The Playboy Emperor
Rescuing an Emperor - In which my knowledge of French is found lacking though my imagination fires on all cylinders.
Routine flying for Cathay Pacific was of short duration. On 24 April 1947 Betsy was grinding away the miles on the direct route from Bangkok to Hong Kong. Just ahead lay the beautiful sandy beaches of Vietnam and our navigation landmarks of the tiny Tonkin hamlets of Ron and Ba Don. The visibility was unlimited and a mosquito winking an eye at 100 miles was within the imagination of even a Philistine. Yet, my body was impatiently restless. Was I coming down with the flu?
I sighed and recorded the time we crossed the coast on my navigation log. As I settled back Alex Stewart, our sparks, pushed a message into the skipper’s hands and with a pixie grin said, Pick the bones out of that. Captin Dick Hunt passed the message to me, disengaged George, and smoothly rolled the aircraft to starboard. We’ll just follow the coast, he said. The message was a company directive to land at Tourane - now Da Nang - and wait for further instructions. Our track passed over Hue, the Imperial City, where the reigning Emperor of Annam was born in 1913. Tourane is a major port in Vietnam that spawns heavy Cumuli clouds that sneak in from the South China Sea and lurk to ambush the unwary aviator. We survived many a terrifying 45 seconds transiting those lightning ridden clouds and in that area we became acquainted with the descriptive name the American radar operators gave them – snappers.
I sighed and recorded the time we crossed the coast on my navigation log. As I settled back Alex Stewart, our sparks, pushed a message into the skipper’s hands and with a pixie grin said, Pick the bones out of that. Captin Dick Hunt passed the message to me, disengaged George, and smoothly rolled the aircraft to starboard. We’ll just follow the coast, he said. The message was a company directive to land at Tourane - now Da Nang - and wait for further instructions. Our track passed over Hue, the Imperial City, where the reigning Emperor of Annam was born in 1913. Tourane is a major port in Vietnam that spawns heavy Cumuli clouds that sneak in from the South China Sea and lurk to ambush the unwary aviator. We survived many a terrifying 45 seconds transiting those lightning ridden clouds and in that area we became acquainted with the descriptive name the American radar operators gave them – snappers.
24 April 1947. The red lines show our track
from Bangkok to Tourane (Da Nang) and on to Hong
Kong. Then on 5 June 1948, the blue line is the track
from Hong Kong followed by the Catalina to its
water landing in the Baie d’Along.
F/O "Chic" Eather
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Vietnam
Vietnamese river transport
I had the impression that I had the impression that our skipper expected this message and was enjoying his private knowledge. Furthermore, we had offloaded a full load of freight at Bangkok, hastily installed seats and flight planned an empty plane to Hong Kong. That uncharacteristic procedure should have warned me something was amiss. The plot thickened when our landing at Tourane was free of the hassles that usually accompany French controlled airfields. An official, who was actually smiling, passed us through immigration and customs and within minutes we were screaming along tree lined boulevards in an un - French spotlessly clean Citroen.
Dick Hunt was in his element. He jabbered in fluent French that thoroughly enthralled both him and our minder, but, not a word of explanation came our way. Finally, Alex and I began to jabber away in overbearing English that brought a look of injured reproach from our leader.
Our car screeched to a stop outside a large stone building guarded by mean looking coppers who, recognising our minder, waved us through massive wooden gates. We were conducted to sleeping quarters that, though Spartan, were bright and gave the impression that at least we were not enemies of the State. But I developed a twitch when a high-ranking policeman with the beetling brows of the habitual criminal advised I should sleep with the window locked. In technicolour gore he related how the Viet Minh lobbed nail and fishhook grenades through those windows. Then, he followed this with the unnecessary information that the astute resident selected accommodation facing the parade ground quadrangle. Vital information yet valueless for all such rooms had permanent residents.
Our car screeched to a stop outside a large stone building guarded by mean looking coppers who, recognising our minder, waved us through massive wooden gates. We were conducted to sleeping quarters that, though Spartan, were bright and gave the impression that at least we were not enemies of the State. But I developed a twitch when a high-ranking policeman with the beetling brows of the habitual criminal advised I should sleep with the window locked. In technicolour gore he related how the Viet Minh lobbed nail and fishhook grenades through those windows. Then, he followed this with the unnecessary information that the astute resident selected accommodation facing the parade ground quadrangle. Vital information yet valueless for all such rooms had permanent residents.
Emperor Bao Dai with a senior ranking French officer.
