Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II

[Box Brownie]

Fl Lt John Dunbar DFC (RIP) Five into four won't go
Taken from two tapes
That was the beginning of it. We were dispersed around the airfield and asked if we had got
our tents etc, to which the answer was no, they were back in Calcutta. Another example of
administrative excellence confronting us. I had to report to a Major Gibson who was G ops 4Corps
and to take twelve pilots with me. It transpired that the squadron was to be split between the three
Corps of the army in India. He outlined the intention of the Corps to go straight through the jungle
to the Irrawaddy in total radio silence. Having just broken out of Imphal, 4Corps had the almost
impossible task of of getting through the jungle to the Irrawaddy river in total silence. The Japanese
did not believe it possible that an army could move through the jungle without their knowledge. All
the communications on the advance to Rangoon were to be by air. We were to drop the order of
battle each morning. There is a story there but I will come back to it later. We were also to be the
means of taking in and out the odd bod from 163 Force who were operating behind the Japanese
lines. Gibson explained that General Messervey was in a meeting but would see me later. When we
did meet I had the most almighty of bollockings. We should have been there two weeks previously
and 4Corps had already broken out of Imphal.
What a leader General Messervey was. I was to be his personal pilot and got to know him very
well indeed. I flew him every other day. He always called me Ginger. Contrast that with a situation I
had after we had been in the jungle for some months. I had done three trips that day, nasty nasty
ones, and was stripped to the waist dragging a flannel over me. Bear in mind that during the last
month of our advance on Rangoon we had just one pint of water a day and one eighth rations. I was
suddenly aware of a presence and there standing in the jungle in the middle of a war was this most
immaculately turned out Grp Ctn. “ Don't you normally stand to attention in the presence of a senior
officer?” I said words that I should not have spoken. Later I went to the signal tent and composed a
signal asking to be replaced immediately. The following morning Messervey sent for me, he
had my signal in his hand. “ What is all this about you wanting to leave us Ginger? Is it that Grp
Ctn D....? Let me tell you, every time he sees me he almost wets himself. You are going nowhere. If
you have any problem with him you come and see me”
We lived like animals, no mess, no batman and we put our own tents up. Food was basic “ How
would sir like his corned beef this evening ?”The temperature was around 120deg. Our trips in the
L5 were usually about one hour duration, no parachutes, we were too low for them to have been of
any use, a pistol and hand grenades we had scrounged. Bear in mind that the strips or clearings were
often behind enemy lines and we were likely to be shot at each time we took off. Each flight was
therefore deemed to be an op. In all I did 288 hours over enemy territory/the jungle. You can count
yourself lucky to survive that. I did 396 trips. We would be in our tents at night listening to the guns
pooping off.
Once beyond the Irrawaddy, I would fly the general to observe actions. At times I would refuse
to fly him over the battlefield, and he would say 'It's all right Ginger' and I would relent. On one
occasion when I was on another op he suddenly wanted to fly and Jimmy Norris took him. Jimmy
returned and said to me ' The general tapped me on the shoulder and wanted to go down and take a
look. Flack suddenly broke around us and I said, awfully sorry, but we are going to have to go
back. They are shooting at us. He said 'Why? They aren't hitting us'

To be continued