Malaya Historical Group :: MHG
Aviation and Military Archaeology may cover almost any form of research into or collecting of artifacts connected with the history of aviation and military relics.

If you have any information about any war relics and air wrecks in our country, please send an email to me malayahg@gmail
 

The Bristol Brigand was the last of the RAF's piston engine aircraft and were superceded by the Canberra jet powered aircraft.

45 Squadron converted to "Hornet" aircraft and 84 Squadron retained it's Brigand until January 1953 when it left Malaya.

So after 48 years, the wreckage of one Bristol Brigand together with the remains of it's crew lie in Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve, a sad reminder of the dedication and sacrifice of Flg. Officer Basil Cochrane, Sgt. Navigator J.B. Armstrong and J Techn, C. Cox who died carrying out their duty on that fateful day so long ago.

Updates on Dec 2000 :- In 1958, the remains of the Brigand RH755 crews have been recovered and have been buried in Cheras Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur.

Additional research and investigations carried out by MHG and one of Muzium Officers En Rizal, who together with his team visited the crashed site and were able to locate various pieces of wreckage that still had their original identification markings stencilled on, positively identifying The "Brigand" as being "RH 755" which when lost was being flown by Flying Officer Basil Cochrane together with his Navigator, Sgt. J.B. Armstrong and a Squadron Ground Crew J Techn, C. Cox. who went on the flight for the experience of taking part on an "airstrike".

Positive proof of RH755 identification

On 3rd May 1952, Bristol Brigand RH 755 together with other Brigands of 84 Squadron were carrying out attacks on a "Communist Insurgents" location near to Chenderoh Lake in Perak. After releasing a salvo of rockets on it's target, crew member in other aircraft on target saw a flash under the starboard wing and all of the outer section of that wing fell away. The aircraft, RH 755 rolled over, crashed into the jungle and immediately burst into flames.

A crashed investigation team, together with an escort of Gurkhas were sent to the crashed site to ascertain the cause of the crashed but it was not possible to retrieve the one wing and the team took 5 days to get to the crash and recover the human remains. A burial service being conducted near to the wreckage. All three airmen had died carrying out their duty and Group Captain Ron Wittam, who was a member of 84 Squadron and with the team that day in May 1952 could think of no more suitable epitaph than that "There is a corner of a foreign land that is forever England".

Oxygen tanks littered the wreck site

The starboard wing together with the second engine and undercarriage has still not been located. The photograph of two "bombs" found in the wreck area were infact "rocket heads" that must have been beneath the wing of the Brigand when it crashed and over the years the rocket propellant tubes would have rotted away leaving the warheads.