RAF Dakota in Burma WWII

[Tiger_mate]

There appears to be almost nothing in the public domain about Dakota Ops in Burma and Meiktila airstrip in particular. If anybody here has any photographs to share, I would love to see them.

[old,not bold]

Can't help with a pic, but I do know that Alan Bodger, GM for years of Gulf Aviation/Gulf Air, claimed he had the record SOB in a DC3 of 89, flying in that part of the world. I guess people are smaller there.

Was Meiktila one end of the Hump? I think that's where Alan said he did it.

[Tiger_mate]

If not 'the end', believe tht it was part of the scenario. Like I said, little can be found online to find out. For whatever reason, it has gone underground, yet lives were lost and my understanding is that UK forces plc won against a force far greater in number. We did however lose 7 Dakotas in a days bombardment so assuming this would have included associated loss of life and injury, it appears a hard won victory.

[Geezers of Nazareth]

I was half expecting you to say that that many years ago you saw some being crated-up and buried besides the runway!

[Old-Duffer]

The RAF had several Dakota squadrons operating in Burma and these included 62, 117, 194 and 31, whilst later on the RCAF added a couple of units 435 and 436 (I think). There was also an SD flight operating in 357 Sqn. As the war progressed 238 Sqn became involved and there were inevitable unit number changes.

No: 31 also operated the DC2 and DC3, as distinct from the C47/Dakota. These aircraft were supplied from US civil aviation stocks and were used in the Middle East as well

There is plenty of history to be found and books like 'First in the Indian Skies' and '194 - The Friendly Firm' will help.

If this is so you can paint a picture, why not go to DORIS at the RAF Museum and search their photograph archive?

Old Duffer

PS What's the latest on the pair of Whirlwinds in Borneo - still waiting for my LE prints!!!!!!

[Tiger_mate]

It is to acquire reference info for a painting that thus far looks like this:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/03-Apr-2013/984204-FB3APR13.jpg

...and it is because of all the good information that came out when painting the Whirlwinds, that I ask the question on this forum. I have found only one photograph thus far of Meiktila airfield and the information gleaned from it was minimal.

[renfrew]

Presumably by that stage of the war no one was really interested in keeping records.
We have talked before about a lack of information on RAF C-54 operations.
There were RAF Dakotas operating inside Australia and north up into the Pacific in support of the Pacific Fleet but I have never seen any mention of them.

[India Four Two]

Tiger_mate,

Some great photos here, including RAF Dakotas, but they probably won't help you much with your picture:

The Chindits – A Photo Record | chindits (http://chindits.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/the-chindits-in-photographs/)

[WHBM]

Mr WHBM Senior was on Daks in Burma in 1944-45, after his stint with Bomber Command. I've lost which squadron he was with. What I do know is they shipped from Glasgow via Cape Town to Calcutta, then rail to Gauhati where they picked the squadron up, thence forward over time to Imphal and down into Burma, establishing forward bases as they went, through Akyab and down to Rangoon. Main purpose was supply drops to the ground troops, principally Indian. At least some of the advances were made in parallel with US bases - there were some stories about that.

One ton of rice air-dropped by filling a large bag about 20% full, circling the drop zone as a signal to all to Stand Clear, open door at approx 500 feet, several local erks down the back started booting hard (no safety lines or anything), the bag slowly went out over the doorstep, suddenly - Wham - it was gone. Goodness knows what effect it had on the trim at that moment.

Anyway, can anyone give me a clue about which squadron it might have been.

[Old-Duffer]

WHBM,

The squadrons involved and on which your father probably served will have been shown in my first post on this Thread. Get his Record of Service or Certificate of Discharge and that will tell you everything you need to know about WHBM senior's RAF stint - absolute goldmine and opens up a whole series of opportunities to discover more of what he did.

Tiger Mate,

The first offering is looking good. If you can't find photographs of the airfield, you could try looking up the circumstances in which F/L Michael Vlasto was awarded the DFC. He saw a sign on the ground saying something like 'land here' and he did in an unprepared area to pick up a bunch of wounded squaddies, who would probably have died otherwise. The same site was used the following year as one of the fly-in sites for Operation FRIDAY, the 2nd Chindit expedition. Your painting wouldn't have any vehicles but could show troops gathered round a Dakota in a clearing, loading casualties aboard etc. See the book: "But Not In Anger" plus those mentioned in my other post.

