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
 

Another Valetta wreck has been found by MHG and Captain Zuraiman from Museum Army Team Group. The aircraft was crashed when trying to drop some supplies to army camp in a fort near Gua Musang, Amazingly that the wreckage still untouched even it was crashed near Orang Asli village. All parts still remains intact after 50 years in the jungle.

The wreckage were not scattered and it shows that it was crashed in a very low altitude and must be nose hit first to the ground. From a sole witness saw the incident told us that the aircraft was flying low in a valley and suddenly make a barrel roll which it was crashed and burst in flames. 

After a quick indentification in the wreckage, we found several plates numbers but we cannot find any trace about her registration number. All external paints were damaged due to heat from fire that cause from the cargo that caught fire after the crash.

Then we forwarded the matter to Allan Batty, Tom Brownings and Chris Barber at British High Comm. They give several reply and answer related to Valetta WV164 which crashed 5 miles from railway bridge near Bertam. For us, this is not related to this wreckage since WD164 location was 65km far from this site.

Then when we passed the crashed map, Tom give me a very fast email. It was Valetta VX525 which matched with our plot map.

Valetta VX525 was crashed in November 23, 1956 which 7 on board were killed. It is reported to have crashed 36 miles east of Ipoh but it much be closer to Gua Musang town on the side of the Titiwangsa Mountain Range. Valetta VX525 was came from RAF 48 Squadron.

The aircraft was engaged in an operational supply drop. On arrival at the drop zone (DZ), the pilot reported the weather to be too bad for dropping and he then turned and flew down the valley at a height of 1500 feet beneath broken cloud. The aircraft then descended and turned, returning up the valley at low height. As it came abreast of the DZ, the pilot was faced with a solid bank of cloud and so he attempted to turn through 180 degrees. Unfortunately, towards the end of the turn, the nose dropped and the aircraft dived into the ground having stalled. A very common cause by Vickers Valetta.

Those killed were :-

All of them were recovered. Sgt Benton was cremated and his remains returned to the UK.  They are in Bigger Hill Cemetery.  FO Witham's remains were also cremated and scattered in the Memorial Gardens of the City of London.  Finally, FO Selth's remains were again cremated and scattered in the Garden of Remembrance at Kranji Military Cemetery

Cpl J Wellman, Dvrs P Studd, E Roberts and FJ Merritt are buried at Cheras Road Christian Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur.

2009 Expedition.
The crashed site was revisited again on August 2009. Some of the details and story from the villagers who witnessed the incident were recorded. Several new parts like a prop and some of her burned cargo with damaged silk parachutes were found during the excavation. We did not dig more since probably the crashed site were littered with unexploded ordinances and ammo.

From the witness told us that this aircraft was crashed very near to Fort Hau ( now abandoned ). Soldiers from the fort rushed to the scene and found out that the aircraft was totally destroyed. They managed to recovered the dead bodies out from the burned wreckage.

[ click photo to view ]

Main large parts including wing roots and probably front section

Valetta belly area ( note : upside down position )

Tail assembly