A Story of War

May 13th 1943 – Imphal

CDC Dunford Wood — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:27:43 +0000

Watty and I go out and dine with the King’s Own before I leave for Imphal. Watty gives a lecture and then we finish Bill’s last bottle of whisky. They have now moved off to Diamond Harbour near Calcutta. Nazir gets back alright and next day I set off. Two chaps go off on one sortie but Amrik says Latif is ill and will go later if feeling better. I say “OK or get a couple of Mohawks to help” having laid on a tentative bandobust (JDW: a word originating from Hindi meaning ‘organization or an arrangement made to deal with something’) with S/L Jefferies to that end. I am just about to take off when Amrik gives me a message from W/C McMichael, the A.L.O. of 4 Corps, that he is ‘very surprised’ I didn’t go myself that morning, so I expect he will try and put me in the dirt for it. I take off and reach Alipore via Silchar and Agartala, though without landing. Then on here, and nearly prang, swinging on landing. She has a small internal glycol leak, and I sniff the fumes for four hours on the way and am violently sick when I get back.

Today a signal that Latif is missing on a sortie, but no details. Looks like Joe Soap will have to go up on Ops again as the fourth pilot!

Mike alive again. Apparently he came up floating, swam ashore to Magyichaung, was offered a “V” cigarette by a Jap at the four Bren guns that shot him down, and then kept in captivity for ten days. He had his leg treated and got constipated on a diet of rice. Then one night he walked out, round Foul Point and up the beach to Maungdaw with the help of some locals met with on the way, who got Rs150/- each for their pains. The march took him three days only.

I think I have slight jaundice following the cholera injection at Imphal and that awful flight home. I shake hands with the Viceroy Lord Linlithgow when he inspects us and 15 squadron at Imphal. He is wearing a two piece suit with three rows of medal ribbons! and a topee! Ah well, I should get my boots greased again I suppose! Henry still at Ramu, and Sybil (the airstrip) no longer being used. All my boys back now. One Jack Wales posted to 28 squadron in my place from a fight squadron in Ceylon.

May 12th 1943 – Imphal

CDC Dunford Wood — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:01:46 +0000

I go flying twice at Ranchi. Once to watch an artillery demonstration and am stooging around about 2000′ when up comes a mortar bomb above me, hovers a bit, and then drops. The second time I run into a lot of cattle at the end of the kutcha strip but fortunately each one in his turn gets out of my way. I then come up to Imphal – leave Ranchi one morning for Red Road, but don’t like the look of the approach, through a balloon barrage, so I land at Alipore instead. See Group and spend the night with Reggie Cox, in their Mess, a beautiful house with electric fans, running water and iced beer.

We go to the Saturday Club and the flicks. Next day, despite the compass being some 10-15 degrees out, I land at Agartala and then Imphal. It looks just like Kashmir or Abbottabad, nestling in a plain surrounded by mountain ranges.

The two flight lieutenants, Nazir Allah and Latif, I find in trouble – the one for beating up one of his pilots and the other for refusing to fly at the latter’s orders, as he considered himself the senior. Amrik Singh is here as A.L.O., and Group Captain Seton-Broughall is O.C. of the local Wing, and I see him and also A.V.M. Williams about some of my troubles. The Viceroy comes up on a visit, heralded by a Lockheed Electra with his servants and personal baggage on board.

“Longcloth” (JDW: see Operation Longcloth) – 77th Brigade under Brigadier Wingate – are returning from Burma. About 3000 of them advanced in several columns last December, crossed the Irrawaddy, and got nearly to Bhamu. Some have gone on into China, about 1400 have returned to India and others are on the way. We do contact recces to find them and then aircraft drop supplies on them. They have been supplied by air the whole time, even boats being dropped to recross the Irrawaddy. Bernard Fergusson was one of the column commanders.

Nazir Allah and Latif go on a recce, but only Latif has returned, saying Nazir lost him – so that looks like a battle casualty, and the best man in the squadron too.

May 4th 1943 – Ranchi, India

CDC Dunford Wood — Sat, 04 May 2013 08:34:25 +0000

On May 1st signal received “Post F/L Dunford Wood to 2 Sqn I.A.F. to command. F/L Dunford Wood to XXX by A/S/L from 1st May.” So I am to be O.C. 2 Sqn I.A.F.!!! Bill Robinson, now a Major, comes in for a party and I see him off fairly well. I then move over to 2 Squadron Mess and here I am. Things seem pretty chaotic from the administrative point of view, as the adjutant is a bit dim. Fortunately there is a B.O.R. (British other ranks) corporal, most of the pilots are up in Imphal where there is a detachment, and only F/L Latif and nine aircraft are left down here.

I spend the last few days on “bumph”, great piles of it. Two nights ago Tom Pierce and I go out to dinner with 14th Division – David Cooper and old ‘GI Warren’ in great form. Unfortunately I get a bad attack of diaorrea, or something, and so do not enjoy it. I am also going deaf in one ear through large accumulation of wax.

I wonder how long I shall keep this job, presumably until I get the sack for putting up a black of some sort, or until an Indian C.O. is chosen and appointed. It won’t be much fun going back to flight commander after having commanded a squadron for a day or two – (longer I hope – lekim quien sabe?)