Good luck with the project and please keep us all posted. I still want to know about the Whirlwinds though - my gang are interested in getting their prints!!!

Old Duffer

[JW411]

My first squadron, No.267, flew Dakotas in Burma towards the end of the war.

[Old-Duffer]

Quite true JW411 but they didn't move east until early 1945 IIRC.

267 Sqn's greatest contribution with the Dakota was in the middle east and the Med. In the summer of 1944, it was 267 who flew the WILDHORN sorties into Poland, even bringing back bits of a V2 on one occasion. They collected at least one DSO and a shed load of DFCs/DFMs for that bit of work and the gratitude of the Poles; the latter providing a Polish speaking co-pilot on each WILDHORN. Some guys may remember Jack Blocki an ATC who retired to Cyprus and wrote a book called something like "First Tango in Warsaw". Jack was a Pole and flew on the first WILDHORN.

Amazing story, if anyone's interested, I'll post a summary of a presentation I gave a couple of years ago about the Warsaw Airlift and the WILDHORN sorties before it.

Old Duffer

[WHBM]

Thank you OD, I've never got round to that but should.

I am familiar with his service number because he scribed it on his shoe cleaning brush - which is still in daily use in my own house, along with his hammer which was used on anything recalcitrant in the aircraft. Now that's wartime quality !

I got the impression that it was actually a highlight of his life otherwise spent in the commercial world, no doubt in subsequent recollection rather than at the time. Heard many a description of the escapades in my younger years - to the extent that I reckon I could go VFR from Mandalay to Rangoon without charts. Actually that sounded straightforward, for he said they just followed the Irrawaddy. Most of their "dicey" moments actually seemed to have happened at the base rather than in the air.

[JW411]

Indeed; where it says towards the end of the war that means towards the end of the war.

[A30yoyo]

Old Duffer....WILDHORN research....yes,please, new thread, maybe?

[Warmtoast]

Charles Cruickshank's book "S O E in the Far East" contains a photo spread of a Dakota supply drop to guerrillas in Burma. Not particularly sharp and the credits are to British Movietone, so photos of clips from Movietone's newsreel I assume.

Dak is possibly from 357 Sqn. Daks replacing 357's Hudsons wef January 1945.

See below.

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r231/thawes/Image1-14_zpsb72d723c.jpg

[Tiger_mate]

I have now found out that IWM have a cine film whose description is exactly what I am after. But unavailable whilst restoration work takes place at IWM :(

[ICM]

Tiger Mate: With the rest of 4 Group, 10 Sqn was transferred to Transport Command as WW2 ended, went to India and certainly did some work from Meiktila in March/April 1946. I have a few photos from that time, not great quality, and unfortunately with no annotations as to precisely where or when. Those taken on the ground tend to have groups of locals clustered around a Dak and that's about it. If you thought any of these might be of use, give me an email address via PM and I'll send them.

[Old-Duffer]

I undertook to post about the WILDHORN sorties and the Warsaw Airlift, (requested by pm). However, my scripts are too large.

I suggest you log on to the RAF Museum website and then go to RAF Historical Society and then to their journals. Journal 46 contains the full scripts and photos of my presentation on both subjects from page 147 onwards.

If those interested can't read the pages, please pm me with an email address and I will send the files to you that way.

Old Duffer

[ilesmark]

Believe it or not, my grandfather got shot down in a Dakota over Cox's Bazaar on his way to/from Burma near the end of WW2 - if this is of any interest I can look out the relevant photos and pages from his logbook and put them online?

[pzu]

Could it just be me?

Trid your trail OD and ended at Journal 42

RAF Historical Society Journals | Collections | Research | RAF Museum (http://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/default/raf-historical-society-journals.aspx)

Any help>

PZU - Out of Africa (Retired)

[skua]

Strangely enough there is a letter in the current edition of Guild (as in GAPAN) News about this very subject. W/Cdr Geoff Collins RAF, who served on exchange in 436 in the Seventies says:
in the 8 mos they were in theatre 436 flew >36k hours, and airlifted 29k tons of supplies and 15k troops, passengers and casualties. 436 is alive and well at Trenton, Ontario, frecently re-equipped with the new C130J.

He recently presented a 436 Sqn badge to the RAF Club.

[Old-Duffer]

pzu et al,

Sorry for the problems/duff gen.

If you pm me with an email address, I will send you the journal files which are appropriate. This will comprise some photographs and the combined WILDHORN and Warsaw airlift presentation.

