Well done Max Tow Akyab Burma it is. Sycamore good stab at Jean Batten. I thought it might be her Gypsy Moth in the first photo but the snap was taken in October 1934 and Batten was there in May. Frank Stewart took the photo. He was travelling in this Dragon Rapide with S/L Hewitt and F/O C.E. Kay, pictured at Akyab. They came 9th and last in The MacRobertson Melbourne Trophy Air Race.
Photo credit Geoff Goodall.
Kingsford-Smith's 'Miss Southern Cross' seen above in Western Australia in 1933 following his record breaking flight from Lympne. He night-stopped at Akyab 8/9 October 1933.
He carried the mails in Southern Cross from Darwin to Akyab and back in April/May 1931 on behalf of Imperial Airways following the loss of their DH66 City of Cairo.
As you say he disappeared over The Andaman Sea in 'Lady Southern Cross' 8th November 1935.
Akyab was well used as a staging post by a host of potential record breakers and race competitors, to name but a few: Poulet 1919, The Smith Brothers 1919, Parer and McIntosh 1920, Cobham 1925-6, Kingsford Smith 1933, Batten 1934 and 1936 and Earhart in 1937. Amy Johnson diverted from Akyab to Rangoon due wx and bent her aeroplane on landing 13 May 1930.
Some snaps from 1945 after the Japs were kicked out.
Photo credit Australian War Memorial Museum
Photo credit Australian War Memorial Museum
Akyab March 11th 1945. Beaufighter of 177 Squadron (based Chiringa) Crew: Bill Wilson and Edward Cheshire.
