Again, I'll have to be like that romantic hero of the Edwardian novel, who "Leaped into the saddle and galloped off furiously in all directions !"
In order, therefore:
ancient aviator,
Dates, dear boy, dates ! The events of which I speak took place in early 1942, and it then looked as if the Japs could carry on indefinitely with the successful tactics which had brought them all the way up from Singapore. Essentially, encumbered by what transport and material we had left, we tried to make a stand on the roads. The Jap just walked round us through the "impenetrable" (as we thought) jungle and appeared in our rear. We had to fall back, tried to make another stand, same again.
This miserable ratchet mechanism brought them all the way to the gates of India. At that point it must have been so difficult for the Jap to supply his forward troops that he had to stop.
Fast-forward two years to the spring of 1944. Now the brilliantly led, much larger and better equipped 14th Army was gaining the upper hand. The Japs put in one last desperate counter-attack at Imphal and Kohima, (much the same as the German counter-attack known as "The Battle of the Bulge" at the end of the year).
As we know, both failed. It was Hitler's last throw; in Burma the allied armies were able to get over the mountains into the central plains of Burma, where our armour could freely operate.
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Fareastdriver,
Sounds an ingenious idea ! If the bottles had been properly sealed in the first place, it shouldn't be possible for wild yeasts to get in - look how long bottled beer can last - but glycerine ? Well, why not ? I can remember when potted meats were sealed with butter. However, having no beer at all where we were, it sounds as good a way as any. (Our trouble was in the continuing fermentation taking place inside the bottles, with the result familiar to any home-brewer).
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Chugalug,
Yes, we might have been without many of the trappings of civilisation, but Admin and Org must still go on ! I rather fancy that these must have been station-based, for obviously you couldn't drag your complete stores round with you from strip to strip, even though the Squadron would have its own Equipment Assistants, Armourers, Nursing Assistants and so on. We worked in a similar way, post-war, with the Auxiliaries.
The back-seat man was forbidden, on pain of death, to touch anything in the nature of a flying control, and not even think about removing the stick clipped to the side of his cockpit. His business was to work the wobble pump on command. What else did he do ? Well, really, not a lot. There was no radio for a Wop to bother with. The Gunner had nothing to shoot at for most of the time. As for the Nav, we did all the navigating, both by habit as old single-seaters, and after one or two woeful episodes of classic navigation over which it is better to draw the veil (but they're worth a Post). But there were good reasons to carry somebody.
There was a sad affair which briefly changed our minds. Close to us in the Arakan there was a Beaufighter squadron. One of them was hit, the pilot was dead or dying - in any event unconscious, but the aircraft still flying straight and level. I do not know the Beau, but apparently it is just possible for a very thin Nav to wriggle his way forward into the front. Our chap did this, managed to fly it back (lying on the pilot), tried to land, didn't make it and they both died.
When we heard of this, pilots looked thoughtfully at their back-seat men and decided that a few simple flying lessons might be a good idea. But, alas for good intentions ! Nothing much came of it.
One last question for you and ancient aviator, I once heard that the York and Hastings had to be tail-draggers because the Army stipulated that they must be able to be hand-loaded from the back of a truck. Any truth in this ?
Goodnight, all,
Danny
Last edited by Danny42C; 18th May 2012 at 12:36.
Reason: Correct spelling error.