Old Duffer

[Tiger_mate]

My mission is to preserve Aviation History through Art:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/13-Apr-2013/984204-FB13APR13sml.jpg
...and this story deserves to be told.

[XV490]

This has stirred memories of my late father telling me his first-ever flight was in a Dakota. I can only surmise that it was from Calcutta to Imphal circa May 1942 in order to re-join his Royal Artillery unit. He'd been left behind, hospitalised with typhus, while the parent 23rd Indian Division moved up to the Burmese border. How I wish I knew the facts.
Later he and thousands of others were for many weeks sustained by airdrops from Dakotas during the Battle of Imphal. Bless 'em all!

[Old-Duffer]

XV490,

If your father's first flight was circa May 1942, it could well have been in a DC2 or DC3, rather than a Dakota. As mentioned elsewhere, the RAF acquired some civilian DC2s and 3s prior to the militarised C47 becoming available.

There are some very good books about the Dakota, both from the technical and operational sides and it is only when one delves a bit deeper that one realises just how many versions/variations there are.

The American singer Oscar Brand, besides many bawdy ballads, had a song which starts off: "In '51 they tried to ground the Noble DC3, and so lawyers brought the case before the CAB, the Board examined all the facts, behind their great oak portals, and then pronounced these simple words, the gooney bird's imortal".

My father returned from a three year tour in the Far East in 1947 and effectively 'worked his passage' as the RAF was bringing home several Dakotas which were to be returned to the USA. It took him five days and he was responsible for their ground support at each stop - bit of self preservation if you ask me!

Old Duffer

[A30yoyo]

There's a set of photos of the 3rd batch of 2nd hand transports being ferried through Natal, Brazil by Pan Am ferries Inc for the British in September 1941 here. There are shots of the cabin fuel tanks in there, too
Brazilian Air Bases - Hosted by Google (http://images.google.com/hosted/life/875359a838e378d0.html)
These are DC-2s and DC-3s... the first couple of batches were mainly Lodestars

[Tiger_mate]

Thinking about the foreground now:
http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/16-Apr-2013/984204-FB16APR13sml.jpg

Does anybody know if in Burma during WWII the RAF Regt had bofors guns or something similar for airfield defence?

[nacluv]

Don't forget the trenches for disposal of the surplus aircraft at end of hostilities... ;)

[Old-Duffer]

Tiger Mate,

Given that you referred to a specific airfield, I think the answer you seek can only come from a search as to what was actually on site at the date you specify, if it's to be authentic.

The station Form 540 will reveal the deployed RAF Regt/AA units present. From this you can find the weapons issued to those units and hence depict them.

Your painting -which is looking good - suggests that one is looking along the line of a 'paved' strip or hardstanding. I think it unlikely that any obstructions (weapons pits) would be in the foreground, perhaps off to the side therefore.

Old Duffer

[Tiger_mate]

I have on record that if this were seen through your own eyes, then to the right is tentage without walls. At 3oclock , short distance is the abandoned hulk of another Dakota. The surface is bare earth with grass clusters. In the heat there is dust, in the rain there is mud - lots of it. I propose to show both standing water and dust knowing how quickly change happens in rainforest. Ditches, gun pits and guns are all feasible although I do not have proof. I have artistic license but would only use this within logical reason. I understand that the RAF Regt provided airfield defence and that attacks by Japanese troops were commonplace. The skies were dominated by allied forces but air strikes were completed. Most damage was done by incoming artillery, including the loss of 7 Dakotas in a single day.

[Old-Duffer]

Tiger Mate,

My apologies if I appear to doubt one comment you make above.

I have compiled a record of transport and special duties aircraft, including those in the Far East. However, I have no record of seven Dakotas being lost in a single day, for my own interest do you have a source for that info? I have, however, made an assumption that you are referring to British Commonwealth aircraft by using the word 'Dakota', rather than - say - C47, to embrace our US friends.

O-D

[Tiger_mate]

This particular painting is being done in tribute to the war artist, the late Frank Wootton who worked for an extended period at Meiktila in WWII. All of the paintings he did at the time were in haste and almost abstract in nature, whereas I have the benefit of both time and peace, neither of which Frank had. In my independent research I have found very little about the place and fewer still photographs although I am aware of IWM film footage that would probably be a goldmine to me that I have not been able to access.

