Category: 1943/01
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January 30th 1943
I go round Foul Point again with an escort, F/L Mason of 79 squadron. I don’t see much beyond a couple of camouflaged sampans, at which I have a squirt with mediocre results. Yesterday two ’99’s – heavy bombers – with six 01’s came over, do a couple of circuits and then drop some bombs […]
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January 28th 1943
Six fighters come down daily and we get an escort of one section on our trips. I even get one to St Martins Island, where I go to drop a message. I try two, to make sure, but one sticks on the tail plane and the other falls leaving half a streamer on. I see […]
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January 24th 1943
Our party the other day was 20 Zeros jumping the five Blenheims over Akyab. Some said they were “01”s. Hilton and Scott go out on 22nd to photograph Laungchaung at 9000′ and are jumped. They run into some air effort of the Japs over the Mayu Peninsula. Scotty suddenly sees a yellow belly coming for […]
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January 20th 1943
Last night about 8.30 three or four Japs come over and drop bombs on Maungdaw, returning home afterwards; all at about 15000′ or more from the direction of Magwe. Yesterday Burt Mann and I go off down Foul Point way, with me weaving behind. At about 1500′ five Bisleys (JDW: Blenheim Mk Vs), coming back […]
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January 18th 1943
The ground party arrives and we get organised. Scotty also comes back from Ranchi, but without any booze as he says they have none there! W/C Yorke broke up the joint one night throwing soda water bottles and tomato sauce around the place. Yesterday I go down and get a rum ration fro 5 B.O.s […]
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January 14th 1943
We draw rations for 25 men two days running, so the four of us have ample to eat. Also some rum which we put in the tea but which isn’t too good. Vir Singh and Joel come and feed last night and we cook and sit round the fire. This morning I do a recco […]
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January 13th 1943
I do my recce – Donbaik/Laungchaung/Rattedaung – and get a bit confused as I only have a one inch map. I go in at about 50′ but see nothing except some sill bursts amongst the trees west of Laungchaung. I see Akyab from about 1000′ only 20 miles or so away. On the morning of […]
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January 10th 1943 – Chittagong
We fly down to Chittagong via Dun Dum on 7th. Lunch in C.N.A.C. canteen, and arrive Chittagong about 3.30pm. Half an hour’s taxiing to the dispersal and then we have to wait from 4 to 6.15pm in the duty pilots office until someone signs a 658 (JDW: anybody know what this was?) and we can […]
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January 6th 1943 – Ranchi
I duly get malaria again, but we dose it away – Watty, Doc Fox and I – and I don’t get it a third time. I lay off flying for a few days and fly Hurricanes again today – do some awful acrobatics. My loops all fail as she flicks round near the top, but […]
A Story of War 