Leave at the end of a tour of ops

**Matt Poole** · 31st March 2023, 01:18

At the end of a tour of ops in India in the spring of 1945, when an airman went on a leave, did he report back to his old squadron when his leave was over, or was his time on the squadron over when he departed for his leave? Did he only report for duty to his new posting (in this instance, hundreds of miles away)? A Liberator airman's memoir I'm unscrambling and turning into a book gets things wrong, but the man's RAAF personel file's records also contain errors.

I just thought I'd pick some brains. Cases, of course, may have varied, but I'd be interested in viewpoints.

I'll spare you the details.

Thanks,

Matt

**Smith 565** · 1st April 2023, 11:16

Hi Matt,

I think he is far more likely to have to report back to his old squadron following end of tour leave, for both practical and disciplinary reasons.

My father completed his tour with 355 Sqn in June 1945 and went on leave in July at 'Naini Tal' with another tour expired bomb aimer. He then returned to 355 and frankly, did not do much for some time. Although he did get in an un-official post VJ Day 'sight-seeing' trip to Burma (Pegu I believe) that doesn't appear in his logbook. He then went down with malaria for a second time and had 14 days leave in Darjeeling after that.

It was 8 November 1945 when he was posted to Hakimpet to train as an Equipment Officer. So he had been kicking his heels around the station, sick, or on leave, for about four months.

Hope this helps as one man's experience,

Geoff

**Matt Poole** · 1st April 2023, 21:47

Thanks, Geoff, for your review of your father's experiences. I may have to do some editing of the airman's memoir, but I do look forward to any other recollections first. (I'm not on the verge of sending the edited manuscript to the publisher.)