It is in Franks memoires that the story wrt 7 Dakotas came to light. However in case I have crossed wires, I shall revisit the memoires and confirm later. I do think it a shame that the war in the far east appears to be the ginger haired step child of RAF history when the highs and lows of the place must have been a real roller-coaster of emotion.

WRT to painting such as this, and indeed the Whirlwind, the potential customer base is too small to merit an efficient business model but at the moment, I have the luxury of being able to paint what I want rather then what the majority of art collectors wish to see repeated over and over again. It also falls nicely within my mission statement of preserving aviation heritage through art.

[Tiger_mate]

As promised:

The capture of Meiktila at the end of February (1945) was the key to victory. Kimura, the Japanese commander, constantly attacked the airfield. All our aircraft were targets for his guns. We lost seven Dakotas on 29 March. The RAF Regiment drove back two companies of Japanese, inflicting a loss of forty- eight killed. The regiments own casualties numbered seven. Supplies were maintained by parachute. Finally, it was April when landings became possible again.

Frank Wootton was at Meiktila in the weeks leading up to VJ day and two weeks afterwards. VJ day is Aug 15 1945.

This is the film description held by the IWM.

ACTIVITIES ON MEIKTILA AIRSTRIP (11/4/1945)

This film is held by the Imperial War Museum (ID: ABY 154).

Synopsis

RAF and US Army Air Force (USAAF) operations at and around Meiktila following its capture by British forces.

Bomb damage to buildings and railway rolling stock. A number of stone or plaster figures of the Buddha appear to have survived amongst one pile of rubble. American lorries at Meiktila airstrip. A lorry reverses up to a waiting Douglas Dakota transport aircraft and unloads ammunition boxes containing 25-pounder artillery rounds. A petrol bowser marked '100 Oct[ane]' passes parked Dakotas. A ground crewman passes a refuelling hose to another on the wing of a Dakota. A line-up of Dakotas on the perimeter track. A tent, apparently Flight HQ, with an unidentifiable squadron badge fixed to a nearby tree. Aerial view of the airstrip at Meiktila with gliders scattered about; the gliders are USAAF CG-4 Wacos ('Hadrian' in RAF service). An oil drum is unloaded from a Dakota. Dakota KJ916 is loaded from a lorry. Parked aircraft with gliders coming in to land; some of the parked aircraft are USAAF Curtiss C-46 Commandos. Wounded troops on stretchers are lifted onto a Dakota. Ambulances parked by a Dakota. Dakotas taking off. Waco gliders landing. Soldiers and local people attend to a tangled pile of parachutes. Close-ups of local Burmese people including women and children. A soldier examines an abandoned Japanese artillery piece on an archaic-looking wheeled carriage. An extremely brief shot of a wrecked Japanese light tank, probably a Type-95 Ha-Go. A wrecked Dakota with close-ups of a hole in its fuselage and a wrecked engine. A sign reads 'Meiktila Landing Strip'. Dakota take-off. A large pile of parachutes.

Notes

British Army films relating to the capture of Meiktila can be found under related items below.

2 minutes of silent B&W film and I wish it was available.

The wrecked Dakota may be KN232 of RAF 238 Squadron. This aircraft, laden with casualties, was hit by shellfire during take-off which knocked out an engine and collapsed an undercarriage leg. This aircraft and the crew can be seen in an IWM photograph referenced below.

[Spot 4]

"Lost" may to an uninformed observer may actually be "damaged repairable" and therefore not destined to feature on any stats. If we know that there was a Dakota hulk, (ie a write-off) then we can assume that there was a limited source of spares for it would have been canabalised.

There is an IWM photo showing a Dakota and crew with the Dak having a collapsed post main and a big hole through the engine after sustaining artillery fire whilst 'departing', or 'taking off' as written elsewhere. However the damage does not appear to have been inflicted at a time of momentum with the aircraft and it may well be that such damage was repairable on site. The hole was at the rear of the engine fairing and if it had missed the spar (leading edge on a DC3 anyone?) then the damage may not have been as bad as first impressions would have you believe.

[Tiger_mate]

It is nearly finished :O People to come next which I think will be the making of the painting.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/20-Apr-2013/984204-FB20APR13.jpg

[A30yoyo]

http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/50/media-50719/large.jpg?action=e (http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/item/object/205207756)
ROYAL AIR FORCE OPERATIONS IN THE FAR EAST, 1941-1945. © IWM (CF 540) (http://www.iwm.org.uk//collections/item/object/205207756)
(via the hot-linking facility on the IWM Collections site)

[RodfjH]

I would be very interested in your photos and data as my own Father was shotdown in a Dakota, but he was in the back as a Supplier.

