74:
90:
facilities for the crew, who had to live on board for periods during the trip. Metal, instead of wooden, airscrews were fitted to the aircraft during the flight. Specially designed collapsible rubber dinghies were also carried. No automatic pilots or blind flying aids were fitted, and only two of the four aircraft had radio sets – communication between aircraft in the air being by lamp or hand-signals.
379:
Take-off from
Singapore was at 0555 on 21 May. The route followed was east along the north coast of Sumatra and the Javanese archipelago to Koepang (now Kupang, Indonesia) then south to Broome and a circumnavigation of Australia back to Koepang and returning to Singapore along the outward route. Back
261:
The flight departed
Felixstowe on 14 October at 0900 to fly to Plymouth, leaving Plymouth three days later at 0900 on 17 October. From Plymouth, the route was south then southeast across France and Italy to Greece, and on to Egypt. From Egypt, northeast to Turkey then southeast across Iraq and east
64:
The Flight covered approximately 23000 miles (37000 km) from
Felixstowe to Singapore, around Australia and back to Singapore between 17 October 1927 and 18 September 1928. A further 4500 miles (7241 km) were flown on the final leg, a return trip from Singapore to Hong Kong in November and
320:
The second leg began on 18 December with departure of the Flight from
Karachi at 0730. From there, the route was round the coast of India (now Pakistan and India) to Calcutta via Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) then southeast down the Burmese coast and Malay Peninsula to Singapore. Once again the aircraft
89:
The aircraft were prepared with a number of modifications from standard specification. Hulls and wingtip floats were finished with white enamel and larger engine radiators, oil tanks and top-plane fuel tanks were fitted. In addition, there were internal changes to provide more space and support
60:
was to Egypt in July 1926. The success of that trip paved the way for subsequent longer journeys and the Far East Flight was formed to undertake a journey to
Australia and the Far East starting in 1927. The project's publicised aims were to gain experience with the operation of flying boats
85:
in
September 1927, and these four competed the Felixstowe-Singapore-Australia-Singapore legs of the cruise. The fifth aircraft, S1127, was shipped as a spare to Singapore. This aircraft replaced S1149 for the final Singapore-Hong Kong leg on Air Ministry instructions.
845:"Personnel of the RAF Far East Flight", coloured photographic print showing RAF personnel in front of a Supermarine Southampton flying-boat and listing personnel on the reverse. Contained in a set of Far East Flight commemorative documents issued by the British
852:"Officers of the RAF Far East Flight", coloured photographic print showing RAF Officers of the Flight and a model Supermarine Southampton flying-boat in front. Contained in a set of Far East Flight commemorative documents issued by the British Air Ministry.
102:
DSO DFC, appointed on 17 May 1927 . Cave-Browne-Cave captained S1152 and led the flight to
Singapore, around Australia and back to Singapore. In August 1929 he took command of No. 205 Squadron formed from the redesignated Flight in Singapore.
480:
Starting on 1 November, this took the Flight along the north coast of Borneo to Manila, across the South China Sea to Hong Kong, returning to
Singapore along the Vietnamese coast. Aircraft S1127 replaced S1149 for this section.
61:
independent of surface vessels and shore bases, gather information the suitability of locations along the route for flying boats, and to 'fly the flag'; fostering cooperation between
Britain and her Empire.
52:
During the 1920s the RAF carried out a number of long-distance flights to explore air-routes and facilities and test the feasibility of long-range reinforcement of more distant parts of the
855:"Extracts from the Official Air Ministry Log of the Far East Flight". Contained in a set of Far East Flight commemorative documents issued by the British Air Ministry.
540:
in
Singapore, with Group Captain Cave-Browne-Cave commanding the Squadron until 1930. The aircraft remained and were used until the Squadron re-equipped with
597:
536:
Arrival back at Singapore on 11 December 1928 marked the end of the cruise. On 8 January 1929 the Flight was redesignated as No. 205 Squadron based at
81:
Five new metal-hulled Supermarine Southampton II flying boats were assigned to the Flight. Aircraft S1149, S1150, S1151 and S1152 were delivered to
890:
262:
along the northern coast of The Gulf and Arabian Sea to Karachi. At Karachi the aircraft were overhauled, remaining there for three weeks.
40:
between October 1927 and January 1929. Having completed this journey the aircraft remained at Singapore and the Flight was redesignated
885:
99:
592:
562:
865:
783:"The Royal Air Force Flying-Boat Cruise, Log of the Far East Flight: Singapore-Australia-Singapore Section"
111:
812:
782:
752:
695:
662:
625:
25:
869:
696:"The Royal Air Force Flying-Boat Cruise, Log of the Far East Flight from Karachi to Singapore"
753:"The Royal Air Force Flying-Boat Cruise, Log of the Far East Flight from England to Karachi"
630:
41:
321:
were overhauled and prepared for the third leg of the trip, staying in Singapore a month.
