Lancasters in the Far East

[Buz]

Gents

Does anyone have any information on the Lancaster usage in the Far East from Oct 1943 onwards. In particular information on what 1577 Flight would have been used for during this period.

Regards

Buz

[COL BRUGGY]

G'Day Buz,

No.1577 FLIGHT

Formed 9.8.43 at LLANDOW as a Trials and Transport Flight, to carry out special tests with Halifaxes and Lancasters under Indian conditions; 1.9.43 LYNEHAM; 4.9.43 LLANDOW; 29.9.43 Cairo en route; 5.10.43 MAURIPUR; 12.10.43 SALBANI as No.1577 Heavy Bomber Flight (Special Duties); 4.3.44 CHAKERI, where two Lancasters were modified for glider towing; 25.4.44 became No.1577 (Glider Development) Flight; 7.5.44 MAURIPUR; 1.6.45 CHAKLALA in No.238 Group; 8.45 became No.1577 (Airborne Experimental); 12.9.45 from No.238 Group to BAFSEA; 6.12.45 DHAMIAL; Disbanded 1.6.46

Aircraft - Halifax III,V (NA644); Lancaster III (JA903)*; Welington X (HF576); Hamilcar I (HH974); Hadrian I,II (KH916); Dakota III (KG463 X); C-46 Commando (42-101196); Horsa I (LH237).

*One of the other Lancasters was JA904 (there may have been others on strength)

See:
Royal Air Force Flying Training and Support Units.
Sturtivant,Ray,Hamlin,John & James J.Halley.
Tunbridge Wells:Air Britain(Historians),1997.
p.141

Check second edition for updates.

Col.

[Buz]

Col

Thanks, that'll cover what I was after. If you want to update your info also add the following (taken from a Logbook of flights with 1577 flight)

Halifax DG386 - "B"
Halifax DK254
Lancaster JA904 - "A"
Dakota KG490

regards

Buz

[Maison Durran]

My father was the flight sergeant for horsa 237 in 1577 experimental flight in India. The aircraft was written off in an accident, i have 2 photos if any one is interested.
Nik johnson ( son of Eric Johnson flight sergeant Glider Pilot Regiment 1577 Experimental flight India)

[The Searcher]

My father was involved with Flight 1577 he went out in September 1943 and the letters he sent to my mother during his time there I have now read. According to his Form 543 H.E. was 6.6.1944. His trade was I rep I and his letters show that they were moved frequently whilst in India.

In January 1944 one of the ac crashed, no one was hurt but it was a total loss.

Later on 26.1.1944 there was a crash and 9 were dead, the ac went down about 500 miles away from where he was at the time.

His letters also stated that he worked for the Indian Government, and was paid less.

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello Searcher,

You mention two incidents involving No.1577 Flight in January 1944. Here are a few details:

3-1-1944
No.1577 Flight
Halifax V DK254

Swung on landing, Santa Cruz. Damaged beyond repair. No casualties.

And the other:

26-1-1944
No.1577 Flight
Halifax V DK263

The aircraft was en route from Bombay and had a full crew on board plus two of the ground crew, five passengers and 66 bags of mail. The strip at Kamptee (India), was only 600 yards long, but on two engines, F/Lt Middleton did not have much choice. He managed to land safely, but was not aware of the 80ft drop into a river bed at the end of strip. The Halifax struck a hole with its starboard wheel near the end of its landing run and cartwheeled into the river, landing on its back. Nine people were killed, but miraculously the remainder were all off the serious list in a few days.

Fatalities (Alpha order):

1229947 AC1 Frank George DENHAM RAFVR +
1486840 LAC Thomas DUNN RAFVR +
1042402 AC1 William HETHERINGTON RAFVR +
1407023 F/Sgt (Flt. Engr.) Herbert INGRAM RAFVR +
147005 F/O (Nav.) Louis Harold JACOBS DFC RAFVR +
1296660 AC1 Sidney Norman NOTT RAFVR +
155085 F/O (Air Bomber) Patrick O'GRADY RAFVR +
1496473 LAC Colin REDMAN RAFVR +
1455330 F/Sgt (Air Gnr.) Irvine STORR RAFVR +

All buried Kirkee War Cemetery. Coll. grave 4. H.1-9.

