The plot thickens.
Chugalug,
The plot thickens. Poking about (forgotten where) in Wiki, came across this (it is an excerpt, but contains the relevant material - italics mine):
Flight Lieutenant 123152 Ronald Gilchrist Cameron RAFVR 'Jock'
Contributed on: 21 August 2005
"He was transferred to No 3 (P) AFU South Cerney in April 1944 to be retrained on twin engined aircraft, this it was discovered was for a posting overseas to an operational squadron. He was sent on various courses to other AFU's and Blind Approach Training Flights while at South Cerney.Finally moving to 5PDC at Blackpool for dispatch to India via Liverpool. He sailed on HMT Strathnaver to Bombay, and sent to Worli to be allocated to a Squadron.
After a short stay at 3 Refresher Flying Unit at Poona and 1672 Mosquito Conversion Unit at Yelahanka. He was posted to 84 Squadron on the same Air station. Here he was teamed up with W/O George Park McMahon a navigator who was "regular" RAF and had flown operations in Europe and over the Atlantic. This partnership was to see him through to the war's end.
While with 84 Squadron he was introduced the Vultee Vengeance aircraft, which he describes as a huge beast that you could almost go for a walk around the cockpit. He also flew again in a Harvard "the squadron hack" and also the Oxfords the squadron had been allocated to prepare the unit for the Mosquito.
The arrival of the "Mossie" brought some more bad luck as he crashed one of the first aircraft the squadron were given (HR638). The mistake is well documented in "Scorpions Sting".
He told me of his impression of the Mosquito (and ‘Willie’ in particular) was "I felt that in a mosquito I would always get me back to base no matter what". He trusted the Mosquito, even when others were falling out of the sky due to the problems with the mainspar, he always stated would have continued to fly one if required to do so".
From which I deduce:
(a) People were coming out in early '44 untrained on Mossies; the conversion was to be done in India.
(b) He was posted to 84 Sqdn. while they still had VVs and they were at Yelahanka.
(c) The Harvard ("the squadron hack") would be the one I flew.
(d) The Oxfords (and Blenheims?) were for training: it was an ab-initio operation as I guessed.
It follows that all this lot were presumably at Yelahanka while I was there. Could you have a clearer demonstration of why I am absolutely not to be trusted as an authority ! (but the start-stop dates of the trouble are still OK).
I'll have a look at Aviation History and Nostalgia as you suggest, (I look in there from time to time to see if any Spitfires have been exhumed).
Danny.
*****
angels and lasernigel,
Not only the French and ourselves had fingers in the pie ! At one time and another, the Portugese, Dutch and Danish had a piece of the action. (All in Wiki, at great length): the Portugese came off second best after us with Goa, which remained neutral throughout WW2.
It seems Pondicherry was Free-French (not Vichy), which would be why we left it alone. I mentioned Mahe a short time; this is more than I knew until ten minutes ago: "there were only two European powers left in Kerala - the English and the French. The Indische Compagnie moved out from Cochin in 1795, the French had captured Mayyazhi, renaming it to Mahé (in honour of Bertrand François Mahé de La Bourdonnais"). His name is nearly as long as the one & only Rue in the place !
Thank you for your "a cordial invite to a comrade". (I accept it as a compliment !),
Danny.
Last edited by Danny42C; 8th Sep 2012 at 17:36.
Reason: Add Material.