Topgas
Your post 8633
Thanks very much for the article by Hugh Halliday and the excellent photographs. Funny, the same day you posted them, the daughter of a 110 (Hyderabad) Squadron WAG, Eric P. Baldwin, sent me the first photo. Some years ago I emailed Hugh Halliday who replied with info on the Squadron along with names of some of the Canadian aircrew.
Re: Your post
F/O Anthony John Davies, RCAF, age 26, from Lloydminster, Saskatchewan
F/O John David Ernest Robertson, age 23, from Lee, London
Source: F/Sgt Reg Duncan, RCAF, from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Pilot, 110 Squadron
Source: Bob Harvey from England (still living, age 98)
Twelve Vengeances of 110 Squadron attack targets at Teinkayu on the afternoon of Dec. 17, 1943. The CO flies in front and Reg Duncan, because of his experience, leads the formation, flying the worst possible position, which is very difficult. "You were just like a seagull flying backwards. When you go into the formation the CO waggles his wings and you just throttle back and the other guys throttle back and you all move back together. You are flying very close."
Tony Davies, Reg's wingman, goes into a dive and gets a bomb hung up on his wing. Reg's navigator, Bob Harvey, signals under radio silence to Davies letting him know about the bomb. Reg then signals to Davies to break off from the formation. Davies breaks off, goes into a dive, hauls back, and climbs out of the dive, trying to shake the bomb loose. No luck. He tries once more, again without success. Davies gives Reg the okay and rejoins the formation, putting the bomb release in his cockpit on 'safe'.
On return to base, eight dive-bombers come into land. After what happens next, the remaining four are diverted to Silchar and Sylhet. In that type of situation Reg said, "As soon as you land, you give it hell and go down to the far end of the runway to let the rest of the boys get in." When Reg touches down and starts his cockpit drill, he hears his navigator say, "My God, Reg." Reg looks up and sees a pile of black smoke and thinks the Japanese have followed them in. No, it is Tony Davies and his navigator, Jackie Robertson. "We scooped them up and buried them the next day."
Last edited by savimosh01; 4th Jun 2016 at 21:18.