Help With Wartime RAF Airfields at Quetta and Samungli in WW2

[AndrewClark]

Hi All

I'm helping to research my late father-in-law's RAF service during this period. It isbased upon his service career, as obtained from the MoD, but this gives scant detail. We know he was at Agatalar from July 1945, posted to Chakala in April 1946 and Samungli thereafter, before leaving SEAC in April 1947. We believe he may have been at Quetta in between times, but I can find out little about this base. Can anyone help please? Thanks in advance.

Andrew

[Jagan]

Andrew,

Agatalar could be Agartala ? Now Capital of Tripura state.

Samungli is the RAF Station near Quetta. Some references at NA..
7 School of Technical Training was based in Quetta. formed July 1943 . https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ils/r/C7161158
21 Care and Maintenance Party was in Samungli https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ils/r/C7160645 and https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...ils/r/C7161616

[AndrewClark]

Hi all, as mentioned elsewhere on this site, I am helping to unravel my late father-in-law's wartime RAF service in India, but I have been unable to understand the service's presence at Quetta and Samungli. I have learned that there was a military college at Quetta, and that the location was hit by a major earthquake in 1935, but was there an actual RAF airfield there? I’m not sure if there was - or whether Samungli was often referred to as Quetta, because it is very near to that town? If anyone could enlighten me, I’d be eternally grateful – for at least ten minutes!
Cheers.

Andrew

[malcolm_raf]

Hi Andrew

Quetta was a major RAF Station in the pre-war period. At the time of the earthquake No 3 (Indian) Wing at the station was commanded by John Slessor, later MRAF Sir John, CAS from 1950 - 1953.

The earthquake resulted in 54 RAF personnel, 66 Indians and two children killed and 200 injured this being the largest casualty toll suffered by the RAF in the inter-war period.

Malcolm

[AndrewClark]

Thanks Jagan (sorry, I seem to have missed your ealier post!) and Malcolm. You guys are always so helpful..... However, I still can't (as yet) be sure whether Quetta actually had an airfield - does anyone on here hold a 'smoking gun'??????

Thanks again

Andrew

[Jagan]

Andrew -

Yes it had an airfield
Quetta https://goo.gl/maps/asmwWjHM9pm9gtoC6 - you can see the traces of the WW2 airfield.
Samungli (Now Quetta International) https://goo.gl/maps/2qbPRWdBLd368fDD8

The airfields are just five miles apart, so one and the same.


A 1959 map showing both https://maps.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams...190-nh42-5.jpg

Other late 1950s map https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2250724770/view
and https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2250724735/view

if anyone got posted to RAF Quetta instead of RAF Samungli, they are likely part of No.7 School of Technical Training.

If someone was posted to RAF Samungli, then it is likely they visited Quetta for any downtime - because that is the downtown where all the tourists go to..

[AndrewClark]

Thanks again Jagan, that is so helpful! I just wish that my late father-in-law's service record was more detailed, or that more of his diary had survived!

Many, many thanks again

Andrew