Building a temporary airfield in south-east Asia

Towards the end of the Second World War, Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP) in south-east Asia were sometimes given the additional task of surveying sites for potential airfields.

This is known to have happened in at least:

• Operation Baboon and Operation Copyright in March 1945 – which both looked at sites on Phuket Island in modern-day Thailand
• Operation Confidence in June 1945 – which looked at a site in Malaysia.

The Allies were planning a number of amphibious operations to act as ‘stepping stones’ towards the eventual liberation of Singapore.
Constructing temporary airfields – or upgrading existing ones – was seen as a crucial part of that plan. This would allow the Allies to secure local air supremacy and fly in supplies.

You can discover more about the importance of these temporary airfields – and why COPP was asked to include them in their reconnaissance operations – by copying this link into your browser:

https://www.coppsurvey.uk/latest-news/copp-on-phuket-island

The footage in this video – seemingly originally released just after the war (and also including some highly suspect ‘live’ audio) – shows an airstrip being built on the Cocos (Keeling) Islands.

The Cocos Islands are far away from any location where COPP operated, but it shows a temporary airfield being built using equipment transported by sea – as would have happened on Phuket Island.

Ironically, to help compensate after the landings on Phuket Island were cancelled (rendering COPP's airfield recces on the island wasted), the airstrips on the Cocos Islands were given a slightly more offensive role, flying sorties towards Malaysia to help in the build-up to landings there.

Footage: © IWM GEN 17

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