'T for Tommy', a Short Sunderland flying boat of RAF 230 Squadron tasked with delivering rice to Kuantan in Malaya, is seen beached after crashing during landing.

Views of the beached Sunderland taken from a civilian river boat approaching the aircraft. Men standing on top of the fuselage. The tail sitting low in the water. View along the port leading edge. The retracted nose turret. Men standing on top of the aircraft. Close-ups of members of the crew, identified on the dopesheet as Flight Sergeant Thompson, Flight Sergeant Carrol, Flight Sergeant Brown and Flight Sergeant Boyd. A local junk drifts towards the Sunderland. Men onboard the junk heaving on a capstan. The junk passes over the aircraft's tailplane. The junk drifting past with four men on board. Shots of men leaving the aircraft by local boats. A local boat passing. A second Sunderland, 'Z', overhead. 'Z' landing; she passes the tail of the stricken 'T for Tommy'. A sign reads 'Force 136' and 'S.E.A.C' [South East Asia Command]. Local civilians waiting outside a large building. Shots of the crowd. Civilians receiving their rice ration and paper ration tickets. More shots of rice being issued and of faces in the crowd. Civilians carrying rice. View from a local boat. They pass the wrecked Sunderland. Views of the boats and passengers. People step off the boats onto the riverbank. Villagers walking along a road with retake. A villager shows the rice to his wife and child. The woman feeds the child with medium close-up. Close-up of the village headman. Close-up of a bullock. Sacks are loaded onto a cart. Civilians gather spilt rice. The cart is driven down a road to the issuing office, seen earlier.

Notes

According to the dopesheet this aircraft struck an obstacle on landing which ruptured the hull and caused flooding. Flight Lieutenant Moonlight is credited with saving the aircraft through skillful handling, enabling it to be safely beached, and notes that there were no serious injuries or panic. The aircraft (probably serial PP158) was eventually written off. See also JFU 363 for further coverage.

Force 136 was the Special Operations Executive's organisation in the Far East, charged with fostering resistance and carrying out sabotage against Japanese troops throughout south east Asia.

RAF 230 Squadron's wartime service in the Far East was unusually well documented in film. For other film relating to them, see related items.

The dopesheet names the crew as follows:

Flight Lieutenant Moonlight, Captain, of Spittal, Berwick on Tweed.

Flying Officer Jones, Navigator, of Llanelly, North Wales.

Flight Lieutenant McConnel, Wireless Operator, of Grays, Essex.

Flight Sergeant Thompson, Second Pilot, of Bevington, Cheshire.

Flight Sergeant Carrol, Second Engineer, of Salford, Manchester.

Flight Sergeant Collins, Engineer, of Knock, Belfast.

Flight Sergeant Brown, Wireless Operator/Air Gunner of Horncastle, Lancashire.

Flight Sergeant Boyd, Wireles Operator/Air Gunner of Largs, Ayrshire.

Passengers are named as:

Flight Lieutenant Tydeyman (Tideman?), Operations officer, of Brixham, Devon.

Sergeant Hardy (No.9 Army Film and Photographic Unit photographer) of London.

Sergeant Hammond (No.9 Army Film and Photographic Unit cameraman/photographer) of Kuantan, Malaya.

Sergeant Girling (No.9 Army Film and Photographic Unit cameraman/photographer) of Ruislip.