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Before the end of my operational tour I was recommended for a Commission. The Commissioning Board was held at Peshawar close to the northeast frontier so I had to fly the 1000 or so miles across India. The Chairman of the Board was a Group Captain Wingate. I have wondered if he was related to general Orde-Wingate the leader of the famous Chindits. On arriving at Peshawar the day before my Commission Board we were told that a curfew was in force for the military between dusk and dawn as two RAF officers had been murdered a few days before, so I did not see much of Pahwar.

With regard to our squadron’s operations over Burma I have recently come across a book called “ Burma Victory” by David Rooney from which I now give some extracts — the sub heading being “Airstrips during the Imphal Siege” and operations supporting the Chindit campaign commencing on 5 March 1944 with “Operation Thursday”. On 29 March 1944 units of the Japanese 31st Division, in making their sweep towards Kohima cut the Imphal to Kohima road so that Imphal was completely cut off. This created a totally new supply situation because the garrison numbered more than 150,000 men and Troop carrier Command was already heavily involved in supplying the Chindits behind the Japanese lines as well as carrying out very difficult air drops into the narrow perimeter of Kohima now also surrounded by the Japanese. The heroes of the Imphal siege were the Dakotas whose aircrews and ground crews flew their aircraft day after day in the appalling monsoon weather into the dangerous airspace of Imphal c carrying shells, mortar bombs, aviation fuel, trucks, tanks, and food plus 12,000 reinforcements and flying out eh wounded. After the squadrons were flying 5 sorties per day and recovering10, 000 wounded.

Within the perimeter of Imphal, an area of 30 miles from north to south, and surrounded on all sides by mountain ranges and cut off by the Japanese from 29 March 1944. In May 1944 the monsoon really began and brought 400 inches of rain. Clothes rotted, skin burnt white and wrinkled with the damp and humidity of 100%. Nearly everyone suffered from dysentery and diarrohea and malaria inflicted by swarms of mosquitoes. The RAF lost 30 aircrew and 24 aircraft plus more being damaged. In May the monsoon increased in intensity and there were Japanese attacks by Sally and Oscar aircraft. During May, 221 Group flew more than 60000 sorties. The number of aircraft lost during the sieges illustrates the appalling conditions under which the crews had to operate. Of 70 lost, 16 to Japanese fighters, 17 to AA fire and 37 to weather. The heavy toll of aircraft and crews was the price that the RAF and USAF paid for playing the decisive role in one of the greatest and most significant battles of WWII. Without the contributions of the air forces Kohima and Imphal would have been lost and the war in the Far East would be totally different with the Japanese marching into India and on to Delhi. Some 30 years later when chatting to Cedric Hardcastle, my late brother-in-law who died on 8 June 1985, it transpired that I had flown supplies to his army group in Imphal where he was an army captain.

In addition to Imphal the squadrons took part in the Arakan campaign and 2Opertaion Thursday”. The RAF squadrons being 194,117 and 62, supporting the Chindit columns in the areas of Indaw behind the Japanese lines, 200 miles south eats of Kohima. I was a proud member of the famous 117 squadron, my first tour when we were part of the desert air force in North Africa, and my second tour in Burma.

Our flying equipment and clothing was totally different to those aircrews in Bomber Command and Coastal Command though of course we always wore our parachute harness with the chute close to hand. In addition to our Khaki uniform we wore the one-piece survival suit the numerous pockets of which contained many survival packs incluidng pills for many purposes anti-dysentery, anti-malaria and water cleansing. Also silk maps of Burma, a compass and in a body belt 100 Burmese silver rupees. And of course we had our Smith and Wesson .38 revolver and ammunition. Also a very useful addition if we came down in the jungle a Gurkha kukri which is a curved sword some 12 inches long for hacking a way through the undergrowth. The Gurkha soldiers of course used them as a very useful weapon to decapitate the Japanese.

Finally in August 1944 I completed my second tour of operations with a certain sigh of relief. Though I do not suffer from nightmares of this experience I do occasionally go back into memory lane. The most vivid being the atrocious flying conditions caused by the monsoon thunder clouds sometimes enveloping the mountain tips and going up to nearly 60,000 ft. If we could not find a way between these cumuli-nimbus clouds, developing into huge mushroom shapes, we reduced speed, sunglasses on to reduce the glare of the lightning flashes which were almost continuous, and hoped for the best. It said a lot for the design and strength of the aircraft that others and I survived, but unhappily our squadron losses were considerable as shown in the following list of our crews that did not make it:

