Elephant Watermelon Bombing, Cannibal Sudanese, Killer Sorpions

Vickers Vincent

Another passage from my grand-uncle's WWII Memoirs.

Khartoum: February 1939

Two weeks after joining the Squadron a detachment of Vincents returned from a tour of Southern Sudan checking on the emergency landing grounds. It appeared that wherever they had landed they were met by the local Sudanese chief and the District Commissioner. Small tents were erected and talks were carried out with refreshment. In one instance the flight was presented, by the Sudanese Chief, with dozens of large sweet watermelons. They were duly shared and loaded between the aircraft.

Before taking off, the Flight Commander had decided that as soon as the aircraft were out of range of the landing ground they would be thrown overboard. It just so happened that the timing was such that the aircraft were over flying the Bor elephant herd and it could have been the only time when elephants had been bombed with watermelons. Suffice to say, none were hit, the aircraft were the odd thousand feet up. It was not very safe to have melons rolling around on the fuselage floor.

It should be mentioned that the Squadron had also in the adjacent hangar 'A' Flight, six Fairey Gordons which at certain times of the year the wings were folded and the aircraft manually pushed down the road about a mile to the River Nile. There, floats were fitted and the aircraft operated for a number of weeks on the Nile. 'A' Flight also had on charge a Walrus for the use of the CO.

Plenty of sport was played: hockey, football, tennis and swimming. The squadron were in the final of the local cup with Sudan Railways. The Sudan Railways XI turned out in full kit, but within fifteen minutes boots and stockings had been discarded on the touch line. They were hitting the ball just as hard as our lads without boots in their big bare feet.

Each flight had local labour help. 'B' Flight had five natives. One of them was called Bendas and his top front teeth had been filed to points, similar to the teeth of a saw. A generation ago it was understood that he had belonged to a cannibal tribe in Southern Sudan.

In the centre of Khartoum was a beautiful statue of General Gordon mounted on a camel. He had been instrumental in the fight against slave trading, until he was murdered on the Palace steps by members of the fanatical followers of the Mahdi in 1885. He was well-loved. Streets, buildings and shops were named after him. An incident concerning the statue will be reported on later, at the period of Christmas 1939.

Across the Blue Nile Bridge was the 43 Club, a native brothel, controlled by the Army Garrison in the city. It was understood that from those who used it, it only cost ten piastres, two shillings.

The tour of duty of the overseas posting at that time was four years. Two years in the Sudan, because of conditions and heat was counted time and a half, i.e. three years. The last year was spent in Egypt.

Twice a year, Valentias from 70 Squadron Egypt flew down to Khartoum to take rest leave parties back to Heliopolis, Cairo, for leave. At Wadi Halfa they slept in and under the aircraft before undertaking the second leg in the morning. The Valentias were jokingly called 'Flying Pigs.' The pilots always wore a flying topee, being in an open cockpit, at the mercy of the beaming sun when flying. The Valencias were very large bi-planes.

It was not long before the time-ex chaps we were replacing were notified that the troopship on its way home from the Far East would be calling in at Port Sudan to pick them up. Once again a NAAFI party was organised with barrels of beer voted and granted by the PSI.

This time things were even more hectic. With an extension of NAAFI closing hours to late in the evening I watched every piece of wicker furniture thrown over the balcony onto the ground below, formed into a bonfire and set alight, and a few minutes later members of the squadron, completely naked, running and jumping through the flames. The squadron could certainly work and play hard. The following morning they said their sad farewells.

Insect life was present, invariably of nuisance value, but one had to be aware of the danger of scorpions. An engine cover on the ground for a day or so often finished up with a scorpion or two. One airman could not be roused at 18:00 for dinner. A scorpion was found inside his shirt. His bed mates thought that he was having a good long afternoon's siesta. Regrettably he had been stung a number of times and died.

Large spiders often came through the open windows at night and when seen were chased until killed or escaped. We called them tarantulas, incorrectly, but they were easily as big. Mosquito boots or any footwear were always turned upside down before pulling on one's feet. After dusk it was compulsory to wear slacks and long sleeve shirts and use mosquito nets on the beds.

Glengarries were worn for work up to 8:00 and after breakfast until 16:00. Temperatures were sometimes up to 120F (49C) in the shade and 130F (54C) in the sun. Metal parts of the aircraft had to be tackled with rag in the hand. Winding up the inertia flywheels to start the aircraft was a tough operation, especially when the pilot had an abortive start and it had to be repeated.