April 28th 1943 – Ramu, Burma

CDC Dunford Wood — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 19:45:35 +0000

Mike and Madill arrive, the former to take over from me, so after a day’s handing over Watty comes up from Sybil and we crack a bottle of ‘Old Angus’. I return the next day with Mackilligan in another a/c to Ranchi. Mike and Flynn go down to A.L.G. and when I get back I hear that he (Mike) is shot down in flames into the Maya River by A/A fire from Magyichang. Well, ‘Tiny’ Irwin, if he is still alive, and I are the only ones left now of the seconded Indian Army lot.

We maybe move to Alipore soon, keeping the Arakan detachment and sending another one, me again, to Imphal when the monsoon comes and 2 Squadron I.A.F. give up their detachment there which they took over from Henry – Henry left for Ramu this morning.

I have now got in 100 sorties and am not at all pleased with the prospect of more operations in Imphal. Tom is to be Wing Commander and Henry Squadron Leader (flying) and me, Joe Soap, doing all the ops.

I go to the club for tennis and meet David Cooper and all 14 Indian Division staff who are now in Ranchi, 70th Division having left. I have drinks with David and Tom Jones (14th Division) and they give me dinner in B.N.R. Hotel. 171st Wing is moving Madras way and “Waggers” left with the advance party. I have a drink with Mrs Roughton and tell her of Mike’s death. Not a pleasant job as they were more than just friendly. I am “windy” now, very. After 100 ops I can’t go on for ever. Also there seems to be this “hoodoo” on Indian Army types.

April 27th 1943

CDC Dunford Wood — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 18:05:03 +0000

I have to land back with a U/S A.S.I. at Ramu, a thing I haven’t done before, but manage OK. I go on a dawn sortie with Flynn, a new pilot, weaving, down Alethangyaw way, but see nothing. Land back at Sybil and then go out weaving on Mackilligin (JDW: a fellow pilot) down towards Htizwe. Since four days ago I have been sitting about up here and it’s damn boring now everything is organised. Various signals from 224 Group that 2 Squadron I.A.F. are relieving us and that we should move to Ranchi by 28th, as the squadron is moving elsewhere. However the last one says “take no further action re. move of 2 sqn” and that’s the last I hear. Not a word from Ranchi, but Bob Garrett set off from here yesterday by aircraft and I hope to get some “gen” out of them – probably another rocket.

We put the tables and chairs outside the Mess of an evening and still have some gin and a little rum, but squash is running low. Photo and visual recces report increase of Jap fighter aircraft on their forward ‘dromes and numerous messages come in warning us to be on the “Que Vive” (JDW: on the look out.)

However there is no control at Sybil – or Somerset Maughan as I prefer to call it – and I suspect we shall buy it if anything happens.

I go on guard the other night – 8-10.30pm – on the a/c as there aren’t enough “irks”. (JDW: men?) Brigadier Cavendish of 6 Brigade confirmed died in Japanese hands after they raided his brigade HQ at Indin. Two Hurricanes shot up Buthidaung yesterday, giving rise to the rumour that Japs were flying Hurricanes. They also shot up the Maungdaw-Buthidaung road some weeks ago. My God!

The last time I am at Sybil I see a storm brewing up north so try and ring up Rami Ops. I cannot get through, so when I get fed up I go outside and it is almost upon us. I, MacKilligan and Macmillan take off, down wind, and then I find it is so bumpy and gusty that I cannot control the aircraft safely. I shout “pancake!” into the V.H.F. (we changed some 10 days ago) and turn down wind to feel the aircraft torn out of my hand and blown down wind at an alarming speed. On turning into the approach to land again I am blown off and lose considerable height, but eventually manage to get down OK, followed by the other two. A black storm, soon over, and mostly wind, so later I return to Ramu after lunching with Watty on cheese and pickles.

April 18th 1943

CDC Dunford Wood — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 14:53:49 +0000

Division moves back to Maunghnama where there is a small landing ground some 900 feet long on which I nearly prang. Watty, Matthews, the A.L.O. and eight men for refuelling are there. Also Cooper-Davies and Chris Glover, who with David are the three enemy aircraft detachment “investigators”. Cooper-Davies is a character. Fought in the last war, carries a pistol, a sporting rifle and a sten gun and has every imaginable bit of kit to solve any difficulty which he might encounter anywhere in the world. He and Glover have attached themselves to us as being a good place to hang around and wait for Jap aircraft to fall out of the sky (not to be confused with waiting for us to shoot them down.) I go down there a couple of days and and do a sortie down Alethangau – Indin way.

14 Division have now become 26 Indian Division and all the staff changed, bar Higgins (G.R.1). Our serviceability is only 1 at present, which does not give the army a very good impression, especially these new types. Rude letters and signals from Ranchi about the prangs and my signals re. same.

There is a pleasant shower here constructed by 79 Squadron next door, and we had some beer the other day from Maungdaw so are fairly “khushi”. (JDW: a possible origin for the word ‘cushy’, as khushi means happy in Hindi. According to online dictionaries there is no evidence that it comes from India – they prefer ‘cushion’ as a derivation – well here is evidence!)

