Royal Air Force, Ambala AFGHAN TRAINING FLIGHT December 15th 1938 - April 15th 1939

[paulmcmillan]

A photo of the Royal Air Force, Ambala AFGHAN TRAINING FLIGHT December 15th 1938 - April 15th 1939 was recently posted on Facebook and it allowed me to ID all those in photo as

Hawker Hart (India) Aircraft Involved K2102 K2125

Course Photo taken at farewell Guest Night Officers Mess, Ambala 11.4.1939

Royal Air Force, Ambala
AFGHAN TRAINING FLIGHT
December 15th 1938 - April 15th 1939


Mohammed Akbar Khan (Pilot), Abdul Haq Khan (Observer), Gulbahar Khan (Pilot), Jan Baz Khan (Observer), Abdul Wahid Khan (Mechanic Fitter/Rigger), Ghulam Hussain Khan (Electrician), Sultan Mohamed Khan (Mechanic Fitter/Rigger)

Mohamed Nabi Khan (Observer), Abdul Rahim Khan (Mechanic Fitter/Rigger), Hafiz Ullah Khan (Observer), Mohd. Siddique Khan (Pilot), Adam Khan (Pilot), Abdul Mohamed Khan (Mechanic Fitter/Rigger),

Corporal E. R. Slade, F/O C, B, E. Burt-Andrews, W/Cdr C. F. Horsley, M.C., Corporal H N Casebourne

RAF Members
Corporal Edwin Robert SLADE 561213. Later Sergeant Date Of Death 1943-11-01 (Still Unaccounted)

F/O Charles Beresford Eaton Burt-Andrews 37379. Later Air Commodore - and photo provides dates for https://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Burt-Andrews.htm Secondment

W/Cdr Clement Flegg Horsley MC 05071

Corporal Henry Nelson Casebourne 562046. Later Sergeant then P/O of Prob (Emergency) 48983 6th Feb. 1942. (Seny. 13th Jan. 1942.)



Additional Afghans' were trained at Lahore:


3 Pilots were

Tawab Khan
Khan Mohamed Khan
Nur Ali Khan


4 Observers were

Gul Mohammed Khan
Abdul Wakil Khan
Abdul Wahid Khan
Mohamed Anwar Khan

4 Mechanics/Fitters were

Abdul Sattar Khan
Nek Mohamed Khan
Quiam-Od-Din Khan
Dost Mohamed Khan


1 Armourer

Mohammed Karim Khan


1 Wireless Operator

Mohammed Amin Khan

The latter was the most outstanding pupil of the lot - but was a bit annoyed he not chosen as pilot




29 in total

Also
1 Pilot Under - Medically Unfit returned to Afghanistan -- Assume to be trained at Lahore
1 Fitter/Rigger - Medically Unfit returned to Afghanistan
1 Fitter/Rigger - Died shortly after arrival in Karachi (April 1939) Unknown

For the whole story see

https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/...77369.0x000014

[Jagan]

The original photo was posted by Mr. Ahmad Jawed Darwish on Facebook. I just added it to Paul's post for context.

at https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...20000..&type=3

Looking at the Photo - the title and captions seem to be a more recent 'edit'? I would struggle to find fonts and the style printed on period studio mounted photographs

Caption posted with the photo

A valid historical document from the cradle of science and knowledge of our land and shame on Imran Khan Jahil ......... About eighty-two years ago, the first training of Afghan pilots, The sender of the photo is my dear friend Mr. Al-Tajai Sahib, whose noble father was also a member of this group.