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Of interest: A flight of Hurricanes flown by John Gorton, Sgt.
Alan Coutie and "Swampy" Marsh, a Canadian, was scrambled
on 30th January 1940, from Kallang. Whilst climbing to engage the Japanese
bombers south of Singapore, they were bounced by Zeros. In the dogfight
that followed, Gortons Hurrican was badly damaged. In puttin the damaged
aircraft down in a cleared area on one of the islands, he hit some overgrown
gasoline storage tanks, smashing his face on the instrument panel and
gunsight and sustaining considerable injuries to his arms and legs.
A Dutch plantation owner took him in. Both Alan Coutie and "Swanpy"
Marsh were killed in action. Eventually two R.A.F. airmen came to the
island in an air sea rescue launch, took one look at Gorton, pronounced
him dead, took his wallet, watch and pay book and returned to Singapore.
A week later a shot up Australian Brewster Buffalo crashed a little
distant to where Gorton was recuperating. The unconscious pilot was
lifted from his damaged plane. They were picked up by an R.A.F. air
sea rescue launch and returned to Singapore. In Singapore both pilots
boarded the SS Derrymore to take them back to Australia for hospitalization
but the ship was torpedoed and sunk on it's way to Batavia.
John Gorton went on to become Prime Minister of Australia from 1968
to 1971. Sir John Grey Gorton, G.C.M.G., A.C., C.H., M.A. (Oxen.), was
made a Knight of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1977.
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