Date:	Wednesday 21 January 1953
Time:	day
Type:	Westland WS-51 Dragonfly HC.4
Owner/operator:	Far East Casevac Flt RAF
Registration:	WT845
MSN:	WAH/H/108
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	1 mile North of Chemor, Perak, Malaya -   Malaysia
Phase:	Take off
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	near Chemor, Perak, Malaya
Destination airport:	RAF Sembawang, Malaya (WSAG)
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Westland WS-51 Dragonfly HC.4 WT845: First WS-51 Dragonfly to be delivered to the RAF (delivered 22/08/1952). Issued to the Far East CASEVAC Flight (CASEVAC - CASualty EVACuation). This unit became the basis on 194 Squadron, RAF.

In response to a signal to the Chiefs of Staff from the RAF's Far East Air Force on 08/03/1949, the Casualty Air Evacuation Flight was formed on 01/05/1950, initially at Seletar, to develop operational techniques with helicopters, in the casevac role and in the hot climate of the Malayan Peninsula. The unit was initially equipped with three Dragonfly HC.2 (originally on loan from the Royal Navy) and changed its unit title and base shortly afterward. They were followed by the improved Dragonfly HC.4. Although primarily a trials unit, plenty of British servicemen had cause to thank the Dragonfly for extracting them from difficult situations in Malaya. It was disbanded in Feb 1953 to become the nucleus of 194 Squadron

Written off (damaged beyond repair) 21/01/1953 during "Operation Firedog" (the Malayan Emergency). Crashed on take off one mile north of Chemor, Perak, Malaya when main blades detached after rotor hub failure and aircraft broke up in flight. The pilot was left with no opportunity to control the aircraft, and the terrain was unsuitable for a forced landing. All three on board were killed.

Crew of Dragonfly WT845:
Flying Officer Bernard Frank Walters, RAF (Pilot, aged 35)
Major E C R Barker BEM, Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment (Service Number 365617, attached to the 22nd Special Air Service Regiment), Army (passenger)(Buried at Cheras Road New Christian Cemetery Kuala Lumpur)
Assistant Commissioner of Police G D Toulson, Federation of Malaya Police (passenger)

Note that the official file at the National Archives at Kew (see links #4 & #5) list the Dragonfly involved as "NT845" [sic] - probably due to a handwriting error.

1. Halley, James (1999) Broken Wings – Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents. Tunbridge Wells: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. p.140. ISBN 0-85130-290-4.
2. Last Take-off: A Record of RAF Aircraft Losses 1950 to 1953 Colin Cummings p 333
3. Royal Air Force Aircraft WA100-WZ999 (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
4. National Archives (PRO Kew) File BT233/136: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C424257
5. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AVIA 5/32/S2616: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C6578462
6. http://www.ukserials.com/results.php?serial=WT
7. https://www.helis.com/database/cn/48240/
8. The Straits Times, 25 January 1953, Page 1: https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/straitstimes19530125-1.2.22?ST=1&AT=advanced&DF=&DT=&NPT=&L=&CTA=&k=badminton%26ka%3Dbadminton&P=3013
9. http://glosters.tripod.com/malaya.htm
10. http://www.angelfire.com/mp/memorials/malpol.htm

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Dec-2019 21:22	Dr. John Smith	Added
27-Dec-2019 12:18	stehlik49	Updated [Operator, Operator]