Eyes for the Phoenix: Allied Aerial Photo-reconnaissance Operations in South-East Asia 1942-1945

274 Pages·2001·53.62 MB·English

E S OR HE PHOE I
Allied Aerial Photo-Reconnaissance Operations
South-East Asia
1941-1945
EYES FOR THE PHOENIX
Allied Aerial Photo-Reconnaissance Operations
South-East Asia
1941-1945
Geoffrey J. Thomas
PUBLICATIONS
First published in Great Britain in 1999 by ALSOAVAILABLE
Hikoki Publications Ltd
16Newport Road,Aldershot,Hants,GU12 4PB CourageAlone
Tel:[phone] Fax:[phone] The ItalianAir Force 1940-1943
E.mail:[email protected] by
Website: http//www.hikoki.dircon.co.uk/ Chris Dunning
© 1999Hikoki Publications ISBN 1902109 02 3
The SecretYears
Allrightsreserved.Apartfrom anyfair dealingforthe
FlightTesting at Boscombe Down 1939-1945
purposeofprivatestudy,research,criticism orreview,
by
aspermitted underthe Copyright,Designand Patents
Tim Mason
Act 1988, no part of this publication may be
ISBN09519899 95
reproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical,
ForeverFarnborough
chemical,mechanical,optical,photocopying,recording
Flying the Limits 1904-1996
or otherwise, without prior written permission. All
by
enquiries should be directed to the publisher.
Peter1.CooperAMRAeS
ISBN09519899 36
ISBN 0951989944
Royal Naval Air Service 1912-1918
by
Edited by Barry Ketley
Brad King
Artwork by Mark Rolfe & David Howley ISBN09519899 52
Maps by Steve Longland
Design by Hikoki Publications
Luftwaffe Emblems 1939-1945
Printed in Great Britain byAlden Press,Oxford
by
BarryKetley & Mark Rolfe
Distribution & Marketing by
ISBN 09519899 7 9
Midland PublishingLtd
24TheHollow,EarlShilton,LeicesterLE97NA
Luftwaffe Fledglings 1935-1945
Tel:[phone] Fax:[phone]
LuftwaffeTraining Units & theirAircraft
by
Barry Ketley & Mark Rolfe
ISBN095198992 8
Publisher's Note: Some of the pictures in this book are
not of the usual high quality expected from Hikoki
Publications.They are included not only on account of
FORTHCOMING
their rarity value, but as graphic examples of the
conditions in which all members of the photo
Stormbird
reconnaissance unitshad to live,work andfight-as will
Flying through fire as a Luftwaffe ground-attack
becomeabundantlyclearto thereader
pilot and Me 262 ace
by
Oberst (i. R.) Hermann Buchner
ISBN 1902109007
Shadows
Airlift andAirwarin Biafra and Nigeria
1967-1970
by
Caption tofront dustjacket: GrummanHellcatlI(P) IW723,
'6G', of804 NAS aboard HMS Ameer in December1944. It is Michael1. Draper
finishedinTemperateSeaSchemecamouflagewithSkyundersides ISBN 1902109 63 5
andEasternFleetnationalmarkings
Condor
Captiontoreardustjacket:'Mercury',aDakotaregularlyused
TheLuftwaffe in Spain 1936-1939
byLordLouisMountbatten,SupremeAlliedCommanderSouth
EastAsia,showingthePhoenixsymboladoptedbyhis HQ by
Patrick Laureau
Caption to titlepage:AMosquitowithPRUBlueundersurfaces
ISBN 1902109 10 4
displaysthestandardcamerapositionsandtheidentificationlights
belowtherearfuselage
CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 5 Preparingfor 'Zipper' 137
'Arace against time'-Rangoon retaken 140
FOREWORD Naval operations-the East Indies Fleet 156
ByWing Commander Donald B.Pearson 6 Delayed action in the Pacific-the British
PacificFleet 157
INTRODUCTION 7 No end to hostilities 165
The post-war period 169
CAUSESOFTHESECONDWORLDWAR
Japan & China 10 CAMOUFLAGEAND MARKINGS
ThePR Units 13 Colour Standards and Colour References 175
British aircraft camouflage 178