[ICM]

Tiger Mate: The 29 March 1945 date for the loss of 7 Dakotas caught my eye. As I mentioned earlier, 10 Squadron was operating from Meiktila and Myitkina on detachment from India for a period in 1946 - and lost 3 aircraft in the hills on 29 March 1946, two of them at the same mountain DZ. A single Sepoy survived one of the crashes and was found a few days later.

Incidentally, there appears to be a gap of about a year in the unit's F540 record from late 1945, and I'd be happy to hear from anyone who has logbook or other family detail to help fill out the picture for that period.

(And odd to hear of events in the town of Meiktila in this morning's news.)

[Tiger_mate]

In the hope of tracking down some Sqn history and maybe a late input into this painting, here is an update now depicting medics working on a stretcher case and a crew brief/debrief.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/06-May-2013/984204-FB6MAY13sml.jpg

The green fatique trousers that all apppear to wear are unlike anything I have seen in other theatres and I wonder if they were either Australian or US in origin.

[onetrack]

This thread reminds me of a story I read in perhaps either the Australian "Pix" or "People" magazine in the late 1960's or early 1970's.

It was the story of an escape from Burma in early 1942, in front of the advancing Japanese, of a load of women and children, in a patched-up Dakota flown by a young Chinese pilot (not sure of his name now - Ho Fun rings a bell?)

The Dakota had been bombed and badly damaged. The locals, including some Allied troops set to and patched the holes in the Dakota wings with sheets.
They then loaded the aircraft with something like 42 or 43 women and children, tied the Dakota to a tree to assist with a STO (due to bomb damage to the runway) - and after Capt Ho firewalled the throttles, the troops chopped the rope with an axe and the Dak departed for Singapore.

They arrived in one piece, and the aviation authorities were staggered that the aircraft even flew. Capt Ho was insistent that he needed to return to Burma to rescue more women and children that had been left behind.

The authorities in Singapore refused to refuel the Dak, and Capt Ho harrassed them mercilessly until they relented and refuelled him.
Capt Ho attempted a takeoff, but a main gear tyre blew as he reached near V2min, the aircraft slewed out of control, and crashed and blew up. Capt Ho was incinerated.

The whole sad story was one of desperate and incredible heroics - and I thought of the futility of the entire exercise (which was unknown to all the participants at the time of course), as Singapore was rapidly overrun not long after, and all the women and children became captives anyway.

Does anyone have any reference or knowledge of this story, or is it just one small story of WW2 heroics lost in the passage of time?

[Capot]

Tiger Mate, I've been following this thread with awe at your knowledge, skill and dedication. Re the green jungle fatigues, we were issued with these in the mid-1950's as cadets in the school cadet corps, presumably when it was decided that they were never going to be needed again for normal service. We thought they were the bees' knees and much better than the denim blouse and trousers usually issued.

I've often wondered why you made the top of the Dakota's fin/rudder as you did, when I remembered them as slightly different; A340yoyo's photo is how I recall the DC3's we operated in the late 60s, but I just assumed I must be wrong. I guess that you have painted an earlier/later model?

[Tiger_mate]

You have me worried now about the rudder, although the rudder in the photo is hard over to starboard and therefore the appearance is one of distortion.
http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z2/seamus_85/DakotaLineDrawing.jpg

There are antenae still to be added and I have seen a few variations on that theme so will probably use the aformentioned photograph as reference.

[Capot]

Tiger Mate, I see now that your rudder is exactly as the one in the drawing and, for that matter, the photo. I'm looking at your picture on a small Asus with not much resolution, and thought that you had given the rudder a balancing horn, sort of, at the top, not unlike the Valetta shown in your drawing. But with the prompt of the correct drawing, I see that it's absolutely correct.

I am sorry to have worried you unnecessarily!

[Tiger_mate]

No dramas, it could well have been an invaluable input, and I thank you anyway.

Reference the forward door just behind the cockpit: It appears to be made for patagonian midgets as a chap standing in the area of the 'normal (rear) door' could bang his head if he did not duck slightly. Does anybody know if this fwd door served any other purpose than letting some air circulate or an emergency exit if a drama happened?