8:
118:(S1151). Sqdn Ldr Livock previously commanded the flying boat cruise to Egypt in 1926.
115:
541:
537:
21:
82:
53:
879:
570:
107:
846:
380:
at Singapore the aircraft were serviced and readied for the final section.
73:
57:
872:
landing at Plymouth from Felixstowe en route to Australia and Singapore.
252:
Section 4: Singapore-Hong Kong-Singapore (1 November – 11 December 1928)
249:
Section 3: Singapore-Australia-Singapore (21 May – 31 September 1928)
37:
33:
29:
813:"The Royal Air Force Flying-Boat Cruise, Log Melbourne-Singapore"
28:
flying boats which undertook a long-range exploratory flight to
563:"Per Ardua Ad Astra, Part One: Empire and pioneering flights"
246:
Section 2: Karachi-Singapore (14 December 1927 – 20 May 1928)
243:
Section 1: Felixstowe-Karachi (14 October – 13 December 1927)
56:. The RAF's first international long-range cruise by
44:, the first RAF unit to be permanently based there.
657:
655:
653:
620:
618:
616:
585:
742:Photo print "Personnel of the RAF Far East Flight"
733:"Extracts from the Log issued by the Air Ministry"
690:
688:
598:The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser
724:Photo print "Officers of the RAF Far East Flight"
239:The flight was undertaken in four main sections:
877:
650:
613:
685:
609:– via Singapore National Library Board.
128:Flight Lieutenant P. E. Maitland, AFC (S1149)
47:
805:
775:
383:Section stopping points and arrival dates:
324:Section stopping points and arrival dates:
265:Section stopping points and arrival dates:
106:The three other aircraft were captained by
745:
727:
663:"The Cruise of the R.A.F. Far East Flight"
626:"The Cruise of the R.A.F. Far East Flight"
131:Flight Lieutenant H. G. Sawyer AFC (S1152)
868:: Film of the RAF Far East Flight's four
554:
736:
718:
116:Flight Lieutenant C. G. Wigglesworth AFC
72:
140:Flying Officer G. E. Nicholetts (S1150)
100:Group Captain Henry M. Cave-Browne-Cave
878:
560:
121:Other RAF air- and ground crew were:
531:
125:Flight Lieutenant S. T. Freeman, MBE
112:Flight Lieutenant D. V. Carnegie AFC
77:Supermarine Southampton flying boats
891:Royal Air Force independent flights
13:
143:Flying Officer S. D. Scott (S1151)
14:
902:
859:
484:Stopping points on this section:
456:Koepang (now Kupang), 1 September
203:Leading Aircraftman J. E. Shelley
24:(RAF), was a flying unit of four
328:Bombay (now Mumbai), 26 December
200:Leading Aircraftman F. S. Nelson
185:Leading Aircraftman A. W. Banner
182:Leading Aircraftman R. H. Abrook
108:Squadron Leader G. E. Livock DFC
212:Leading Aircraftman F. E. Woods
209:Leading Aircraftman J. Williams
197:Leading Aircraftman E. H. Myers
134:Flying Officer B. Cheesman, MBE
110:(S1149 and Second-in-Command),
886:History of the Royal Air Force
823:(1048): 63–66. 24 January 1929
793:(1048): 52–54. 17 January 1929
194:Leading Aircraftman R. Houstan
188:Leading Aircraftman F. J. Head
1:
763:(1006): 227–229. 5 April 1928
547:
275:Berre (Marseille), 19 October
272:Houtin (Bordeaux), 17 October
191:Leading Aircraftman P. Hepple
137:Flying Officer I. Horwood, MC
593:"R.A.F. Flying Boats Return"
475:
399:Koepang (now Kupang), 30 May
374:
367:Port Swettenham, 23 February
315:
256:
149:Flight Sergeant W. P. Spinks
146:Flight Sergeant T. Parry AFM
98:The Flight was commanded by
93:
7:
866:Flying boats visit Plymouth
340:Trincomali, 12 January 1928
68:
10:
907:
706:(1024): 696. 9 August 1928
601:. 2 August 1926. p. 9
447:Thursday Island, 28 August
215:Aircraftman G. H. Bucknall
206:Leading Aircraftman C. Way
26:Supermarine Southampton II
673:(1054): 198. 7 March 1929
638:(1054): 197. 7 March 1929
269:Plymouth, 14 October 1927
48:Background and objectives
468:Klabat Bay, 14 September
290:Alexandretta, 3 November
234:
224:Aircraftman J. I. Netley
218:Aircraftman S. W. Coates
870:Supermarine Southampton
471:Singapore, 15 September
450:Melville Bay, 29 August
349:Chilka Lake, 23 January
462:Sourabaya, 4 September
453:Port Darwin, 30 August
417:Israelite Bay, 19 June
370:Singapore, 28 February
331:Mangalore, 27 December
78:
221:Aircraftman V. W. Lee
176:Corporal J. R. Walker
170:Corporal W. McMeeking
158:Sergeant J. R. Semple
76:
465:Batavia, 9 September
438:Gladstone, 18 August
429:Paynesville, 30 July
405:Port Hedland, 3 June
352:Calcutta, 27 January
346:Coconada, 20 January
337:Colombo, 31 December
311:Karachi, 18 November
302:Bushire, 14 November
281:Brindisi, 25 October
230:Aircraftman C. Young
164:Corporal J. A. Coyne
161:Corporal A. W. Brown
155:Sergeant A. E. Nicol
42:No. 205 Squadron RAF
561:Pitchfork, Graham.
