savimosh01
I've sent you a PM about your kind offer of a complimentary copy of your book - I much appreciate it.
Some names off the top of my head which may be useful:
I'm afraid the name "Mosher" doesn't ring a bell. But he may have been in "B" flight (the Flights were quite remarkably autonomous, and even in the mess you'd tend to socialise with the people you worked with). He may have come on the Squadron after I left (for 8 Sqdn.) in November '43 (unlikely), - or did he come with the Mossies (which took over from the VVs in late '44) ?
Against that, I think I do vaguely recall on "A" Flight a Sgt-Pilot "Robbie" Robinson; we also had a P/O "Robbie" Robertson (nav), who flew with me on my first three 'ops'.
As for adventures in Afghanistan, and a Pancho and Chico, I'm at a loss.("Chico" was a generic term for any little Indian lad, could he be one such earning an anna or two doing odd jobs round camp? Or were they both "bearers"?
A nav/wop-ag might "crew up", and fly mostly with one pilot, but there was so much messing about that everybody flew with everybody else on the Flight at one time or another. From my logbook I can give you Sgts Payne, Denton, Stewart-Mobsby (my usual wop-ag), Mills, Turner, Brown, Lewis, Foster and F/Sgt Skelton.
In addition I had a F/O Baldwin and P/O Robertson (both navs), and No, F/O Baldwin was not the one who got the Flight comprehensively lost on the way to war, he of the air commodore's braid and golden wings - I never flew with him on 110 Sqdn. But he came over to 8 with us, I flew with him then a couple of times (on the clear understanding that I would do any navigation involved).
Dave Cummin I don't recall - probably on "B" Flight (and Sgt or P/O?) - we could have been in different Messes.
As for pilots, I was saddened to hear of the death of Reg Duncan. He was a grand chap - did he ever speak of his dog "Spunky" ? I'll put the (sad) story in on my next "main" Post.
Topper" was a great Flight Commander (and he acted as Squadron Commander for most of the time, as S/Ldrs seemed to come and go). Did he ever tell of the lovely little dachshund he had in Khumbirgram , and how it would try to see off the Works & Bricks elephant which worked round the Flights?
Edward Helliwell I don't remember, but the same applies as in the case of Dave Cummin - different Flights or ranks, or both = different worlds!
Also as certifying Officers in my log, I give you S/Ldrs Lambert, Gill and Penny (Perry?); F/Lts "Crudsell" (or something like it), D.J. Ritchie (RAAF); F/Os H.P. Brooke and D. Hedley.
My W/O (Pilot) Doug "McEvoy", RNZAF, (a few posts back) was of course your "McIlroy". Some day I'll try to get on Post my (one and only) pic of "A" Flt, taken in New Year '43.
That's about all I can usefully add at the moment,
Cheers,
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 17th Jun 2012 at 01:11.
Reason: Spacing.