"Squadron Leader Peter Langley, who has died aged 100, formed a special airborne Psychological Warfare Unit to fly over the jungles of Malaya and persuade the communist terrorists to surrender during the Emergency of the 1950s. The “war of words” was intended to break morale and cause disaffection within the terrorists’ ranks, and win the battle for their minds. The RAF was crucial for the delivery of both tactical and strategic messages in near-impenetrable jungle. he broadcasting of recorded messages from aircraft – often called “sky shouting” – was introduced when Langley was serving in 267 Squadron, flying the Valetta transport aircraft to drop supplies to patrols in the jungle. The engine noise of the aircraft proved too intrusive for broadcasting, so they were replaced by three Dakotas; two Auster light aircraft were added for shorter-range sorties. In good conditions, and flying at 2,500 feet over the target area, a broadcast message could be heard on the ground to a distance of 2,500 yards below and to the port side of the aircraft. “Sky shouting” was closely co-ordinated with leaflet dropping in a psychological campaign which reached its peak during Langley’s time in charge in 1954 and 1955. During this period, Langley flew 126 operational missions, and he was awarded the DFC, “in recognition of gallant and distinguished service in Malaya". Peter John Langley was born on October 24 1924 in Shanghai, where his father worked for the British American Tobacco Company. The family returned to England in 1929, and young Peter was educated at Dauntsey’s School in Wiltshire. He was 17 when he started his pilot training, which was completed in Canada and the US in February 1944. While waiting to finish his operational flying training, he was detached to Fairoaks in Surrey to assist the RAF Regiment manning an anti-aircraft gun. He was on duty on the night of June 19 when a V-1 flying bomb passed close by. With the help of an Australian sergeant pilot, he engaged the “doodlebug” flying at 500 feet and shot it down. With a surplus of pilots, he volunteered to fly gliders, and after training joined 671 Squadron in India. In December the squadron moved to Lalaghat, to the south-west of Imphal. Before he could see action, he was recalled to England to visit his ill father, who died two weeks later. Langley remained, and converted to the Dakota to join 271 Squadron. With the end of the war in Europe, he was involved in the repatriation of PoWs and the return of displaced persons to all parts of Europe; the squadron moved to Naples to carry out similar tasks. Before being demobbed in 1946, he flew routes to Karachi, taking troops to the region and returning ex-PoWs." Sqn Ldr Peter Langley, ran leaflet-dropping and ‘sky shouting’ to disrupt enemy in the Malayan Emergency
