Those Days in Flying Tigers
7-9-12 Those Days in Flying Tigers
It was never come to my mind that I’m going to meet a 92 years old gentleman nor someone who is called “Captain”, until the day I met Capt. Ho Weng Toh, with a legendary life and stories, moreover a startling memory and very good health. All of a sudden, I realized that it may be the very first time the so-called “legend” had came this close.
Born 1920 in Ipoh, the parents were so proud and overjoyed to have Winky as the first son born to the family after having 5 daughters. His dad was a strict and hardworking man, steeped in Confucian tradition, and thus the parents pay very much attention to their children’s education. Capt. Ho studied at St Michael’s Institution, Ipoh from 1927 -1938; continued his education at St Stephen’s College Hong Kong from 1939-1940. His studies in HKU disrupted due to start of WWII. Together with his buddies, he fled from HKG and escaped to China in the summer of 1942. After 3 weeks of arduous journey they arrived at Chungking, China’s wartime capital and became student refugees.
In Dec 1941, beginning of WWII, he recalled, airplanes crowded in Kai Tak Airport, “This is something very strange, the sirens wailing, Japan bombing Hong Kong… War is here! Lots of thoughts came to my mind”. Soon, he became a refuge student at Sun Yat Sun University, Pengshek, Guangdong, China in 1942. He joined the Chinese Air Force as a cadet pilot in Kunming, autumn 1942.
Being a pilot has never been so easy. Capt. Ho passed phase 1 and dispatched to Lahore, India for initial flying training in 1942-43. After passing the assessment flying in Lahore, he was sent to the USA for formal flying training with the US Army Air Force (USAAF) at Chandler Airbase in 1943-44. Due to the high demand for pilots for military operations, the training was compressed into a single year and hence was known as the “One-Year Miracle” when pilots passed the training. He received USA Air Force Diploma, awarded by Air Force Advance Flying School in 13 April 1944, and completed operational training (OUT) on the B-25 Mitchell Bomber in La Junta, Colorodo, USA in summer 1944.
Capt. Ho returned to China for combat missions; attached to the 1st Bomb Squadron, Chinese American Composite Wing (CACW) in Hanchung, China in end of 1944. CACW is affiliated to the 14th USAAF (Flying Tigers). He used to fly similar type of DC-3 aircraft over the Hump route (from China, Burma and India). He was with China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) from 1944-45. He become Commercial Pilot CATC in Shanghai from 1947 – 49, joined Malayan Airlines (MAL) in 1951, and MSA in 1967. With the MSA split in 1972, Capt. Ho moved over to SIA till 1980.
He shared not only the flying days, but also moments with his love one, his family, his excellent sportsmanship, social activities, and unwinding moments around the world. And I’d never forget, when I drove him back to the hotel, while I’m wondering if the luggage full with books and materials of his entire life would burdened, he easily took over the luggage, insist on sending me to get on my car; all at once, he opened the door for me! I was greatly flattered, seeing him walking back, I rolled down the window, asked with full-mouthed, “Oh, Captain! How did you tabik (salute)?” He smiled, showing the action which is to me, full of charm, vitality and meanings. I smiled, saluted in return, drove off with me an enduring moment.
(Written by, Ooi Bee Peng bpengooi@um.edu.my)
