Gaining An R.A.F Pilots Brevet In WW II
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burma_Star
Army and Navy personnel and Air Force ground crew serving ashore qualified through entry into operational service in Burma between 11 December 1941 and 2 September 1945.[1]
[2]
The medal was also awarded for service during certain specified periods in China, Hong Kong, India, Malaya and Sumatra, all dates inclusive:[16]
[2]
The medal was also awarded for service during certain specified periods in China, Hong Kong, India, Malaya and Sumatra, all dates inclusive:[16]
- Bengal and Assam in India from 1 May 1942 to 31 December 1943.
- Bengal and Assam, east of the Brahmaputra and Dihang Rivers, from 1 January 1941 to 2 September 1945.
- China from 16 February 1942 to 2 September 1945.
- Hong Kong from 26 December 1941 to 2 September 1945.
- Malaya from 16 February 1942 to 2 September 1945.
- Sumatra from 24 March 1942 to 2 September 1945.
iv. The qualification for flying personnel posted or employed on transport or ferrying duties in the air will be at least three landings in any of the qualifying areas shown in sub-para. 38 during the stipulated dates.
Hi Andrew, Jefford's book RAF Squadrons shows the following Sqn numbers served at Chaklaka in the time frame you mentioned.
10 SQn Dakotas
298 " Halifax A7
670 & 672 Gliders
So it's possible he was something to do with planned operations involving Daks etc towing gliders for use against the Japanese.
Other squadrons did time there but not on those dates.
10 SQn Dakotas
298 " Halifax A7
670 & 672 Gliders
So it's possible he was something to do with planned operations involving Daks etc towing gliders for use against the Japanese.
Other squadrons did time there but not on those dates.
RAF Dakota in Burma WWII
When I was browsing the paper to report the drifting balloon (#12430 above), another item on the same page caught my eye concerning a crash at RAF Driffield the same day - see below and bottom the cutting reporting details of the two RAF men who were killed in the crash (last paragraph).
WT
WT
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My father visited the BBMF about 6 years ago to see the Dakota they have there. He ( and I ) were royally entertained, and shown round and inside the Dakota, while a present day Army dispatcher compared notes with my father. It brought out a stream of hair-raising stories about the Chindits and his work with them that he had never shared with us before (though little about his experiences actually fighting the enemy: he would never talk about that). Dad was also responsible for making and erecting the memorial to Wingate after he died in an American bomber crash.
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The skills of the Dakota crews always amazed my father: navigating 1000's of miles over enemy jungle often in monsoon weather with less than detailed maps, and manouvering at low level around cloudy tree covered hills to get the drops where they were needed. Very unsung heroes.
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MPN11 (#12442),
You are right: "The Burma Star was instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to those who had served in operations in the Burma Campaign from 11 December 1941 to 2 September 1945. [Wiki]
Rawalpindi would be a thousand miles from operations !
Danny,
You are right: "The Burma Star was instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to those who had served in operations in the Burma Campaign from 11 December 1941 to 2 September 1945. [Wiki]
Rawalpindi would be a thousand miles from operations !
Danny,
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MPN11 (#12442),
You are right: "The Burma Star was instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to those who had served in operations in the Burma Campaign from 11 December 1941 to 2 September 1945. [Wiki]
Rawalpindi would be a thousand miles from operations !
You are right: "The Burma Star was instituted by the United Kingdom in May 1945 for award to those who had served in operations in the Burma Campaign from 11 December 1941 to 2 September 1945. [Wiki]
Rawalpindi would be a thousand miles from operations !
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Many thanks to all who have contributed so far. It is very difficult, as all I have to go on are a copy of his service records, which contain very little information and the few entries that they contain are difficult to read. His wife is no longer with us, and his two daughters know very little about his RAF career. Ironically, his son has the most information, but we can't ask him as we are doing the research for his birthday!