April 13th 1943

CDC Dunford Wood — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:18:39 +0000

We move up to Ramu (Lyons) leaving Watty and Matthews and a fitter on Ritz. (JDW: all names for improvised landing strips cleared in the jungle). We have quite a nice Mess, quite some gin from Ranchi, squash and a good supply of Rum. The rum is now 8/- a bottle so as we have drunk about 150 bottles we shall have to produce 1200 R/s at some point – horrid thought.

Carruthers is S/L admin, at Wing HQ, very useful and a great help. Yesterday I go down to Maungdaw and do a couple of sorties but not very interesting – by which I mean nothing of note.

I don’t like the look of the neighbouring bomb craters, but hope nothing will happen. There are all these Assamese birds around here, but I cannot get hold of a bird book.

April 8th 1943

CDC Dunford Wood — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:39:09 +0000

I go on a trip to Indin and see 6 Brigade battle in progress. More corpses than I have ever seen in previous battles, and a “T” out, though I feel the wrong end is facing the enemy. I go up to Rama and see Carruthers and W/C Forbes about our move up to ‘Lyons’. (JDW: a landing ground). I fly back here and am head over heels in ‘organising’ things. Bud Rose comes down, and comes round last night for a drink. We get awful tight and confidential!

Tom Pierce returns to Ranchi. Damn hot and sticky down here. The Japs surround 6 Brigade, capture Brigadier Cavendish, and they have to fight their way out to Kyankpandu. Several burnt bodies visible.

An air raid on Maungdaw the other afternoon. I see ten (Army 99s?) through my (field) glasses and a lot drops on Maungdaw.

JDW (From the BBC archive)
In early April 1943, the 6th Infantry Brigade was strung out north and south of the Brigade Headquarters in the Burmese Arakan peninsular when the Japanese attacked across the Mayu Ridge. With his village headquarters about to be overrun, Brigadier Cavendish issued two significant orders. His young and agile staff (at 47 he was neither) were to evacuate the area and make their escape as best they could; thereafter, the area was to be regarded as hostile territory and the commander of the artillery regiment nearby was to “blast anything that moved without question”. The Japanese were jubilant to capture a brigadier. News was flashed to Tokyo and Tokyo Rose announced it over the air, but the triumph was to be short-lived. Next morning, 6th April, Ronald Cavendish accompanied his unwitting captors onto the village square, he alone knowing what was to come. The British Artillery carried out their orders and shelled them. Back at their home in Middleton, Mrs Cavendish was told that her husband was missing, but she knew in her heart he was dead. Two and a half years later, before he died by his Bushido code, the Japanese general described him as “a very brave and admirable gentleman”. Nowadays, after 60 peaceful years, the accolade ‘hero’ is awarded for mere sporting achievement. Ronald Cavendish was a real hero in two world wars; but his life and exploits still await the biography they deserve.

April 5th 1943 – Maungdaw

CDC Dunford Wood — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:34:49 +0000

Journey not too bad as I got away quick off the ferry and got a lower berth. Pass two trains of Chinese going up. One had a lot of chargers in luggage vans. Got back and find Teddy killed in a crash a few days ago. He took off at Maungdaw and was heard on the R/T saying his engine was running rough and he was landing again. He made an approach, north to south, overshot and opened up, raising his undercarriage. White smoke was seen coming from his exhaust, an internal glycol leak, and then he got slower and slower, until just over the hills she must have stalled for she whipped a wing over and crashed and burst into flames. So I have to come down again. 24 hours after getting off the train I am on my way with Tom Pierce and arrive here after lunch yesterday.

Bob Garratt running the show fairly successfully, but the Japs have cut the road near Indin, and 6 Brigade have withdrawn from Donbaik. A new general – Lomax – and a complete flap all round. Damn hot and sticky down here now, and me on ops again, of which I am not too pleased. However: I have an awful nightmare my one night in Ranchi!

March 31st 1943

CDC Dunford Wood — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 08:30:40 +0000

I go back on the Assam Mail tonight – 00.06hrs, provided I catch it. Not quite so much rain now and I can get out more but still nothing to shoot bar shite hawks and vultures. However, very pleasant lying in a decent bed reading of a night. I study birds through field glasses but require some book to identify them. A pity I cannot get home (JDW: to the UK? My father evidently applied) but the answer was “It is pointed out that – & – are seconded Indian Army officers and as such cannot be repatriated until the end of hostilities.” That means another four years out here I suppose.

I have some of these ‘Burma sweat rag’ khaki shirts which I have been wearing for nearly a year now, and bought some more at Whiteway & Laidlaw‘s in Calcutta. They are excellent in hot weather though rather ugly. I wore my Sandhurst greased boots and puttees flying on ops, and most of the others took up boots too – for walking home. Also my famous sky blue overalls.

A hideous journey ahead with three nights in trains to Ranchi and changes in the middle of them. What of my next objectives? I have four, but they are all more or less interconnected and those that stand by themselves are impossible, on current form, so what to do. (JDW: I wish he’d tell us what these objectives are!)