This extract is taken form “When You Go ��ѿ��ý” by Arthur lane, 1995

117 Squadron losses in Burma alone (total 143)

Flt Sgt R. Ball 1320457
F/O D.D. Batchelor 148538
Flt Sgt D.Bateman 1439024
Flt Sgt F.R. Blight 1586711
Flt Lt B. Bridge 133818
Flt Sgt D.W. Buckman 1803124
F/O C. Byrne 137167
Sgt. A. Clark 1021191
Flt.Sgt F. Crowther 1237457
Flt Lt J.F. Cuthbert 120967
Sgt A.Y. Davies 1268125
W.O. G.M. Eason 798713
Flt Sgt B. Ellis 567365
Flt Sgt K.H. Goad 1802394
F/O T.W. Humphreys 171357
F/O S.E. Huygens 171358
F/O A.C. Kent 179998
F/O J.D. Lorimer 176873
F/O/ A.J. Lusted 17130
W.O. H. McIvor 967573
Flt Sgt E. McLouglin 1080599
Flt Sgt Noise
Flt Lt B.G. O’Reilly 47367
W.O. E.J. Parker 1165708
F/O J.M. Ross 164723
S/Ldr R.N. Rowson 79145
W/Cdr A.J. Samson 78850 C.O. 117 Sq*
Sgt E.C. Selley 1607826
Flt Sgt A.A. Shallow 798798
Sgt C.G. Sharley 11678816
F/O E.M. Sissons 179971
F/O R.H. Squadronairs 163768
L.Off B.B. Stansfield 178369
Flt Sgt E.W. Trail 1566944
F/O E.G. Warrington 183794
F/O H.C. Young 186542
Flt Lt R.S. Smith J 8656 RCAF
Sgt P.G. Leach 1315237 Killed Monastir, Tunis
P. O. F.A. Pfeffer
W.O. C. L. O’Neill
Flt.K McCartney
F/O Baggs
Flt Sgt Young

*After Japanese surrender, was flying out survivors from Bangkok P.O.W. camp when crashed into mountains, all killed tragically on first flight to wards their return to the U.K.

Our crew was obviously a lucky one. Although the aircraft was hit a number of times, mainly from ground fire, the damage was not serious. We were also struck by lightning twice knocking out radio equipment and aerials.

An extract from “Dakota at War” by Arthur Pearcey, page 81:

“One of the pilots flying a Dakota in the airborne armada to Arnhem was Wing Commander W.E. Coles (my old C.O. in the desert and in Burma) who had on 6 June 1944 relinquished command of 117 Squadron in South East Asia. Earlier that year, during “Operation Thursday” he had flown many missions in and out of all the airstrips located behind the Japanese lines in Burma. Bill Coles arrived in the UK during July 1944 and took over c command of 233 Squadron based at Blackhill Farm. On “Operation Market Garden” he flew Dakota Mk III KG 559 towing an Airspeed Horsa glider. He was one of the many who gained decorations for their gallant part in this fateful operation and was awarded the D.S.O. Four days late on a re-supply mission his Dakota was damaged by flak, his Wireless Operator F/O Sharp was wounded and he was forced to land at airstrip B 56 (Brussels Evire)”.

After his retirement Air Marshal Sir W. E. Coles was the subject/guest on t.v. “This is Your Life” about 1975. I did see part of this but though I contacted the B.B.C. I was unable to obtain a video copy of it.

On the 1st September 1944 I finally completed my operational tour in Burma with the rank of Warrant officer, so had to accept that I had to receive a posting on to non-operational flying or perhaps instructing. But things took time out in the Far East, so for about 3 months my duties were as A.C.P. (Aerodrome Control Pilot) a very basic traffic control i.e. giving loading and take-off instructions, weather information and aircraft separations near the airfield. For night flying, with my airman, to prepare the landing lights — a very basic system, which required the placing, and lighting of gooseneck flares along the runway. Before he was grounded we had a pilot who first crashed on take-off in a strong wind, finishing up close to our bamboo control tower, and a few days later repeated the process. Then finally soon after Christmas 1944 I received my posting notice to 229 Group Headquarters in Delhi. I had the usual farewell party in the Sergeant’s Mess and I had to clean all the Squadron’s departments before flying off to Delhi. At about this time our Australian C.O. Wing Commander Mc Lean also left the Squadron. The Wing was taken over by the famous Group Captain “Willie” Tait of 617 Squadron the well known Dambuster Squadron, taking over from W/Cdr Guy Gibson and later W/Cdr Cheshire, both V.C’s. Though Tait did not receive the V.C he had the D.S.O. and 3 Bars as well as a double DFC. His last D.S.O. was awarded for leading the attack against the Tirpitz and sinking it.

I left 117 Squadron with very mixed feelings. If I was asked to do a third operational tour I am sure I would have volunteered but this was not allowed by Air Ministry. In fact though a number of us, when asked by W/Cdr Coles to do a second tour without a non-operational rest, did volunteer. This was against regulations and I believe the C.O. got a rap over the knuckles for it. I said farewell to the remainder of my crew and with sad memories of those friends of mine who did not make it, flew off to Delhi. Ironically a few days later I was back at Hathasari where the squadron was based

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