Geoff goes to India
Sgt. Geoff Burgess (Dad) arrived at 21 FC RAF Mauripur on 15 Jan. 1944 via the transit camp BRD Worli Bombay. How had he travelled there? I know not. Some six weeks had passed since he reported to 5PDC (Many thanks Petet)! Blackpool Lancs. to be sent out to India, enough time, I guess, for him to have arrived by sea. I note though, that there are 43.20 hours passenger hours carried forward in his new “Air Forces in India” log book which seems quite a a lot for a pilot with only training hours to record so far. I wonder if he went out by air? If only the first log book had not been lost I would know. Anyhow, he arrives with 317.45 TT recorded, 212.20 SE, 105.25 ME, of which 43.15 was instrument flying.
I see from his Unit Record Card that he was admitted to 1 British General Hospital Karachi on 21 Feb. 1944, no cause given, but I know from my own experience that there are many xenophobic bacteria in the sub-continent!
His new log book starts on March 1st '44. We know, from the timeline above, that Geoff hasn't flown anything for 12-13 weeks so I am not surprised to see that his first week of flying is spent with the 'Check and Conversion Flight' at Mauripur. March 1/2/3, they put him in a Harvard and give him 1.15 dual and 1.00 pax, then 2 hours as P1 with a check pilot aboard followed by 2 hours pax with that same pilot. March 3/4 he flies the Harvard solo .35 and 1.30, Exs. 1-9, 15,16. March 7/8 they give him a Hurricane, No.666 (what price superstition) and he flies that for .35, 1.30, 1.30 Exs. 1-9, 11,15,16 and finally 1 hour of formation flying. The O/C signs his log book and he is now a useful addition to the payroll.
His first job comes on March 18 when he takes a Hurricane from Mauripur to Jodhpur, (2.15) and then on to Allahabad (3.20). He nightstops there and is returned to Mauripur the next day, courtesy of good old BOAC, in an A.W. Ensign, via Delhi and Jodhpur (7.30) pax.
He repeats this trip on March 21 – Another Hurricane to Jodhpur, (2.05) then Allahabad, (3.05) He's getting faster now he knows the way! (Sorry Dad, just joshing). Next day, he is again carried back to base by BOAC, this time, if you please, on the “Cameronian” a Shorts “C” class Flying Boat, so there must be navigable water at Allahabad, Gwalior and Mauripur which I was unaware of.
One more trip in March, (27) he flies a Harvard, Mauripur -Jodhpur (2.30) with a Dutch P/O in the back and is returned on the same day by the BOAC A.W. Ensign. So endeth the first month with 21 FC Mauripur. He would serve with them for three more months before moving on.
Ian B-B