Per: "marks", Old Board.

Col.

[Matt Poole]

I have two photos of Lancasters RF320 and one of RF322 at the Pierced Steel Planking-covered airfield of Pegu, Burma in early 1946. I believe these were part of 1348 Air Sea Rescue Flight and had originally been with 279 Sqn in the UK. RF320's photos shows a "B" fuselage code and a lifeboat slung on the underside. One photo shows the "HL" letter code of the unit, as well. Each Lancaster's serial is painted in large letters and numbers on the wing's undersides.

[The Searcher]

Hello Searcher,

You mention two incidents involving No.1577 Flight in January 1944. Here are a few details:

3-1-1944
No.1577 Flight
Halifax V DK254

Swung on landing, Santa Cruz. Damaged beyond repair. No casualties.

And the other:

26-1-1944
No.1577 Flight
Halifax V DK263

The aircraft was en route from Bombay and had a full crew on board plus two of the ground crew, five passengers and 66 bags of mail. The strip at Kamptee (India), was only 600 yards long, but on two engines, F/Lt Middleton did not have much choice. He managed to land safely, but was not aware of the 80ft drop into a river bed at the end of strip. The Halifax struck a hole with its starboard wheel near the end of its landing run and cartwheeled into the river, landing on its back. Nine people were killed, but miraculously the remainder were all off the serious list in a few days.

Fatalities (Alpha order):

1229947 AC1 Frank George DENHAM RAFVR +
1486840 LAC Thomas DUNN RAFVR +
1042402 AC1 William HETHERINGTON RAFVR +
1407023 F/Sgt (Flt. Engr.) Herbert INGRAM RAFVR +
147005 F/O (Nav.) Louis Harold JACOBS DFC RAFVR +
1296660 AC1 Sidney Norman NOTT RAFVR +
155085 F/O (Air Bomber) Patrick O'GRADY RAFVR +
1496473 LAC Colin REDMAN RAFVR +
1455330 F/Sgt (Air Gnr.) Irvine STORR RAFVR +

All buried Kirkee War Cemetery. Coll. grave 4. H.1-9.

Per: "marks", Old Board.

Col.

Thanks so much for the information, I think at the time the letter was written they suspected that all were dead including F/Lt Middleton.

[COL BRUGGY]

Hello Matt,

I am somewhat concerned about the use of the code "HL", for 1348 (ASR) Flight. As you say, 1348 (ASR) Flt was hived off from No.279 Sqn in the UK. 279 Sqn's code was "RL". Some of the aircraft allocated to 1348 (ASR) Flt were passed on to No.38 Sqn and retained the "RL" coding of No.279 Sqn.

Could you please confirm from your photographs the usage of "HL" on 1348 (ASR) Flt a/c.?

Col.

[Matt Poole]

Hi, Col.

Right you are -- HL is the wrong code. Sorry about that, and high marks for catching it.

Upon closer examination of the scan, I can see that the correct code for Lancaster B was RL. The Lanc is in the distant background of this particular photo. I simply misinterpreted the "R" as an "H".

The original photo caption identifies the location as Pegu (Burma), but not the unit. At some point a couple of years back, when I received the scanned photos courtesy of the son of a 159 Sqn airman detached with his Liberator crew to Pegu for 12 days in early 1946, I had guessed at the Lanc unit, probably based upon a google search of the RF320 and RF322 serial numbers seen in two of the three Lanc photos. The lifeboat under RF322 also screamed "ASR". Really I have no proof that these were technically with 1348 ASR Flight at the time.

The airman's logbook indicates that he was on detachment at Pegu between 19 Feb and 2 March 1946 -- when the Lanc photos must have been taken.

Cheers,

Matt

[COL BRUGGY]

Hi Matt,

Thanks for checking the photos.

I have no problems with the 1348 (ASR) Flt detachment at Pegu. In fact, on 4-3-1946, Lancaster ASR.3 RF310 (of 1348 [ASR] Flt), had an engine cut on take-off, swung and the undercarriage collapsed writing off the aircraft.

Can anyone identify the code/letter combo of RF310 (it was coded RL-A, whilst with No.297 Sqn.)?

Col.