From post war listing, with then current place names.
In June 1942 it began equipping with Hurricanes while
based at Risalpur
Number 8 squadron
On 1 August 1945 the squadron commenced operations
from Mingaloon, Rangoon.
There were also 5 Volunteer Reserve Coastal Defence Flights,
Number 1 squadron was officially formed... 1 April
1933, but in reality it was a squadron headquarters
plus a flight with 4 Wapati aircraft.
On 5/11/2017 7:36 AM, Geoffrey Sinclair wrote:
In June 1942 it began equipping with Hurricanes while
based at Risalpur
If I recall correctly, these were almost all hand-me-downs from RAF
squadrons re-equipping. Is this correct for all the IAF squadrons? Also,
they were primarily Hurricane IIs? And also normally serving as part of
RAF Wings and Groups?
Number 8 squadron On 1 August 1945 the squadron commenced operations
from Mingaloon, Rangoon.
I suspect there was a mis-transcription at some point. It's usually transliterated as Mingaladon. Pretty much anything I've seen from the 20th century uses that.
There were also 5 Volunteer Reserve Coastal Defence Flights,
I would expect that these were largely British and Anglo-Indian personnel.
"Stephen Graham" <graham1@speakeasy.net> wrote in message news:enjoi2FqjueU1@mid.individual.net...
1 Squadron IAF would probably be, in mid 1942, one of the more
experienced units in the area, with a high number of pre war regular
pilots. More so than an RAF that had been cutting training times
and expanding to gain numbers in 1940/41.
I have no direct evidence the Indian units were treated any
differently than RAF units if fighting the Japanese. I can easily
see the command allocating older aircraft to North West Frontier
operations etc.
I was curious where they were when not in Burma.
On 5/12/2017 7:26 AM, Geoffrey Sinclair wrote:
"Stephen Graham" <graham1@speakeasy.net> wrote in message
news:enjoi2FqjueU1@mid.individual.net...
1 Squadron IAF would probably be, in mid 1942, one of the more
experienced units in the area, with a high number of pre war regular
pilots. More so than an RAF that had been cutting training times
and expanding to gain numbers in 1940/41.
That's my understanding as well. There's some discussion of this in
Pradeep Barua's Gentlemen of the Raj: The Indian Army Officers Corps, 1817-1949. The work mostly focuses on Indianization of the officer corps, both pre-war and during World War II. Not directly in your line of
interest these days but interesting reading.
That reminds me that University of Washington Libraries holds copies of
the Official History of the Indian Armed Forces in the Second World War. I guess I'll go ahead and request the volume on the Air Force. <click>.
I was curious where they were when not in Burma.
And, of course, the same place the Indian Army sent divisions for advanced training.
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