World War II hero, Flying Tiger and pioneer SIA pilot Ho Weng Toh dies, aged 103

From B25 Mitchell bombers to Boeing 737 passenger jets, Captain Ho's flying career spanned four decades. LIANHE ZAOBAO FILE PHOTO

SINGAPORE: One of the last surviving members of a group of World War II pilots dubbed the Flying Tigers, Captain Ho Weng Toh, died on the morning of Jan 6.

He was 103.

Known affectionately as Winkie, Capt Ho’s death was announced in a Facebook post by his nephew John Ho.

Mr Ho said on Facebook: “My dearest uncle Winkie passed away this morning. He was a grand 103 years old. He lived a life many of us would dream of... A precious generation who had a much tougher and unpredictable life, who sacrificed so much so that my generation could live a peaceful and much easier life.

“To him, and the rest of that generation, I say thank you. ”

Born in Ipoh in 1920, Capt Ho attended university in Hong Kong when the Japanese invaded China in 1941.

He then signed up as a trainee pilot with the Chinese-American Composite Wing, dubbed the Flying Tigers, and joined other Chinese and American pilots in Arizona, where he received his flying training.

Captain Ho Weng Toh, known affectionately as Winkie, was a chief pilot at SIA when he retired in 1980. - PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

As a B-25 Mitchell bomber pilot, Capt Ho flew missions over occupied China during World War II and returned a hero in Ipoh.

In 1949, he married Ms Augusta Rodrigues, who died in 1977 of lung cancer.

He then joined the now-defunct Malayan Airlines in 1951, and was then a founding pilot of the Singapore Airlines.

He retired three decades later as chief pilot of SIA’s Boeing 737 fleet.

In 2019, Capt Ho published his autobiography, Memoirs Of A Flying Tiger, detailing his experiences.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong expressed his condolences to Capt Ho’s family and loved ones in a Facebook post on Jan 7.

He said Capt Ho left behind “a legacy of courage and aviation excellence”, both through his “heroic contributions” as a Flying Tiger and as a pioneer pilot with Singapore Airlines.

A day earlier, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean also paid tribute to Capt Ho in a Facebook post.

He said : “Our long-time Pasir Ris resident, Captain Ho Weng Toh, 103, one of the last surviving Flying Tigers who flew bombers in World War II, passed on peacefully this morning. He was also one of our first Singapore Airlines pilots.

“May he rest in peace.” - The Straits Times/ANN