Over supper our skipper told us what it was all about. He did this in beautiful French complete with hand gestures that got in a few additional meanings. Alex, in a moment of sheer bravado, reminded him that we did not understand the lingo. Our skipper gazed at him as a shoe gazes at a cockroach, raised his eyes heavenwards, and grudgingly repeated his manifesto in the language of the minions.
We were to fly out the Emperor Bao Dai and his entourage at first light. Until then we were confined to barracks. In spite of an increase in muscular pains and a headache I protested violently causing my skipper’s grin to merely broaden. It was a night that is best forgotten. In a pool of sweat I rolled from side to side and my dreams were with the little people that frequent the bottom of the garden. I recall hearing regular explosions and small arms fire that crept ever closer which was normal fare as Ho Chi Minh’s Communists ruled throughout the hours of darkness.
On the way to Hong Kong I kept mainly to the flight deck, however, on a visit to the head I glimpsed two frothily dressed French girls. The Emperor Bao Dai had impeccable taste. They would have stopped traffic even on the Champs Elysees, and yet I knew little of our royal passenger.
On the way to Hong Kong I kept mainly to the flight deck, however, on a visit to the head I glimpsed two frothily dressed French girls. The Emperor Bao Dai had impeccable taste. They would have stopped traffic even on the Champs Elysees, and yet I knew little of our royal passenger.
Emperor Bao Dai accepts due homage from his subjects.
His father, Emperor Khai Dinh, took a concubine of peasant ancestry who gave birth to Nguyen Vinth Thuy on 22 October 1913. He received his education in France and hardly knew his homeland however he assumed the throne following the death of his father in 1926 and taking the title of Keeper of Greatness - Bao Dai.
Bao Dai features on a cover of TIME.
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Emperor
Bao Dai of Annam –
1947
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Ho Chi Minh
During World War 11 the Japanese entered Tongking in late 1940 and by 1941 had subdued Indochina but allowed the Vichy government to stay in nominal power until their coup de force in March 1945. This action led to the internment of all Frenchmen in Indochina. Against their better judgement, the Japanese allowed Bao Dai to remain as head of State but gave him no power. His regime collapsed when Nippon surrendered in August 1945. The astute Ho Chi Minh grasped the opportunity and proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam with the capital in Hanoi. Ho’s Viet Minh saw Bao Dai’s symbolic value and asked him to stay as adviser. When Bao Dia realised he had no worthwhile role he approached the French (whom he distrusted) to arrange his departure.
Cathay Pacific accepted the charter and here were we! That was the extent of my knowledge of the Playboy Emperor who sprawled in a starboard seat of Betsy’s forward cabin. Our rescue mission remained a hush-hush operation that escaped the ears of the Fourth Estate.
Throughout the following year the French continued to hold the towns while the Viet Minh controlled the countryside. Then on 5 June 1948 a Cathay Pacific Catalina landed Bao Dai alongside a French cruiser anchored in the Baie d’Along just off Haiphong. There M. Emile Bollaert, French High Commissioner for Indo-China, and Lieutenant-General Ngyyen Van Xuan, Prime Minister of the Central Government of Vietnam signed a document of recognition. This document, ratified in 1949, established the three separate kingdoms of Cambodia, Laos and the Central Government of Vietnam. Also it spurred Ho Chi Minh’s Communists to greater efforts since it gave them no participation in government. The fall of Dien Bien Phu and the TET offensive would show how badly the French had underestimated this frail diminutive patriot.
Cathay Pacific accepted the charter and here were we! That was the extent of my knowledge of the Playboy Emperor who sprawled in a starboard seat of Betsy’s forward cabin. Our rescue mission remained a hush-hush operation that escaped the ears of the Fourth Estate.
Throughout the following year the French continued to hold the towns while the Viet Minh controlled the countryside. Then on 5 June 1948 a Cathay Pacific Catalina landed Bao Dai alongside a French cruiser anchored in the Baie d’Along just off Haiphong. There M. Emile Bollaert, French High Commissioner for Indo-China, and Lieutenant-General Ngyyen Van Xuan, Prime Minister of the Central Government of Vietnam signed a document of recognition. This document, ratified in 1949, established the three separate kingdoms of Cambodia, Laos and the Central Government of Vietnam. Also it spurred Ho Chi Minh’s Communists to greater efforts since it gave them no participation in government. The fall of Dien Bien Phu and the TET offensive would show how badly the French had underestimated this frail diminutive patriot.
Dr. Ho Chi Minh (1890-1969). In 1941 formed
the Vietnam Indep-ence League, or Viet Minh
Bao Dai died in exile in Paris in July 1997.