1941-1942 British National Markings 181
IndiaandFarEastCommands 18 US aircraft camouflage schemes 185
Defeat and retreat-the fall ofMalaya 21 US National Markings 188
The long retreat-withdrawal from Burma 29 India Command and SEACMarkings 189
A new beginning-the B-25 saga 37 Identification Bands 192
Respite-the Monsoon begins 46 Royal Navy Distinguishing Symbols 210
EasternFleet Markings 210
1942-1943 British PacificFleetMarkings 211
The first Spitfires to India 50 Post-war Colours and Markings 214
DisappointmentinArakan 54
Mosquitos for India Command 60 RAF/IAF Reconnaissance Aircraft
Colour schemes and markings 218
1943-1944NEW COMMANDS
Theformation ofSEAC 65 Royal NavyReconnaissanceAircraft
"Keep China in theWar"-re-organisation Colour schemes and markings 234
and forward planning 70
SecondArakan-and'The March onDelhi' 77 US Reconnaissance Aircraft
Operation'Thursday'-PR and the Chindits 81 Colour schemes and Markings 240
The US Navy shows the way 89
The Eastern Fleet strikes back 96 ACCENTUATING THE POSITIVE
Recollections from the darkroom 247
1944-1945
The turn of the tide 100 COLOUR SECTION
The Mosquito fiasco 105 Aircraftincolour 193
Beyond the Chindwin River 109 Maps 207
Fleet re-organisation and PacificFleet
operations 117 CAPTIONS TOARTWORK 250
Into Burma 120
Crossing the Irrawaddy- APPENDICES 252
Operation'Extended Capital' 124 Maps 267
Last operations inArakan 134
3
DEDICATION
Above all to my Maureen for her loving care and unfailing
patience
4
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thematerialinthisbookisderivedfromawidevariety I am especially grateful to Dr Ian Douglas and Dr
ofsources,published and unpublished. Principalsources PatrickTrend; withouttheirattentionandcarethisbook
are the files of the Air Ministry and Ministry ofAircraft wouldnothavebeencompleted.
Production,theOperationRecordBooksofGroups,Wings,
SquadronsandPRUnitsheldatthe PublicRecordOffice, Ifreaders feel that there is a lack of'balance' in the
and the SquadronHistoricalData held at the HQ USAF emphasisonearlyPRoperations,Imakenoapology.The
Historical Research Center. Othermaterialis taken from earlyactivitiesofthePRunits are concealedinavariety
Commanders' Reports published after the war in the ofarchiveshereandabroadbutanyonerequiringfurther
LondonGazette,insomeinstancesherequotedverbatim. informationon theperiod beginningwith theformation
of 681 Squadron can easily find it in the Operational
Aconsiderablequantityofadditionalinformationhas Record Books (A.540 and A.541) of the RAF and IAF
come from personnelwho were directly involvedin PR Squadrons,heldatthePublicRecordsOffice,Kew.These
operations asdomanyofthephotographsincludedhere. documents include details of operations and of the
Some of these photographs have an uncertain proven activitiesandmovementsofaircraftin the squadrons.
ance;copyrightissometimesclaimedby'official'bodies
whohaveacquiredprintsfromindividuals. ThephotographicunitsoftheBritishPacificFleetare
described in some detail; although the aircraft carriers,
Others are 'owned' by people who simply had add aircraft and personnel were no longer under control of
itional prints of photographs which were, technically, South-EastAsia Commandin1945,they were the same
CrownCopyrightwhentheyweretaken.Ihavetherefore unitscontinuingoperationsunderUSNavycommandand
not attributed photographs individually, but simply areworthyofrecord here.