[stevef]

Two purposes - an emergency exit (a rope could be stowed in a canvas bag on the bulkhead) and also as a precarious entry/exit via a groundcrew ladder if the cabin was full of freight.
As you can see, the door was alarmingly close to the propeller. :eek:

[Tiger_mate]

Thanks for that. On all the photographs of the painting thus far, the door has been open albeit without an actual door. Given what you have said, I have decided that 'closing the door' is the most realistic way to go, and instead concentrate on the venturi (ASI?) and radio aerials (beneath the captains window) that can be seen on the previous B&W photograph.

[stevef]

Tiger:
The venturi was connected to the main electrical junction box by SCAT hose and kept the voltage regulators etc cool.

[Cubs2jets]

The "suicide door" behind the Captains set was originally dual purpose. Its main purpose was as a loading hatch for mail bags and small cargo going into the forward cargo compartment (navigators area in C-47) and as an emergency escape hatch (along with the overhead). It is truly NOT sized for regular ingress/egress of adult sized humans.

C2j

[Tiger_mate]

The forward door is now closed and the Jeep totally repainted. It appeared on B&W photos that the aircraft crews wore the same kit as the troops, although some with what appears No 1 tropicals which is not very warry. Does anyone know different?

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/11-May-2013/984204-FB11MAY13.jpg

[Tiger_mate]

Does anybody know what personal weapons transport crews would have had? I have given the briefing soldier a rifle over his shoulder and am wondering if the crewmember would have had a rifle or pistol as a personal weapon. Also if a pistol would it likely be a belt mounted holster.

The guys in the previous B&W photo have nothing :confused:

[Brian 48nav]

I have a print of a Dak' landing at a Burmese strip, painted by Ron Homes. After completing a tour as a pilot on Lancasters in Bomber Command he was posted to India to fly Dakotas, with (IIRC ) 62 Sqn,which then went on to various bases in Burma including Meiktila.

Google Ronald Homes for more information; he must be about 90 now but hopefully is still with us.

[Tiger_mate]

No Joy at finding that image on line; any chance you may be able to post it here? I would like to see it if possible.

I did find Ron Homes on the GAvA website, including a painting of a silver Dakota off the coast of New Guinea but none as you describe.

[Brian 48nav]

Just checked Ron's website and I can't see the print either, his email address is there so it might be worth sending him a message. Tell him that Anne Wildey's better half suggested you contact him. My wife is an artist who has exhibited with Ron in the past; not aviation I'm afraid, apart from a great atmospheric painting she did from a photo I took of our Herc' in Tarawa in 1969.

I'm the 'technophobe' in the family and Anne is away for 2 nights, so hoping she can send you a shot of Ron's Dak' painting.

BW

[Tiger_mate]

The painting is finished. The Hurricane was replaced with an Indian Air Force one based in Burma to balance the colour.

http://www.wetcanvas.com/Community/images/25-May-2013/984204-EHgrDakota.jpg

36" x 24" Oil on stretched canvas. Looks like a Norseman aircraft is next: I appreciate all the contributions made on this forum which have been most helpfull. Thank you.

[rshuttle]

I'm new to this group and this is my first interaction with the site. I am trying to piece together my Dad's life during WWII. I understand he was in 547 Squadron and I know he flew Dakotas and was for a time based in Burma. Some of the other threads mention pilots making their way to Burma through India which also matches some of the memories of what Dad told me (he died in 1976). Can anyone confirm the existence of 547 Squadron in Burma at that time? Seems there is very little info available.

[Kieron Kirk]

547 Squadron RAF.

RAF - 547 Squadron (http://www.raf.mod.uk/history/547squadron.cfm)

Ciarain.

[Brian 48nav]

C.G.Jefford's book, RAF squadrons shows a 436 Sqn with Dakotas that was based in India and Burma in 1945.

Any good?

[Octane]

Does anyone know what a typical load was in the weapons canisters that were dropped to troops in trouble? Curious to know. Apart from ammo, I'm guessing gun parts (barrels) and possibly weapons along with ration packs?

Cheers

Octane

[albatross]

436 Transport Squadron | 8 Wing | Royal Canadian Air Force (http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/8-wing/436-squadron.page)
436 was a Canadian SQN.

[Brian 48nav]

Yes you're right but the number was in the RAF sequence. The 3xx and 4xx RAF squadron numbers were mainly allocated to Commonwealth and Allied ( Norway,France, Denmark etc ) units - many of course are still used.