RAF Spraying DDT Singapore in Op Zipper 1945

[Nick Barnard]

On August 10 1945 my father in law was attached to 229 Group Delhi based at Palam to carry out experimental DDT spraying, piloting an adapted Dakota F.L.570 (nicknamed 'Pamela')
On August 23 1945 he took part in Operation Shackle and Zipper to airspray Kuala Lumpur and Singapore at the same time that allies went back in.

September 12 1945 a DDT flight was formed in conjunction with 993 wing RAF at Kallang and he commenced spraying Singapore Changi Gaol (as headlined in the Straits Times that day) and went on to spray most of SE Asia inc Batavia, Java, Labuan Borneo, Sumatra, Bangkok and concluded in May 1946 when according to him they ran out of DDT! He was posted back to the UK after 4 and a half years away in India.

Can anyone throw any light on these operations?

[Oldduffer]

In short, Yes - Malaria is horrible and it never leaves you.

I don't know the full circumstances but the idea was to spray DDT to get rid of disease carrying insects, of which malarial mosquitoes were but one.

Old Duffer

[Bill Walker]

Possibly just a coincidence, but the RCAF began DDT spraying in Eastern Canada in the spring of 1945, using Cansos (and possibly other aircraft). This continued for about a year, and then the duties were taken over by civil registered government aircraft. DDT is no longer used, but government and contractor spraying continues to today.