acknowledge adebt ofthanksto allthosewhoprovided
them,where known.Theseinclude Group Captain'Jeff'
Names ofplaces
JeffordMBE,c.A.Jones,BarryMoney,RobertJones,the
lateJohnD.R.Rawlings,AlanBarnett,DavidA.Bearne, The anglicised phonetic spelling of place-names is
Neil Guy, Flight Lieutenant Norman Robertson, Peter somewhat variable in different histories ofSecondWorld
Bingham-Wallis, R.Webb,C.H.Kens,S.Hills, R. Crane, WarcampaignsintheFarEast. For instance,theOfficial
A. Latham, R. Wardhaugh, Chaz Bowyer, P. Sweeting, DespatchesandReportspublicisedintheLondonGazette
Merton Naydler, Donald McPhail, L.L. Bockford, describingthecampaigninMalayareferbothtoKotaBam
PushpindarSingh,AVMSirIanPedder,BarryKetleyand andtoKotaBahru(the officialspellingofthename).Strictly
Mervyn Caswell, who also provided some recollections speaking,botharewrong-thecurrent'romanised'spelling
ofhis time with681 Squadron. oftheMalaynameisKotaBaham,meaing'thenewfort'.
Affixes to the names of personnel-RAF, RAFVR, Here,thenamesofplacesinIndia,BurmaandtheMalay
RNZAF,RNVRandsoonareomittedinmostcases, so Peninsulaare'anglicised'butfor thosein theNetherlands
thatthenarrative maynotbe undulyinterrupted. EastIndiesIhaveretainedtheDutchspellingoftheperiod,
with'oe' for'u' , 'j' for'y'and'dj'for'j'.
Imustacknowledgemythankstothemanyfriendswho
havehelpedinthepreparationofthiswork; inparticularto In anglicised Burmese, 'Ky' in place-names, as in
Wing CommanderDonald PearsonDFC,Group Captain Kyaiktaw, is pronounced as the English 'Ch-'. Burma
Derek Thirlwell OBE DFC,Alan Fox DFM and Com (Bimma to the Japanese) was known for some years as
manderBrianMcCawDSC;tothelateWingCommander Mynamar,anditscapital,Rangoon,revertedtotheoriginal
Freddie Procter DFC,Wing Commander 'Bunny' Stone nameofChunggon.Morerecently,thefamiliarnameshave
DFCandFlightLieutenantFrankGuyDFCfortheloanof againbeenused.
/
photographsandforquotationsfromtheirrecollectionsof
those stirring times. For encouragement, advice and for Severalversionsofnames,particularlyofplacesinSiam
documents I am indebted to PeterArnold, Ian K. Baker, (Thailand) appeared on wartime maps. These different
Dana Bell of The National Air and Space Museum, spellingswereusuallyderivedfrommapsofdifferentorigins
SmithsonianInstitution;toChrisEllis,CommanderRC.Hay and dates, some as early as 1889.The alternative names
DSO, DSC; Dr Jim Kitchens of the Albert F. Simpson Prachab GhirikahanorPrachap-khirikhanandNakhauun
HistoricalResearch Centerofthe USAF,History Center; Sawan or Nakawn Sawan are typical. In general, I have
toRoyC.Nesbit,GeraldStevens,RaySturtivant,BrianCull, adopted the late wartime spellingofplace names used on
Flight Lieutenant 'Andy' Thomas, Richard L. Ward, theHIND1050and5000seriesofmilitarymaps(1943-1945)
SquadronLeaderD.W.'Joe'Warneandtomyconstantfriend and,whererelevant, onthefinalissueoftheEnemyAirfield
RoyPelhamforhissupport. ServiceabilityMap(HINDMisc./7225)dated23July1945.
