Kyaunggon - where is it?

[Smith 565]

Think I've cracked it, if not conclusively!

I've used the AMS series of 1:250,000 maps available online: https://legacy.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/burma/

Meiktila is, just to be awkward, located in the north-east corner of map NF46-16. So you need to look at NF46-12, NF47-9 and NF47-13 to get a better picture of the area. In the south-west corner of NF47-9 are two villages called Kyaunggyon and one called Thedaw (the latter being the name of a place mentioned by 215 Squadron as being attacked by one of their aircraft.

I'll work on this all a bit more over the weekend and post more detail.

Geoff

[Matt Poole]

Hi, Geoff,

In a rush, a map collector sent me proof of some of the airfields, from a detailed WWII map. Different from what you have, although he didn't find KYAUNGGON. I'll ask him to search at the site to the NE where Kyaunggon is a place name on the UTexas 1:250,000. More when I get a chance -- will write you an email.

Cheers,

Matt

EDIT a few hours later: If you go to this message board (hope you don't mind me mentioning it, Jagan) -- ww2talk.com, and if you join (I think you have to login to be able to see the images), then you should be able to see some Meiktila-area airfields. Specifically, they were posted here:

http://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads...a.75546/page-9

I did a 1943-vs-modern comparison, though the image I have is not very good compared to others I've found at the US National Archives. The double runway is the main one on the SE side of Meiktila town. Definitely targeted on 18 Jan '45

The one I am confident is THEDAW is NE of the Meiktila airfield by about 3.6 miles and is today the site of an expanded runway on the same heading as the wartime runway. Thedaw was definitely bombed on 18 Jan 1945. That's the airfield which, with Meiktila's modern runway, are the two airfields easily seen on Google Earth.

According to the wartime map, there were TWO landing grounds, one on either side of the main Meiktila-Mahlaing Road. The place name KANGAUNG is on the south side of the road, where the shorter of the landing grounds is nearby. It is something like 7.5 miles NW of the Meiktila airfield. On the other side of the road, there is a place name SEYWA and a landing ground roughly 8 miles from Meiktila airfield, though I've never heard of an airfield with the name Seywa. So there is added confusion by this map. "KANGAUNG" may have referred to one, or both, of these airfields when bombed on 18 Jan '45.

So far, the person who supplied these maps, Simon is his name, has not found a KYAUNGGON airfield, but he is still looking. I feel confident that a KYAUNGGON landing ground was definitely one of the Meiktila airfields bombed on 18 Jan '45. It's even written in the flight logbook of a 356 Sqn pilot who bombed it that day.

The mystery for me, then, is the location of KYAUNGGON landing ground in the Meiktila area.

Cheers,

Matt

[Jagan]

Geoff,

This is the general area in Google Maps - there were two Straight lines perpendicular to each other in the Satt view that looked suspiciously like old runways but on closer looks seem to be irrigation canals?

20 miles South West to the above point is Meiktila - with two airfields visible today

[Argus]

Hi

I have uploaded some military maps. Source British Empire Report 1942-43. Start your research with map on picture no. 3. I can not find Kyaunggon, but it could be a different spelling or translation.

https://i.ibb.co/4SxPgqt/British-Emp...1942-43-01.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/N1N9x1z/British-Emp...1942-43-02.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/y4tst8h/British-Emp...1942-43-03.jpg

Regards

Finn Buch

[Smith 565]

Many thanks to those who have posted additional material. All noted and appreciated,

Geoff

[Jagan]

In addition to what Matt had posted - his excellent thread over at WW2talk in addition to all those great map snippets also has a link to this amazing document https://books.google.com/books?id=6DaEATCE1YYC&pg=RA12-PA74&dq=KYAUNGGON&hl=de&sa=X&q=KYAUNGGON&f=false

[Smith 565]

That's great... I've gone from not being able to find Kyaunggon to having about 50 plus of them. You have to laugh sometimes...

Thanks for the link,

Geoff

[Smith 565]

A short update on the Kyaunggon saga and the Meiktila airfields generally...

I'm grateful to all those who have posted and provided me with information. It's clear that I need to look at the documents recommended by Matt which are at The National Archives, and will do so when things are back to normal. I'm pretty fortunate that they are only a couple of hours away from where I live, so I make fairly regular trips there anyway.

Kyaunggon remains a mystery, although we have plenty of possible locations. There clearly were a number of airfields in the Meiktila area, and the confusion around them is not helped by inconsistencies regarding their names. For example:

www.pacificwrecks.com/airfields/burma has a list of four Meiktila airfields, said to be taken from an 'Index to Air Bases - Research Report No 85, IG No 9185, 30 July 1944'. That lists 1. Meikitila Airfield, 2. Meiktila No 2 Airfield, 3. Meiktila Satellite and 4. Meiktila North (Thedaw). Positions for these are given but I am not convinced of their accuracy, so will not repeat the information here.

The Edward M Young history of 7th Bomb Group 'Death from Above' - includes a map of 'Principal Enemy Airfield in North Central Burma', from the Air Ministry history of the campaign in SE Asia. That lists 1. Meiktila, 2. Thabutkyon, 3. Thedaw, 4. Kangaung and 5. Kwetnge.

Finally, 'RAF Squadrons' by Jefford indicates the approximate positions of three airfields used by the RAF in the Meiktila area, namely 1. Meiktila, 2. Thedaw and 3. Kwetnge.

To date I am sure of the locations of Meiktila, Thedaw, Kanguang (for which I have maps showing the location of the actual airstrips) and Kwetnge, the location of which is shown in Jefford and tallies with a village of the same name to the south east of Meiktila. Will post further updates when I have reliable information or mapping.

Regards and thanks,

Geoff

[jaguar79]

Hello,

Kyaunggon is one the landing grounds in the Meitkila group. SEAC airfield report n.26 states the airfield was first covered by reconnaissance on 3rd of September 1944.
The airfield is about 7 1/4 miles NNW of Thedaw airfield, 1 3/4 miles SSW of Kyauggon village, east of and adjacent to the Meitkila - Pindale road.
Reporte coordinates are 21° 02' 11" North, 95° 53' 00" East.

[Smith 565]

Many thanks for the info jaguar79, that certainly look most likely.

Is the SEAC airfield report a National Archives document? If so I'll put it on my increasingly lengthy list of things I'd like to see when Kew gets back to normal.

Regards,

Geoff