On joining up, on New Years Eve 1943, he had been placed in Medical Category Grade 2 F.167a 'Not suitable for training at present', and appears to have served at RAF Feltwell for about a year, immediately after his basic training - logged as HH, which I understand means 'Headquarters Holding'. This was immediately before being posted to ACSEA in June 1945 and on to Chaklala in April 1946. While he was at Feltwell, No. 20 Glider Maintenance Unit (equipped with Horsa gliders) was also there, so perhaps there is a glider connection, although that Unit left Feltwell almost a year before he arrived at Chaklala - so that could also be irrelevant. I realize that this isn't much to go on but my wife and I are really appreciating the help being given by you guys in our quest. Thanks again, Andrew
On joining up, on New Years Eve 1943, he had been placed in Medical Category Grade 2 F.167a 'Not suitable for training at present', and appears to have served at RAF Feltwell for about a year, immediately after his basic training - logged as HH, which I understand means 'Headquarters Holding'. This was immediately before being posted to ACSEA in June 1945 and on to Chaklala in April 1946. While he was at Feltwell, No. 20 Glider Maintenance Unit (equipped with Horsa gliders) was also there, so perhaps there is a glider connection, although that Unit left Feltwell almost a year before he arrived at Chaklala - so that could also be irrelevant. I realize that this isn't much to go on but my wife and I are really appreciating the help being given by you guys in our quest. Thanks again, Andrew
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Nice picture, and fond[ish] memories of the ones Marshalls used to fly around to confuse ATC students at Shawbury and Sleap! Ah, what patient pilots they were ... never a cross word, despite our ab initio fumblings.
Last edited by MPN11; 2nd Nov 2018 at 10:33. Reason: typoo
Late to this but, for the record, Andrew can delete 10 Sqn Dakotas from his consideration. The unit was Mauripur-based and carried out a Para training detachment at Chaklala from 21 November - 23 December 1946, so all over before his Dad got there.
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The window of opportunity for AndrewClark's father-in-law to earn a Burma Star is extremely small - a matter of a couple of months, really. In his case, ? June 1945 - 2 September 1945. So his time at Chaklala [1,000 miles from Burma!] would have had to entail "3 landings" in the relevant 'zones of conflict' for the award of the Burma Star. How he achieved that remains a mystery so far.
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Found a couple of photographs of India of my late father's from late '45/46 and though I'd add them to the thread. I remember I found the negatives at home some years ago and printed them, they were not in great condition.
Railway bridge between Raipur and Vizagapatam (October '45 -March '46)
"Whilst stationed at Dum Dum, Calcutta, we used to have access to trips down the Hoogly to the Tropical Gardens. This photo was taken on one of those trips." (March - October 1946)
Probably Calcutta.
F/O Bill Whittle and a FS out of passenger handling at RAF Vizagapatam (Oct '45 - Mar '46)
Railway bridge between Raipur and Vizagapatam (October '45 -March '46)
"Whilst stationed at Dum Dum, Calcutta, we used to have access to trips down the Hoogly to the Tropical Gardens. This photo was taken on one of those trips." (March - October 1946)
Probably Calcutta.
F/O Bill Whittle and a FS out of passenger handling at RAF Vizagapatam (Oct '45 - Mar '46)
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Lessons on Kurrent (taught up until 1914) https://script.byu.edu/Pages/German/en/kurrent.aspx I suggest you start there, you will appreciate how much easier Sutterlin (taught until 1941) is to read. Watch out for sch which is written as a single letter.
http://www.suetterlinschrift.de/Englisch/Sutterlin.htm
Malta Story was on TV the other afternoon. Apart from Mk XIV Spitfires used in ground shots, apparently the only ones they could find, they used archival footage, including this shot of a Mk Vb(trop)
Is there a reason why the undersides of a tropical Spitfire are painted in such a dark colour?
Is there a reason why the undersides of a tropical Spitfire are painted in such a dark colour?
As to the why's, I leave it to those better informed than I. As to the what's, here is a pic of the undersides of the tropical paint scheme from Britmodeller.com . Perhaps vivid rather than dark better describes the blue, as per tropical skies?
I'd forgotten completely that Desert Air Force aircraft had blue undersides.
I wouldn't mind quite so much if I hadn't seen a Spitfire V at Duxford a few years ago temporarily fitted with a tropical filter and in that scheme, and if I hadn't got an unmade plastic kit of one in a cupboard upstairs.
I can't find a picture online after a brief search but this is a video of the one at Duxford.
I wouldn't mind quite so much if I hadn't seen a Spitfire V at Duxford a few years ago temporarily fitted with a tropical filter and in that scheme, and if I hadn't got an unmade plastic kit of one in a cupboard upstairs.
I can't find a picture online after a brief search but this is a video of the one at Duxford.
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IMO that video shows a more accurate shade of blue than the very dark one shown in Chugalug’s link.
Some of the photographic film types of that era did not respond evenly to certain colours of the spectrum, giving a false impression of the actual shade.
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That was my feeling from the outset. Guys who produce such marvellous models don’t tend to get things completely wrong!