5
FOREWORD
By
Wing Commander Donald B. Pearson DFC RAF (Retd)
When the Japanese entered the war without declaring considerwhenreading this excellent account the value of
theirintentionsinDecember1941IwasflyingasChiefFlying awardsmadewhilefightingalosingbattle.Firstlyofcourse,
InstructoronHarvardaircraftatKluanginMalaya. From there are fewer awards made,and secondly they are won
thatmomentImadeattemptstogetpostedtoanoperational usuallyunderfar more difficult conditionsand against far
FighterSquadronbutentirelywithoutsuccess as myrank greaterodds,andtheseconditionsapplied tonearlyall the
was that ofActing Squadron Leader. However, I finally aircrewsoperatingoverMalaysia,Indonesia,andBurma.
contacted Squadron Leader Lewis, CO of No.4 PRU
operatingBrewsterBuffalos,andbyrelinquishingmyacting To many of you who have probably only flown in
rankIwasabletojointhisunitasaFlightLieutenant.Ihad passengeraircraftitmustbedifficulttoimaginebeingat35
alreadyspentthreeandahalfyearsflyingwiththeRAFin 40,000ftabovetheearth,hundredsofmilesfromyourhome
Malayaand was,Isuppose,anideal pilotforPRworkasI base over enemy held territory and, in thesingle-engined
knewthecountrysowell. Buffalos,HurricanesandSpitfires,absolutelyalone.
TheFarEastappearedtobealmosttotallyunprepared Itrustthatyouwillenjoyreadingthis detailedaccount
for war against Japan,and our knowledge of their Forces ofanaspectofawarwhichwasfought bysomanygallant
practically nil. Reconnaissance was therefore of prime menofourAlliedreconnaissanceForcessolongago,andso
importance, but once again the performance of our faraway.
reconnaissanceaircraftwaswellbelowthatrequiredforthe
work. 2 Above:HurricanelIB, BM969, beingflown byFIgOffDonald
Pearson,'S'FlightCommander,ofNo.3PRU(Tndia) inmid-1942.
Theweather-beatenspecial'royalblue'overallfinish wassocloseto
AnyaccountofthewarintheFarEastduring1941-1942
theDullBlueoftheroundelsthat2inwideYellowsurroundshave
mustinevitablybearecordofdisastersduetomanyreasons; beenaddedtothem
thelackofmodernequipment,experience,andIntelligence
3 Right: An unidentified young pilot seated in Spitfire PR.XI
far outweighedthe extremebraveryofthe aircrews, some
PL781, 'F', of681 SqnatKuala LumpUl; Malaya. The 'sighting'
ofwhom wereflying in100mph biplanes against modern
markforobliquephotographycanbeseenmarkedonthesideof
fighters and bombers. In view of these factors you may thecockpitcanopy,portsideonly
6
INTRODUCTION
ThestoryofphotographicreconnaissanceoverEurope brieflydescribedinthesquadrons'OperationRecordBooks;
from bases in the United Kingdom is well known. Less andinthepilots'FlyingLogBooks.Officialrecognitionof
familiar is the record of the units operating in the Medi theworth ofthese operationscamewith gallantryawards.
terraneanarea,whoseactivitieswerevitalinkeepingwatch CplAlanFox,awardedtheDistinguishedFlyingMedalfor
ontheAxisforcesduringthefast-movingfightingfromthe taking part in 75 photo-reconnaissance sorties may have
Western Desert toTunisia.Perhaps even more important, beentoodismissiveofthedangerstowhichheandhisfellows
intermsofstrategy(andmostlyunrecorded),wasthejobof weresubjected,whenhewrote,"Flyinghigh,andalone,and
thephotographicsquadronsintheFarEast;todiscoverJap fast, photo-reconnaissanceaircraftstoodagoodchanceof
anese movements and intentionswithin a vast area,2,000 getting away with a couple ofquick runs over the target
milesacrossandcentredonWesternBorneo,withinwhich followedbyaboltforhome--especiallysincethemotivation
virtuallyno intelligencecouldotherwisebeobtainedafter towardsresponsiblesteadinessandprudencewassharpened
thesurrenderoftheNetherlandsEastIndies. by the fact that theyflew unarmed. Photo-reconnaissance
flyingthereforesufferedlessoftheemotionaltensionsand
PhotographicReconnaissanceoftenbringstomindim dramasthatattendedbomberandfightersquadrons."
