Chugalug,
It's great to have Fred back isn't it ? Let's hope he may possibly be able to put a bit more of his wonderful story on Post, but only if he feels up to it.
You're quite right about the gas stocks and our readiness to deploy. I believe German Intelligence was well aware of this, and so a
de facto early state of MAD ensured that it was never used in Europe.
In Burma (and if need be in Japan), the Jap was so determined to go down fighting that he would have used gas (or anything else) without a moment's hesitation if he thought it militarily advantageous, regardless of the consequences to his own people. We had no information at Cannanore about any offensive capability
we might have, and still less about possible tactics for its deployment.
Our rôle was strictly defensive; but, as I shall shortly tell, the stuff was supplied to the CDRE only in simple transit packaging. If we
had any gas
bombs, I would have expected to have seen some supplied to us to test. Did we have any artillery shells ? - I don't know.
Yes, it was exhilarating to be "Master of my fate and Captain of my soul" for the first time in the RAF. Looking back, I still marvel at the extent of the autonomy I enjoyed. On my own authority, I could fly the length and breadth of the subcontinent, put in anywhere for fuel, stay on any RAF Station and never be questioned. Those few who knew of the existence of the CDRE were aware of the high-security factor, and would not expect any detail from me (the Official Secrets Act, old chap, don'cher know),
Danny.
*****
Blind Pew,
I did not know of the anthrax and plague experiments you mention, but it all fits into the Japanese concept of Total War. It is a good thing that they didn't think of filling the ceramic containers with the stuff and using the balloons (some of which
did get to the west coast of the US) to carry them in.
No one will ever know the death toll of Chinese civilians in the late thirties and in WW2
AFAIK, we only worked with Mustard, Lewisite would be a possible alternative, but I have no recollection of using it. As we were concerned only with liquids, phosgene would not be of interest to us. Nerve gases were well in the future for the UK (but Hitler had got them),
Danny.
*****
Fareastdriver,
You must be psychic ! Very soon will appear a story
very close to your tale of the unfortunate C5. We dumped all our gas stocks in the sea at the end,
Danny.
*****
Thank you all for your interesting comment and extra detail,
Goodnight,
Danny42C.