Ian BB,
"We're on common ground now !", I first thought. Then I checked dates and got out my log. I was in the party "shanghai'd" on 13 Nov'43 from the three RAF VV squadrons to beef-up the new VV No.8 (IAF) Sqdn, and get it into action.
On 29 I flew my first trip with 8 to Ranchi (no idea why). Presumably we were at Chaara then. On 4 Dec'43 to Digri, 12 Dec to Double Moorings, 17 Dec into action all over Arakan, did my last 19 ops until untimely end on 24 Feb.
So it would seem that we both knew Dum-Dum, Jessore, Chittagong, ("Hathazari" couldn't be "Dohazari" by any chance ?), Khumbirgram (were they still talking about the elephant ?) Chaara *, Ranchi, Palam (Delhi) etc. But never at the same time. Fortunes of War !
What was he doing ? All sorts of people kept coming up from the West all the time, getting in the way, asking stupid questions, and usually departing swiftly when they found how close the Japs really were. Don't remember any Proctors or Argi. Was one character who turned up at K-m with a Tiger Moth (God knows why), loudly complaining that it had taken him a whole week to get there from Mauripur (?)
Captain of a Twin Beech with 9.45 ? He was "jammy" !. I was captain of a VV with 0.20 on type. "Think yourself lucky, mate - that was more than I had", said my Instructor (F/Sgt Reg Duncan, RCAF).
Happy days. Danny.
* I'm sure we spelt it like that ! But Wiki insists "Charra" - but still only knows about the B-29s there. But then the VV was the invisible aircraft as far as the rest of the RAF was concerned...D.