I was privileged last night to attend a talk about Kamikase attacks on the British Pacific Fleet in 1945. Rather like 14th Army (the Forgotten Army) the British Pacific Fleet was largely unrecognised.
The author of The Kamikase Hunters had brought three pilots who had served in 1842 Sqn FAA flying Corsairs off HMS Formidable, and an observer who had flown in Avengers with the FAA. It was a fascinating evening, with the author, Will Iredale, introducing some aspect and then asked one or two of the veterans to give their recollections. They talked of the joy of flying the Corsair, the losses of their friends and cabin mates, the aftermath of the kamikaze attack on HMS Formidable (British carriers had armoured decks, compared to the wooden decked American carriers). They carried out attacks on the Japanese mainland, one of them was rescued from a bay off the coast by a US submarine acting as lifeguard. They told of a Seafire pilot shot down on the last day of the war, captured and executed.
One of the pilots later was serving with the New Zealand Army at one stage had a Japanese prisoner of war working party who also formed the fire section. Dealing with a fire (waiting for it to burn out) he asked the fire chief what he had done in the war - reply was that he was a Kamikase pilot, and that he had attended his funeral service with his parents, but fortunately for him the war ended 12 hours later.
One of them said he was 23 at the time, which would make him at least 96, but you wouldn't have guessed it. So, Danny, there are still a few of you around!
The FAA lost 105 aviators in this period, 20% of total FAA losses, and some squadrons were approaching or exceeding Bomber Command rates of loss.
A fascinating evening, a great privilege, and I believe it was recorded for posterity. Order for the book about to be placed with the south American river.