ages of high-flying Spitfires and Mosquitoes against a
backgroundofdeepbluesky.Hereastoryistoldofavariety Thiswasnotalwaystrue;tacticalreconnaissanceaircraft
ofaircraft, some basically unsuited to the task butlocally usually flew at low-level, and losses occurredfrom enemy
modifiedforphotographicoperations,flyingoftenthrough groundfireand,onoccasion,fromattackbyenemyfighters.
appallingweatherconditions overemptyoceanorjungle The success of all aerial reconnaissance was the result of
coveredmountainswhereinterceptionorsimplemechanical skillandpersistenceasacknowledged by the award ofthe
failureleftsmallchanceofsurvival. decorations listed here.The British Distinguished Flying
Crosswasawardedtoofficersandwarrantofficers,andthe
It may appear unjust to describe some events and Distinguished Flying Medal to other ranks, "for acts of
operations in detail while ignoring many others that may courage,valourordevotiontodutyperformedwhileflying
havebeenequallydangerous,unfortunatelyspaceislimited. onactiveoperations." ThelessprestigiousUSDistinguished
Many difficult photographicsorties,inparticularbetween Flying Cross was awarded to officers and enlisted men
thetimeofthe1944monsoon andtheendofthewar,were, distinguishedby"heroismorextraordinaryachievement
atthetime,consideredasroutineoperationsandwereonly whileparticipatinginan aerialflight."
7
Awardstopersonnelforphotographicreconnaissance,tacticalreconnaissanceandassociateddutiesinSouth-eastAsia,1941-1945
SqnLdrArjanSinghRIAF pilotlOC,ISqnRIAF. DFC LtR.G.MuellerUSAAF pilot,20thTRSqnUSAAF. DFC
WtOffW.G.Bannister navigator,684Sqn. DFC WgCdrW.B.MurrayRNZAF pilotlOC,684Sqn. DFC
LtF.T.BenderUSAAF pilot,20thTRSqnUSAAF. DFC WgCdrK.I.NewmanRNZAF pilotlOC,684Sqn. DFC*
FigOffD.G.BhoreMBE pilot,6SqnRIAF. DFC FitLtA.CF.Oldworth pilot,No.3PRU;681 Sqn DFC
FitLtI.Booth pilot,BVAF,684Sqn. DFC FitLtCD.Pallthorpe pilot,No.3PRU;681Sqn DFC
FitLtJ.BradfordRCAF pilot/FitCdr,681Sqn. DFC WgCdrI.Palmer EngineerOfficer No.3PRU;
FigOffH.N.BulsaraRIAF pilot,1SqnRIAF. DFC 681Sqn;684Sqn. MBE
FitLtU.N.ChaterjeeRIAF pilot ISqnRIAF. DFC FigOffA.R.PanditRIAF pilot,1SqnRIAF. DFC
SqnLdrG.Craig PhotographicOfficer, WgCdrD.B.Pearson pilot,No.4PRU;FitCdr,
No.3PRU;681 Sqn. OBE No.3PRU;OC,681Sqn. DFC
FigOff O.A.DupeeDFM pilot,684Sqn DFC FItLtA.D.Phillips pilot,No.4PRU DFC
CplA.Fox AirPhotographer, FitLtA.I.Picknett pilotlFltCdr,684Sqn. DFC
