Chugalug and BB,
...Danny, can you throw any light on the "E Group Channels"...
Frankly, no ! Never heard of it. But then, why would we ? If it was some sort of escapers aid organisation, then it would be SOP that the possible beneficiaries of the system would be the very last people to be told about it.
We'd heard vaguely about the mysterious "136 Wing", and everyone knew about the Chindits, but no one knew exactly what they were doing, or where or when or how. Quite right, too - for: "
Thou canst not utter what thou dost not know" ("hush-hush, old man, you know how it is, security and all that !")
In consequence we know that 84 were working with the Chindits till the early part of '44, and John Dunbar was with the squadron of L-5s, but we can only expect details of the odd episode, as in his "Five into Four won't go", but most will forever be hidden.
All we knew was that we had the "Dear Friend" leaflets for villagers we might meet on the trek back, and that the Naga tribes in the North were on our side. And we had our moneybelts (60 silver Indian Rupee coins - legal tender in Burma. You may remember the first mistake (they were filled with newly minted 1942 Rupees, which should not
be in Burma at all, as the Jap had taken the whole country before they were issued there.
So, as you dished them out to the headmen of helpful villages, you were laying down a bright silver trail of your passage for the Japs hunting you ! Even when these were hurriedly withdrawn and refilled with old coins, there was nothing to stop a local from cutting your throat as you slept. and taking the lot !
It might be useful, in this world of instant communications, to remind people that, out on our jungle "strips" with our squadrons, we had no newspapers (apart from the anodyne, "SEAC News" (?) air dropped monthly by the "SEAC Anson"). No radios, no telephones, occasional letter from home or from pals elsewhere in India, but that was all. Apart from a general knowledge of how the war was going, and what we were doing ourselves, we knew little or nothing of what other Units were doing, even five miles away.
Reverting to the "security" angle, I have no doubt that the units involved made the most of their "hush-up" status for any benefit it brought. For I did it myself, I could con my way round India on the strength of my "Special Duties" Flight. That impressed straight away, and when it was backed up by a quiet mention of the dread words: "
Porton Down", further questioning ceased.
Fill 'er up, Sir ? Stopping overnight ? - no problem, Sir, we've got a spare 'basha' - is that your kit ? my bearer will look after you. Anything else we can do for you, Sir ?
Why didn't I take a week off from Cannanore (I'm sure the Wg Cdr wouldn't object, the unit ran fine when I was away with malaria), and take a VV up to Agra and have a look at the Taj Mahal ?
Too honest (stupid), I suppose.
Danny.