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1255718 LAC Treliving B.H.

I flew into Burma from Imphal where I had just spent my fifth Christmas away from home serving with the RAF. I was with a forward area unit supporting 681 Squadron - a photographic reconnaissance squadron flying Spitfires. The purpose of our unit was to process the films brought back from missions to save the time taken to get them back to base in Calcutta.
This small unit was of necessity, self contained , having to supply itself with water and electricity in order to carry out film processing wherever we settled.
We had sophisticated equipment (supplied by the US Airforce), which consisted of complete photo darkroom units which when packed, stored in to just a few boxes. The darkrooms were made of lightproof material which fitted over a metal frame, all cleverly stored in two wooden boxes which became the darkroom sinks. A larger box fitted centrally between two darkrooms and became the entrance to both, with the fittings to supply water and electricity and take away the waste liquids. Electricity was supplied from motor powered generators and water was obtained by setting up next to a river and pumping water out with a motorised pump. This water was supplied under pressure to the darkroom taps by means of electricly driven filter units.
As the appointed maintenance engineer, it was my job to set up this equipment, supply the water and electricity and keep the machinery servicable.
We moved every few weeks as a new airfield was captured and stabilised and we were transported by Dakota aircraft, carrying out these moves with the loss of only two days operations.
I remember well the transfers between Comilla, Imphal, Kalemyo, Monywa and Miektilla - my favourite site being Monywa where we set up camp by the famous Chindwin River. Here we found a shot up canoe, which, not having many holes in, was usable. We paddled it up river on exploration trips, stopping frequently at convenient sand banks to empty out the water that had leaked in. On one occasion we were hailed from the bank by some friendly natives who took us into their village and made quite a fuss of us (as conquering heroes I suppose). Returning back to our unit down river was very much faster than the struggle to get up against the current but it was enjoyable fun whilst waiting for our planes to bring us more work.

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