No.3PRU;681Sqn;684Sqn DFM WgCdrF.D.Procter pilot/FItCdr,No.3PRU;
FItLtF.w.Guy pilot,No.3PRU;681Sqn; OC,681Sqn. DFC
684Sqn DFC FitLtM.H.PujjiRIAF pilot,4SqnRIAF. DFC
FigOffP.S.GuptaRIAF pilot,1SqnRIAF. DFC FigOffR. RajaramRIAF Pilot/OClSqnRIAF DFC
FigOffR.Hawson navigator,684Sqn. DFC FigOffR. RaoRIAF pilot,1SqnRIAF DFC
Lt-ColR.CHayRMDSC* pilot/WingLeader47thNaval SqnLdrH.Reeves navigator,No.3PRU;
FighterWing;AirCo-ordinator, 681Sqn. DFC
1stAircraftCarrierSqn. DSO SqnLdrT.N.Rosser pilotlFItCdr,No.3PRU;
SISgtH.S.Hinderstein pilot,20thTRSqnUSAAF. DFC. 681Sqn. DFC
FitLtI.Irvine pilot,684Sqn. DFC LtR.B.ShermanUSAAF pilot,20thTRSqnUSAAF. DFC
WtOffM.Johnston pilot 684Sqn. DFC FItSgtR.Smith navigator,684Sqn. DFC
SqnLdrB.S.Jones pilotiOC,684Sqn. DFC FItLtG.Stevens navigator 684Sqn. DFC
MajL.M.KadellUSAAF pilot,20thTBSqnUSAAF DFC FIgOffB.N.SurendraRIAF pilot,4SqnRIAF DFC
FIgOffK.N.KakRIAF pilot,1SqnRIAF. DFC FIgOffI.CVarmaRIAF pilot,6SqnRIAF. DFC
SqnLdrP.CLalRIAF pilotlOC,7SqnRIAF. DFC SgtC WarehamRNZAF pilot,No.4PRU. DFM
SqnLdrH.G.F.Larsen pilotlOC,28Sqn. DFC FitLtD.o.Warwick pilot,684Sqn. DFC
WgCdrW.E.M.Lowry pilot/OC,684Sqn. DFC LtH.H.WelshUSAAF pilot,20thTRSqnUSAAF. DFC
FigOffPI.McDonnel navigator,684Sqn. DFC LtA.R.WilliamsUSAAF pilot,20thTRSqnUSAAF. DFC
CdrB.A.MacCawRN pilotiOC,888Sqn. DSC FitSgtE.Wills navigator 684Sqn. DFM
FItLtF.B.McCulloch navigator,684Sqn. DFC FIgOffWinship pilot 684Sqn. DFC
FItLtK.MacVicar pilot,28Sqn. DFC GpCptS.G.Wise pilotlOCNo.3 PRU;681Sqn;
SISgtCP.McGuireUSAAF pilot,9thPRSqnUSAAF DFM 684Sqn;OC171Wing;
SqnLdrP.D.F.Mitchell pilot,100Sqn. DFC 347Wing. OBE,DFC*
CompiledwiththeassistanceofGeraldStevensoftheEx-RAFSouth-EastAsiaRecceForceOldColleaguesContactGroup
andSqn LdrD.W.Warne
CommandingOfficersofUSAirUnitsengagedinStrategicandTacticalPhotographicReconnaissancedutiesintheFarEast
UnitedStatesArmyAirForces 24thCombatMappingSqn
9thPRSqn(Light) MajJMHubers Mar1943-Jan1944
CptEKessler Feb1942-Aug1942 MajHBAllen Jan1944-Jul1945
Lt-ColJWMcCoy Aug1942-Jan1943 40thPRSqn
9thPRSqn Lt-ColJWAnderson Sep1944-May1945
MajDLSwartz Feb1943-Dec1943 MajWABaileyDFC May1945
MajHEMiller Dec1943-Jun1944
20thTRSqn USNavy
CptlMajWRFornof Sep1943-Apr1945 SqnVF·12
LtCdrRGDore Jan1944-July1944
8
CommandingOfficersofAirUnitsengagedinStrategicandTacticalPhotographicReconnaissancedutiesintheFarEast
RoyalAirForce IndianAirForce/RoyallndianAirForce
PRFlight,FarEastCommandRAFINo.4PRU No.lSqn
