A Story of War

The Lysanders arrive, and I have now done 1.15 hours in them, though I don’t seem to have gotten them taped yet. Today I do a Tac/R (tactical reconnaissance) to Fort Lockhart at 6600′. Wonderful visibility. A ‘V’ on the hillside near Hangar and a ’54’ on someone’s parade ground. (JDW: does anyone know what this signalling meant?)

My foot now much better and I get a game of tennis. Much bridge with Traill, Stilliard and Penton. In fact I am having a damn good time as well as behaving myself. The I.A.F. boys prang the Lysanders the first day at Peshawar, by braking on landing and putting a wing in. 2 Squadron I.A.F. is now here, and we call them “The Brethren”. They fly Wapitas.

28 (Army Cooperation) Squadron

Sq Ldr W. Coade AFC
F/Lt W. Traill DFC (now Sq Ldr)
F/Lt N.H. Elliot (my C flight C/O)
F/Lt A.S. Mann
F/Lt W.C. Duncan
F/Lt K.R. Butler
F/Lt A.S. Johnson (from Glasgow) Adjutant
P/O C.C. Dickson (Trained in Rhodesia and just arrived in India)
F/Lt D. Stilliard – station adjutant
F/O Butcher – equipment officer

A.I.L.O.’s (Army liaison officers)

Capt Vir Singh – 14 Punjab Rifles
Acting Capt C.A. Penton – Border Rifles

In addition F/Lt O.A. Hammerbeck and F/O E.O. Clark, war torn horses from the Middle East, have arrived. I reckon they have had it! Hammerbeck took a Lysander to Risalpur today and shot it up. Sq Ldr Malling, C/O of 5 squadron, rang up and complained, and now our new station C/O, Wing Commander Thripp, has taken his flight away from him.

I meet Springheel on the golf links the other day, and see a ‘Harlow’ over from 5 Squadron.