A Story of War

I go up flying again – and engine test and manage to land OK on the strip. We have some shocking downpours of rain. On 17th we leave, 6 AC for Kohat, via Gaga-Cawnpore-Delhi and Lahore (night stop). Eight hours flying the first day, uninteresting, and we have our first beer for sometime at Lahore. Yesterday we sit about at Lahore waiting for weather to clear, and then reach here at about 1130. Nice to be back amongst the home comforts once more! One Larsen has joined the squadron, a seconded gunner (TA) and he seems to be one month senior in RAF to me. Teddy and I find our names in the Gazette in the “Aeroplane” dated Jan 6th, and with all the names, dead or alive, “Oct 1940”. I used 43 gallons (104 miles) in 1.05 from Ranchi to Gaga and all the way to Cawnpore am looking for somewhere to ‘force land’ as it’s 305 miles.

At Delhi we are sitting having some refreshment when the Movement Control Officer asks for a list of pilots and passengers. He takes it and looks at it and I think “Perhaps he knew Hugh, and will ask who this Dunford Wood is?” Sure enough “Dunford Wood!” He peers at me – “You’re not the one I knew” etc.

Ghulam Raval is now a bearer in Signals Mess and when I mention Bengal, he says he can’t come now until his Sahib has gone, but he understands there is a better rate of pay in Bengal! I have got one now who used to be a tennis and squash marker, and he is going to consult his mother about leaving the north first. W/C Corkery, ex Burma Com Flight, is Station Master.