SqnLdrCGRLewis Nov1941-Feb1942 SqnLdrKKNaumdarDFC Feb1942
PRFlight,BurmaCommandlNo.3PRU SqnLdrArjanSinghDFC Feb1943-Dec1944
directcommandofAOCBurma, SqnLdrKRajaramDFC Dec1944-Mar1945
AV-MDFStevensonOBEDSONC Jan1942-Apr1942 No.2Sqn
No.5PRUlNo.3PRU(India) SqnLdrHUKhan Apr1942
SqnLdrACPearson Apr1942-May1942 SqnLdrJaswantSingh Dec1944-May1945
WgCdrSGWiseDFC May1942-Jan1943 No.4Sqn
No.20(AC)Sqn SqnLdrGSSharp Apr1944-Dec1944
SqnLdrHGFletcherDFC Jun1942-Mar1943 SqnLdrHelsby? Dec?1944
No.28(AC)Sqn SqnLdrWBBerry Dec1944-Apr1945
SqnLdrPNJennings Jan1942-Mar1942 No.6Sqn
SqnLdrORWHammerbeck Mar1942-May1942 SqnLdrMeharSingh Nov1943-May1945
No.28(FR)Sqn No.7Sqn
SqnLdrASMann Jan1943-Mar1943 SqnLdrPChandraLalDFC Mar1945-May1945
SqnLdrTRPierce Mar1943-Aug1943 No.9Sqn
SanLdrHGFLarsen Aug1943-JuI1944 SqnLdrDAAdams Jan1945-Apr1945
FItLt AEGuymer Ju11944-0ct1944 No.10Sqn
SqnLdrHGFLarsen Oct1944-Feb1945 SqnLdrRFDDoeDFC Dec1944-Mar1945
SqnLdrEGParnell Feb1945-Apr1945
SqnLdrAEGuymer Apr1945·Jun1945 AirBranch,RoyalNavy
SqnLdrJRhind Jun1945-Ju11945 No.804Sqn
No.4S(B)Sqn Lt-Cdr(A)GBCSangster Jan1945-May1945
WgCdrCBWallisDSO Jan1942-Feb1942 Lt-Cdr(A)GBLaw May1945-Jun1945
No.60(B)Sqn No.807Sqn
WgCdrRLVivian Dec1941-Feb1942 Lt-Cdr(A)DJClark May1945-Aug1945
No.67(F)Sqn No.880Sqn
SqnLdrAMilward Jan1942-Feb1942 Lt-Cdr(A)RACrosleyDSC' Jun1945-Aug1945
No.n3(B)Sqn No.888Sqn
WgCdrRStidolph Mar1942-Apr1942 Lt(A)BAMcCawDSC Jan1945-Aug1945
WgCdrJFGrey Feb1943-Apr1943 PRFlight,No.5NFW
No.160(GR)Sqn Lt-Cdr(A)AMTrittonDSC Ju11945-Aug1945
WgCdrCAButler Mar1943-Jun1944 PRFlight,No.lSNFW
WgCdrGRBrady Jun1944-Nov1944 Lt-Cdr(A)AMTrittonDSC Jun1944-Jul1945
WgCdrINStaceyDSODFC Nov1944-May1945 SpecialFlightNo.47NFWIAirCo-ord,BPF
No.681(PR)Sqn Maj/Lt-ColRCHayDSODSCRM Jul1944-Jul1945
WgCdrSGWiseDFC' Jan1943-Dec1943 PRFlightNo.1CAG
WgCdrFDProcterDFC Dec1943-Apr1945 Cdr(A)JCHShrubsole Ju11945-Aug1945
WgCdrDBPearsonDFC Apr1945-Mar1946 PRlNFFlightNo.2CAG
SqnLdrHRoberts Mar1946-Aug1946 MajPPNelson-GracieRA Ju11945-0ct1945
becameNo.34Sqn PRFlightNo.nCAG
SqnLdrHRoberts Aug1946-Ju11949 Lt-Cdr(A)TWHarrington Jul1945-Aug1945
No.684(PR)Sqn
SqnLdrBSJones Sep1943-Dec1943
WgCdrWBMurray Dec1943-Nov1944
WgCdrWENLowryDFC Nov1944-Nov1945
WgCdrKJNewmanDFC* Nov1945-Apr1946
WgCdrJRHMerrifieldDFC* Apr1946-Sep1946
becameNo.81Sqn
WgCdrJRHMerrifieldDFC' Sep1946-Jun1947
SqnLdrBAFairhurstDFC Jun1947-Jan1949
9