squadron, was that of torpedo attacks. This involved intensive training carrying our mock attacks, using dummy torpedoes, against Royal Navy vessels in the Straits of Johore.

To be effective, torpedoes had to be dropped from a height of 15 feet, which was just possible in daylight, but almost impossible at night. A 36 Squadron Horsley, which didn’t get it right and ditched in the Straits of Johore, clearly illustrate the dangers involved. These night operations were particularly dangerous. Aircraft would fly out with only blue ‘streaming lights’ shining backwards for guidance. One aircraft would ‘illuminate’ the target from 5000 feet with flares, which allowed the remaining aircraft to attack individually.

The situation was improved when modified torpedo racks were fitted, which allowed torpedoes to be launched from 100 feet. Even so, it was a small crumb of comfort to the crews to be told by the Royal Navy, that although the aircraft would score hits when making attacks from that height, the aircraft would be ‘sitting ducks’ for the gunners aboard the ships.

Other aspects of training included high level bombing from 8000 to 10000 feet, air to air and air to sea gunnery exercises, photographic and visual reconnaissance and target towing. On one such exercise, the pilot of K2931 crash-landed in the jungle. The recovery of the aircraft involved a heroic week’s trek through dense jungle fighting swarms of insects, leeches and torrential rain. Parts of the aircraft were ‘ferried’ back to Bekok on a daily basis. At the end of the expedition, the RAF personnel all had beards and were almost unrecognisable, but their sheer guts and determination meant that 100 Squadron had one more aircraft for the struggle that was yet to come.

The most notable pioneering flight was that of three Vildebeests led by Sqn Ldr Croke, which flew from Seletar to Risalpur. This flight was designed to demonstrate that the Indian North West could be reinforced in an emergency. The flight took 19 days covering 7000 miles in 70 hours flying time.

It is worth reminding present day aircrew that the standard crew of a Vildebeest consisted of the pilot and a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner as rear crew. Only half of the pilots were officers, and the rest were NCO’s with technical trade qualifications. The WOP/AG’s could be lower ranking tradesmen, who also had responsibility for navigation, bomb aiming, signalling, firing the aft Lewis gun and photography!

During a typical long distance exercise, there would be two daily inspections of the aircraft, when all aircrew would co-operate in the maintenance of all the aircraft. Improvisation was the order of the day; for example, during the long flight to Risalpur, two feet of an alloy tubing in a wingtip was damaged, and Sgt Beer went into the jungle to find a suitable curved branch with which to replace the damaged tubing. During the same trip, an engine replacement was needed at Allahabad , and the crews fitted it by using legs made from railway lines and a block and tackle used for lifting bullocks!

In 1938, there were violent storms over the South China Sea during long distance navigation exercises; eleven aircrew were killed, six of them in a mid air collision. As the 1930’s drew to a close, an amazing air of complacency pervaded the apparent calm and tranquillity. The disasters, which were about to overtake 100 Squadron during the early days of World War II, were just around the corner.

On 15^th March 1938, the Squadron received its first official badge. It was presented to the Squadron by Air Vice Marshall Tedder. However, 100 Squadron did not receive the original painting was held in safe keeping in England . In the meantime, the Squadron retained its original skull and crossbones with the motto “Blood and Brains”.

Twenty-four hours after Britain had declared war on Germany on the 3^rd September 1939, a message appeared on the screen of the Station Cinema at RAF Seletar. This message ordered certain personnel of 36 and 100 Squadrons to report to their hangars immediately. Nine airmen were ordered to prepare three aircraft for take off on the following morning. The aircraft, which were to depart for an undisclosed destination ‘up country’, were not to carry bombs or torpedoes, but all guns were to be loaded, and they would carry extra spares and equipment for a stay of unknown duration. And so, the Second World War started for 100 Squadron.

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