Gangodawila Diary Extracts 2

Here are some more unedited extracts from my diaries covering my first few days at RAF Gangodawila in Ceylon at the end of 1954. Some of the language, for example my use of the word 'native', is not how I would write these days. However, that was how the language was used in 1954 and I knew no better then. I have left my words as I originally wrote them but there was then, and is now, absolutely no racist connotation.

The high spots of the afternoon's entertainment were a solo acrobatic turn by one of the Vampires, an air race by small civil planes, and three RCyAF planes flying in close formation with their wing tips tied together

Saturday 1st January 1955. As the first day of the New Year draws to its close I find myself still at Gangodawila instead of Negombo as I had expected. On Monday the 3rd I was to have flown from Negombo to China Bay for a week's GCT (Ground Combat Training) course but when I arrived at Negombo this morning I was told that the course had been cancelled. And so I came back again in the van driven by our only driver at Gango – Mr DeLile. On the way back to camp we called at his house, which is about a mile from camp by road, to deliver some meat he had bought. As we were about to leave, a friend of his stopped him and insisted on his having a drink to celebrate the New Year. So Mr DeLile went off to his friend's house while Mrs DeLile invited me inside and gave me a cool fruit drink which, I might add, was very welcome. Mr DeLile returned about ten minutes later and we arrived at camp a few minutes after that. I reported to our CO, Flight Sergeant Owen, who had by that time received the order cancelling the GCT course. It was then about 1215hrs so instead of going into the section I came into the billet where I found, to my joy, a nice fat letter from home. This was the first letter I had received since the one at Innsworth nearly a month ago. The rest of the day was more or less spent on my bed. A bad headache had developed so I tried to get some sleep but I only dropped off for a few minutes at a time. I went for dinner at 5pm but regretted it afterwards as I felt sick. However, it is now 7pm and I feel much better.

It was very hot this morning but during the afternoon clouds gathered and it started to rain very hard. There was some thunder and lightning but nothing to compare with last night's short-lived storm. Incidentally, everything is back to normal in the section now.

There look like being quite a few changes in the section in the near future. Tomorrow, Senior Technician Ken Riley is going to Australia for a month to see how their equivalent of Gango is run there. But when he gets back here, he is due to go back to UK as his tour expires sometime in February. Tom Fotheringham, the senior of three Junior Technicians and the only one of us who knows much about the equipment, has only about six weeks to do. Then there are two or three of the mechanics who haven't long to do.

One amusement in the section at present is the Third Test Match. Radio Australia broadcasts ball-by-ball commentaries throughout the day and it is quite an easy job to connect one of our Australia rhombic aerials onto a spare receiver. We get excellent reception. Today is the second day and at close of play (2pm Ceylon time) Australia had made 185 for 8 in reply to England's first innings total of 191. This looks like being another exciting match like the last one.

Sunday 2nd January 1955. Breakfast at 8 am was practically the same as usual. Every breakfast I have had on this camp so far has consisted of Corn Flakes or Weetabix followed by either egg and beans or egg and bacon, with toast. Why we have to have egg each time I don't know.  Having finished my meal I went into the Quiet Room and read the Sunday papers (Sunday Times of Ceylon and the Ceylon Observer). At the same time I was listening to the very varied programmes which the 'National Service of Radio Ceylon' provided. They were all record programmes and it seems a waste of time to me to bother having separate programmes – they might just as well play two or three hours of gramophone records and give a time check every now and then. As it is we heard 'Music Bright and Gay', 'Favourites of Today', La Scala Memories', and 'Sunday Prom'. However, they played some very good music but it annoyed me to have to wait for them to turn the record over in the middle of an overture, etc.

Tuesday 4th January 1953. We had a visit this morning from Flight Lieutenant Gibbs' wife. At Christmas he promised to bring her sometime so she could have a look round the camp. The first I knew of her visit was when Flt Sgt Owen came in the section, looked around, and then told me to go with him. He said Flt Lt Gibbs wanted me to show his wife around while he did a few odd jobs. So, for the next half hour or so, I showed Mrs Gibbs what there was to see. She seemed most interested in watching the teleprinters at work and listening to the Test Match.

This afternoon Don Taylor, another junior technician, and I went to Mount Lavinia on bikes. I borrowed one. It took about half an hour taking it easy. There is a wonderful beach there with lots of rocks and clear deep blue sea. We both regretted that we hadn't got swimming costumes with us because the water looked very inviting. We didn't stay long and we cycled back by way of Ratmalana Airport, the civilian airport for Colombo.

Wednesday 5th January 1955. The first hour and a quarter in the section this morning was Test Match time and very satisfying from the English point of view. Australia, needing 240 to win, were all out for 111. The honours went to Frank Tyson whose bowling figures were 7 for 27. This afternoon Don Taylor and I went for a bike ride. It was very hot so we didn't go far. We visited what is said to be the largest Buddhist temple in Ceylon – at Kotte. I was hoping to take some photos but I was disappointed because it was much smaller than I had expected. We didn't go inside because there were some working-men building or repairing.

Sunday 9th January 1955. Today was the occasion of the fourth annual air display organised by the Ceylon Air Academy. A trip was organised from camp consisting of two van loads. I went with the first one which left at about 1245pm. It took about 25 minutes to reach Ratmalana Airport. This display had been widely advertised as the best ever held in south east Asia. I was rather disappointed in it but, nevertheless, enjoyed myself. After wandering around for a bit we eventually found ourselves a good spot in a hangar entrance near the Control Tower. The proceedings started at 2.40pm by the arrival by helicopter of the Prime Minister, Sir John Kotelawala. The flying started soon after with the flypast which was ragged to say the least! Bringing up the rear were six Vampires of 60 Squadron RAF, based in Singapore. The high spots of the afternoon's entertainment were a solo acrobatic turn by one of the Vampires, an air race by small civil planes, and three RCyAF planes flying in close formation with their wing tips tied together. They accomplished their flight and manoeuvres without breaking the cords. Rain spoilt the latter part of the display which included parachute drops and a mock battle. One story, which we heard from some RAF chaps, was that someone shaking the hand of one of the parachutists after his drop made off with his ring.

We picked up our van at the main gate after cadging a lift across the airfield in an RAF lorry going to Negombo. It took quite some time to get back to camp because of the large crowds and long streams of traffic. We eventually arrived back at about 6.30 pm.

Back to top