VOICE VALETTA ON GUNUNG LEDANG

On 17 Feb 2002, Shaharom got a call from a friend who just visited the site of a twin-engined aircraft wreck near a kampung up on Mount Ophir (Gunung Ledang). The wreck was partly intact and the pilot seat still intact (see photo below). The wreck was found 11 years ago by the Orang Asli and some light parts, especially aluminium skin, had been taken out by the villagers. The large parts like fuselage, engine and tail were still intact. It was a British aircraft since it got the RAF roundels.

Our friend in UK, Alan Batty, was consulted and he quickly came back to say that it was a Voice Valetta WD160 that crashed on the mountain in February 1954 killing all on board. Alan also e-mailed this article (250K), where the WD160 was specifically mentioned. The Valettas, it seemed were stop-gap aircraft for sky shouting work in the Psy War against the CTs (Communist Terrorists) of the Malayan Emergency 1948-1960 period. It wasn't suited for the job and some 8 Valettas were lost in this role, which was later taken over by the properly configured DC3 Dakotas.