Burmese Thunder

I'm very pleased to be able to show here a preview of the painting "Burmese Thunder" by aviation artist Dominic Berry, depicting a pair of SEAC Beaufighters low over the sea off the Burmese coastline.

SEAC themed aviation art is few and far between and the Beau a subject sadly neglected so this striking painting is doubly appreciated.

More at the artist's own Aviation Art website.

Image credit: © 2010 Dominic Berry

Spitfires at Broadway

Courtesy of 1st Air Commando historian and researcher James F Lansdale  here is an interesting colour photograph of a 81 Sqn Spitfire VIII with extended wingtips coming into land at Broadway during the Chindit operation.

Image credits: ©2010 James F Lansdale

The Wind Cannot Read

"Kono hana wa

Katakura oru-na! to

Iu tate-fuda mo,

Yomenu kaze ni wa

Zehi mo nashi."

I recently re-watched this somewhat obscure film available on DVD, based on the 1947 novel by Richard Mason, about the clandestine romance between an RAF officer (Dirk Bogarde) and a Japanese language teacher (Yoko Tani) in India during the Second World War. The film was shot in glorious colour in 1958 with many genuine scenes of exotic Indian locations and a commendable action sequence towards the end as Dirk Bogarde goes forward to the fighting around Imphal as an interpreter engaged in the interrogation of Japanese prisoners and is himself captured by advancing units of the enemy.

There are no flying sequences whatsoever, all the action being confined to ground operations but the cast includes some very well known faces from British cinema in its heyday and is both tightly scripted and well acted. A romance, a historical document in its own right and a depiction of the war in Assam and Burma worth watching.

"Though on the sign it is written:

'Don't pluck these blossoms' -

it is useless against the wind,

which cannot read."

Image credit: ©2010 Simply Media  

Colour Film of 5 Sqn Mohawks

The rare colour film of 5 Sqn Mohawk IVs in India is now available to watch online here.

20 Sqn Hurricane IID & IV, Burma

In Burma 20 Sqn RAF operated both the Hurricane IID, a "tank-buster" with two 40mm anti-tank cannons and the Hurricane IV, an armoured, dedicated ground attack version of the Hurricane, primarily armed with 25lb and 60lb air to ground rockets.

Originally equipped with the Westland Lysander Army Co-Op aircraft, 20 Sqn was scheduled to convert to the Vultee Vengeance dive bomber in early 1943. These plans were changed, however, and instead the Squadron was re-equipped with the Hurricane IID. The Squadron was based at Charra, in India, where it began training up for the new type in January 1943 operating a Harvard IIB and a pair of Hurricane IIB's. The first of the new Hurricane IIDs began to arrive in March 1943 and after an extended period of re-organisation and training the Squadron re-commenced operations over the Arakan in late December 1943. The main tasks of the "tank busters" were tactical reconnaissance (Tac R) and offensive recce (OR) against water borne transport using armour piercing (AP) ammunition but by late February 1944 high explosive (HE) ammunition became available for the 40mm cannon in small amounts.

Hurricane IID, KX229 'Cheeta', Autumn, 1943.

Hurricane IV, 'G', March 1945. Dark Green and Dark Earth upper surfaces. Medium Sea Grey lower surfaces. 16" SEAC roundels in six positions with 24" x 18" SEAC fin flash. Code letter 'G' in SEAC "white" (a mixture of 4 parts white to one part dull blue). SEAC fin stripe and spinner white. "Toned down" upper surface SEAC wing and tailplane stripes overpainted in SEAC "white".

Code letter and serial combinations for some of the IID aircraft operated by the Squadron were KW757 'Z', KW802 'G', KW863 'P', KW687 'Z', KW874 'X', KX229 'H', KX249 'N', KX294 'N', KX421 'G', KX469 'X', LD498 'W', LD789 'N' and LD435 'B'.

Unfortunately code letter and serial combinations for the Hurricane IV are unknown but serials of those aircraft operated by the Squadron included KW809, LD101, LD447, LD569, LD572, LD608, LD796, LF101, LF107, LF110, LF111, LF113, LF433, LF435, LF481, LF494, LF502, LF569, LF593 & LF594.

From December 1944, by then equipped with both IID and Mk.IV Hurricanes, the Squadron was engaged mainly in Offensive Recce (OR) operations, operating in fours with Spitfire escort and searching for enemy transport, armour and stores dumps. After moving to Thazi on 16 January 1945 the Squadron began flying close support tasks for the Army but had to discontinue Hurricane IV operations on 25 January because its stocks of rocket projectiles (RP) were exhausted. These were resumed at the end of the month and the Squadron undertook "Cabrank" standing patrols, responding to support requests from ground observation posts.

On 19 February 1945 the Squadron was successful in attacking a concentration of Japanese armour with both IID and Mk.IV rocket equipped aircraft operating in pairs throughout the engagement, claiming 12 medium and light tanks destroyed and one probable.

At the end of February sorties were split, with the Mk.IV's operating against river transport and the IID's against road transport. During this period the Squadron Harvard was also briefly used for night harassment of Japanese positions, dropping empty soda bottles in "jitter" sorties.

During March 1945 the Squadron flew 906.5 operational hours in 562 day and 4 night sorties, fired 7,093 rounds of 40mm ammunition, 106,814 rounds of .303 ammunition, 912 60lb RP's and 6 25lb RP's.

Welcome to RAF SEAC

Welcome on a journey into the past, to the gallant but sadly often forgotten exploits of the Commonwealth Air Forces in the Far East during the Second World War. In addition to the historical record, the men, the aircraft and the squadrons, we will be exploring the subject in film and fiction too.

Take my virtual hand and climb into that rattling Dak as it revs up on the dust blown airstrip where the heat hits you like a hot, wet blanket!

Dedicated to the memory of all the Allied soldiers and airman who served and sacrificed in SEAC. We shall remember them.