Category: 1st Arakan Campaign (Burma 1943)
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April 28th 1943 – Ramu
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 […]
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April 27th 1943
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 […]
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April 18th 1943
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 […]
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April 13th 1943
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 […]
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March 10th 1943
Yesterday at “Prayers” I see eight “01’s” and two with undercarriages down so they must be Army 98’s. Teddy and Garratt arrive yesterday, and Teddy will take over from me. I take him to Divisional “Prayers” this morning in my famous hat and introduce him to those whom he should know. Today I do a […]
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March 7th 1943
In a bad way today. J. Benbow came in last night and and I only have a couple of rums or so. But all complain of its strength this morning, so I cut my ‘trip’ and passed it on to someone else. A bad thing to do I feel. Yesterday Brown lands with his undercarriage […]
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March 1st 1943
A most enjoyable trip weaving on Mike up the Kaladon and down the Pi Chaung. I keep him in sight the whole way and the R/T works, or would do if i had got the fine tuning properly adjusted. We have a game of football, RAF officers versus 14 Division staff, organised by W/C Smythe, […]
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February 25th 1943
Yesterday I go on a very pleasant trip to Kamai and Batarai, with Brown ‘weaving’ behind me. I see four men run off a track into the bushes, and I give it a squirt on my way back, but am probably too late. Then last night Smythe rings up and 6 Bde are going to […]
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February 23rd 1943
Bert and “Winco” Yorke come down in a Harvard and another Hurricane 11b. Winco sees General Lloyd who says he has nothing but praise for our efforts, and apologies for the rude signal he sent about us, which was instigated by W/C Ford, who has now been sacked and sent back to 221 Group. I […]
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February 20th 1943
Some good shooting up on the Jap front line, and also by the Pagods on Foul Point, where I see a small concealed “hide”. Garratt arrives, and Glass promoted P/O. Much rain, but we manage to get off onto RITZ (JDW: codenamed for a landing ground?) Then we try to make HOVE but it rains […]
A Story of War 