444:Cooktown, 24 August
435:Brisbane, 11 August
364:Penang, 16 February
361:Mergui, 13 February
358:Rangoon, 6 February
343:Pulicat, 19 January
334:Cochin, 29 December
308:Gwadar, 16 November
305:Henjam, 14 November
296:Hinaidi, 6 November
287:Aboukir, 29 October
227:Aircraftman H. Rose
179:Corporal W. H. Wood
167:Corporal A. H. Hart
152:Sergeant W. Cushing
18:RAF Far East Flight
426:Melbourne, 29 June
420:Murat Bay, 20 June
387:Klabat Bay, 21 May
299:Basra, 10 November
293:Ramadi, 5 November
284:Athens, 28 October
278:Naples, 21 October
173:Corporal W. Pullan
79:
532:Flight completion
459:Bima, 3 September
423:Adelaide, 22 June
408:Carnarvon, 6 June
393:Sourabaya, 25 May
355:Akyab, 3 February
898:
833:
832:
830:
828:
809:
803:
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800:
798:
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773:
772:
770:
768:
749:
743:
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589:
583:
582:
580:
578:
569:. Archived from
558:
542:Short Singapores
441:Bowen, 19 August
432:Sydney, 1 August
906:
905:
901:
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899:
897:
896:
895:
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862:
837:
836:
826:
824:
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728:
723:
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709:
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661:
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641:
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624:
623:
614:
604:
602:
591:
590:
586:
576:
574:
567:Royal Air Force
559:
555:
550:
544:in April 1935.
534:
478:
414:Albany, 13 June
390:Batavia, 23 May
377:
318:
259:
237:
96:
71:
65:December 1928.
50:
22:Royal Air Force
12:
11:
5:
904:
894:
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861:
860:External links
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841:
835:
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735:
726:
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684:
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573:on 1 July 2015
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521:Victoria Point
519:
516:
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509:C. St. Jacques
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411:Perth, 7 June
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847:Air Ministry
840:Bibliography
825:. Retrieved
820:
816:
807:
795:. Retrieved
790:
786:
777:
765:. Retrieved
760:
756:
747:
738:
729:
720:
708:. Retrieved
703:
699:
675:. Retrieved
670:
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640:. Retrieved
635:
629:
603:. Retrieved
596:
587:
575:. Retrieved
571:the original
566:
556:
535:
483:
479:
396:Bima, 28 May
382:
378:
323:
319:
264:
260:
238:
120:
114:(S1150) and
105:
97:
88:
80:
63:
58:flying boats
51:
17:
15:
538:RAF Seletar
880:Categories
827:2 December
797:2 December
767:2 December
710:2 December
677:2 December
642:2 December
605:2 December
577:2 December
548:References
83:Felixstowe
527:Singapore
503:Hong-Kong
500:Salomague
494:Princessa
476:Section 4
375:Section 3
316:Section 2
257:Section 1
94:Personnel
38:Hong Kong
34:Australia
30:Singapore
20:, of the
69:Aircraft
518:Bangkok
506:Tourane
488:Kuching
817:Flight
787:Flight
757:Flight
700:Flight
667:Flight
631:Flight
524:Penang
515:Tachin
512:Siagon
497:Manila
491:Labuan
235:Route
829:2013
799:2013
769:2013
712:2013
679:2013
644:2013
607:2013
579:2013
36:and
16:The
821:XXI
791:XXI
671:XXI
636:XXI
882::
819:.
815:.
789:.
785:.
761:XX
759:.
755:.
704:XX
702:.
698:.
687:^
669:.
665:.
652:^
634:.
628:.
615:^
595:.
565:.
32:,
849:.
831:.
801:.
771:.
714:.
681:.
646:.
581:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
